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Personalize your custom “魚” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “魚” title below...
1. Fish
2. Goldfish
5. Shark
6. Pisces
7. Mermaid
8. Trigger Fish
9. Pisces
魚 is the character that means fish in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
金魚 is the title for goldfish in Chinese and Japanese.
There was a time in ancient China when only the Emperor could possess the actual yellow-gold colored fish. This is why alternate coloration such as orange, black, red, and white was bred. Many believe this is why colors other than yellow-gold are more common for “goldfish” in pet shops today.
(Unisex)
人魚 is the Japanese Kanji, Korean Hanja, and Chinese word for “merman” or “mermaid.”
It literally means “human fish.”
人魚 is a non-gender-specific or unisex word in all three languages.
沈魚落雁 is an old proverb that literally means “fish sink, goose alights.”
...But this takes some explaining. This is a proverb from Zhuangzi (莊子), who lived in the late 4th century BC.
This figuratively refers to female beauty that is so captivating that even the birds and beasts take notice.
Perhaps a better and more accurate way to describe this is to say that it speaks of the charms of a uniquely beautiful woman who is so beautiful that fish stay on the bottom of the water and flying wild geese fall from the sky in shame.
This proverb is so famous that it is also known and used in Japan (same characters, different pronunciation).
Note: This can also be written 沉魚落雁 instead of 沈魚落雁 (just the first character varies slightly).
不撒大網不得大魚 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: [if one does] not cast a big net, [one can] not get big fish.
Figuratively, this means: One cannot make great accomplishments without making great efforts or taking great pains.
This is sort of the fishing version of, “No pain, no gain.”
Below are some entries from our dictionary that may match your 魚 search...
Characters If shown, 2nd row is Simp. Chinese |
Pronunciation Romanization |
Simple Dictionary Definition |
魚 鱼 see styles |
yú yu2 yü sakana(p); uo さかな(P); うお |
More info & calligraphy: Fishfish; (female given name) Nana matsya. Fish. |
人魚 人鱼 see styles |
rén yú ren2 yu2 jen yü ningyo にんぎょ |
More info & calligraphy: Mermaid / Mermanmermaid; merman; (female given name) Hitona |
金魚 金鱼 see styles |
jīn yú jin1 yu2 chin yü kingyo(p); kingyo きんぎょ(P); キンギョ |
More info & calligraphy: Goldfishgoldfish (Carassius auratus); (surname, female given name) Kingyo |
魚座 see styles |
uoza うおざ |
More info & calligraphy: Pisces Zodiac Symbol / Sign |
鯉魚 鲤鱼 see styles |
lǐ yú li3 yu2 li yü |
More info & calligraphy: Carp / Koi Fish |
鯊魚 鲨鱼 see styles |
shā yú sha1 yu2 sha yü |
More info & calligraphy: Shark |
美人魚 美人鱼 see styles |
měi rén yú mei3 ren2 yu2 mei jen yü |
More info & calligraphy: Mermaid |
雙魚座 双鱼座 see styles |
shuāng yú zuò shuang1 yu2 zuo4 shuang yü tso |
More info & calligraphy: Pisces Zodiac Symbol / Sign |
沈魚落雁 沈鱼落雁 see styles |
chén yú luò yàn chen2 yu2 luo4 yan4 ch`en yü lo yen chen yü lo yen chingyorakugan ちんぎょらくがん |
More info & calligraphy: Beautiful Woman Proverb(yoji) charms of a uniquely beautiful woman; (so beautiful that) fish stay on the bottom of water and flying wild geese fall from the sky in shame |
授人以魚不如授人以漁 授人以鱼不如授人以渔 see styles |
shòu rén yǐ yú bù rú shòu rén yǐ yú shou4 ren2 yi3 yu2 bu4 ru2 shou4 ren2 yi3 yu2 shou jen i yü pu ju shou jen i yü |
More info & calligraphy: Teach A Man To Fish |
一魚 see styles |
ichigyo いちぎょ |
(given name) Ichigyo |
万魚 see styles |
mana まな |
(female given name) Mana |
上魚 see styles |
kamiuo かみうお |
(place-name) Kamiuo |
丸魚 see styles |
maruuo / maruo まるうお |
(surname) Maruuo |
乾魚 see styles |
hoshizakana ほしざかな hoshiuo ほしうお hizakana ひざかな hiuo ひうお kangyo かんぎょ |
dried fish; stockfish |
仔魚 see styles |
shigyo しぎょ |
larva of fish; larval fish |
仙魚 see styles |
sengyo せんぎょ |
(given name) Sengyo |
備魚 see styles |
bigyo びぎょ |
(surname) Bigyo |
元魚 see styles |
motouo / motoo もとうお |
(place-name) Motouo |
光魚 see styles |
mitsuo みつお |
(given name) Mitsuo |
兜魚 see styles |
kabutouo / kabutoo かぶとうお |
(1) (kana only) large-headed midnight fish (Poromitra crassiceps); (2) armored fish; armoured fish |
公魚 see styles |
wakasagi わかさぎ |
(kana only) Japanese pond smelt (Hypomesus nipponensis); (female given name) Wakasagi |
六魚 see styles |
rikugyo りくぎょ |
(given name) Rikugyo |
冑魚 see styles |
kabutouo / kabutoo かぶとうお |
(1) (kana only) large-headed midnight fish (Poromitra crassiceps); (2) armored fish; armoured fish |
冬魚 see styles |
tougyo / togyo とうぎょ |
(given name) Tougyo |
凍魚 see styles |
tougyo / togyo とうぎょ |
(given name) Tougyo |
刀魚 刀鱼 see styles |
dāo yú dao1 yu2 tao yü |
tapertail anchovy (Coilia ectenes); various species of cutlassfish; saury |
刺魚 see styles |
togeuo とげうお |
(kana only) stickleback (any fish of family Gasterosteidae) |
劍魚 剑鱼 see styles |
jiàn yú jian4 yu2 chien yü |
swordfish |
勇魚 see styles |
yuna ゆな |
(female given name) Yuna |
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Fish | 魚 鱼 | sakana / gyo / uo | yú / yu2 / yu | yü |
Goldfish | 金魚 金鱼 | kin gyo / kingyo | jīn yú / jin1 yu2 / jin yu / jinyu | chin yü / chinyü |
Carp Koi Fish | 鯉魚 鲤鱼 | lǐ yú / li3 yu2 / li yu / liyu | li yü / liyü | |
Mermaid Merman | 人魚 人鱼 | nin gyo / ningyo | rén yú / ren2 yu2 / ren yu / renyu | jen yü / jenyü |
Shark | 鯊魚 鲨鱼 | shā yú / sha1 yu2 / sha yu / shayu | sha yü / shayü | |
Pisces Zodiac Symbol Sign | 魚座 鱼座 | uo-za | yú zuò / yu2 zuo4 / yu zuo / yuzuo | yü tso / yütso |
Mermaid | 美人魚 美人鱼 | měi rén yú mei3 ren2 yu2 mei ren yu meirenyu | mei jen yü meijenyü |
|
Trigger Fish | 扳機魚 扳机鱼 | bān jī yú ban1 ji1 yu2 ban ji yu banjiyu | pan chi yü panchiyü |
|
Pisces Zodiac Symbol Sign | 雙魚座 双鱼座 | shuāng yú zuò shuang1 yu2 zuo4 shuang yu zuo shuangyuzuo | shuang yü tso shuangyütso |
|
Beautiful Woman Proverb | 沈魚落雁 沈鱼落雁 | chin gyo raku gan chingyorakugan | chén yú luò yàn chen2 yu2 luo4 yan4 chen yu luo yan chenyuluoyan | ch`en yü lo yen chenyüloyen chen yü lo yen |
Without a big net, how can you catch fish? | 不撒大網不得大魚 不撒大网不得大鱼 | bù sā dà wǎng bù dé dà yú bu4 sa1 da4 wang3 bu4 de2 da4 yu2 bu sa da wang bu de da yu busadawangbudedayu | pu sa ta wang pu te ta yü pusatawangputetayü |
|
Teach A Man To Fish | 授人以魚不如授人以漁 授人以鱼不如授人以渔 | shòu rén yǐ yú bù rú shòu rén yǐ yú shou4 ren2 yi3 yu2 bu4 ru2 shou4 ren2 yi3 yu2 shou ren yi yu bu ru shou ren yi yu | shou jen i yü pu ju shou jen i yü | |
In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line. In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese. |
Successful Chinese Character and Japanese Kanji calligraphy searches within the last few hours...
All of our calligraphy wall scrolls are handmade.
When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to my art mounting workshop in Beijing where a wall scroll is made by hand from a combination of silk, rice paper, and wood.
After we create your wall scroll, it takes at least two weeks for air mail delivery from Beijing to you.
Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!
When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.
The wall scroll that Sandy is holding in this picture is a "large size"
single-character wall scroll.
We also offer custom wall scrolls in small, medium, and an even-larger jumbo size.
Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.
There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form
of art alive.
Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.
The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.
Check out my lists of Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls and Old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scrolls.