Personalize a "Power" Chinese or Japanese Calligraphy Wall Scroll

力 is the simplest form of “power” or “strength.”

In Japanese, it is pronounced “chikara” when used alone, and “ryoku” when used in a sentence (there are also a few other possible pronunciations of this Kanji in Japanese).

In some contexts, this can mean ability, force, physical strength, capability, and influence.

See Also:  With All the Strength of Your Heart | Vitality | Strong / Healthy

強 is a character that means strong, strength, force, powerful, better, stubborn, and stiff (yes, all of this in one character).

This “strong” has less to do with physical strength and more to do with having a winning attitude, or just having the ability to win at something.

Note that most of the time, this character is pronounced “qiang” but when used with the meaning of stubborn, unyielding, or stiff, it is pronounced “jiang” in Chinese.

Also, sometimes “qiang” is used in modern Chinese to describe people that do crazy things (For example: Bicycling from Beijing to Tibet alone). I sometimes can be found outside my Beijing apartment wearing nothing but shorts and a tee-shirt while eating ice cream during a snow storm, just to hear my neighbors call me “qiang.” Maybe they mean “strong” but perhaps they are using the new meaning of “crazy strong.”

強 can also be a Chinese surname that romanizes as Jiang in the mainland or Chiang if from Taiwan.

強 is a valid Korean Hanja character with the same meaning but is mostly used in compound Korean words.

強 is used in Japanese (though normally in compound words). In Japanese, it has the same meaning but in some contexts can mean “a little more than...” or “a little over [some amount].” Most Japanese would read this as tough, strength, stiff, hard, inflexible, obstinate, or stubborn.

The variant 彊 is sometimes seen in older literature.

剛毅 is a Japanese and Chinese word that means resolute and firm, fortitude, firmness of character, hardihood, manliness, or macho.

See Also:  Perseverance | With All the Strength of Your Heart | Tenacious / Tenacity

力操正 is a Korean martial arts title meaning “Power Control.”

It's most often cited as one of the 8 key concepts from Tang Soo Do.

This can be pronounced in Chinese but will only be recognized by those familiar with martial arts terms.

龍馬精神虎虎生威 is an old proverb that is used to wish someone great health and success combined as a great compliment.

The meaning is “The vigor and spirit of the legendary dragon-horse and the power and prestige of the tiger.”

By giving a wall scroll like this to someone, you were either wishing or telling them that they have these qualities. There is also a suggestion of good health - at least anyone with the vigor of a dragon horse would seem to also be in good health.

This can be read as “girl power,” “woman power,” “women empowerment” or “female strength.”

女力 is kind of a strange or unofficial title in Chinese and Japanese. At least, it's not common for a wall scroll.

This should be “onna ryoku” in Japanese but I found some who suggest it should be “me riki.”

絶対的な力 is a long Japanese word that means “Absolute Power.”

By those terms, this is roughly the Japanese equivalent of “juggernaut.”

一正压百邪 is an ancient Chinese proverb and idiom that means “One Justice Can Overpower a Hundred Evils.”

While this proverb is famous in China, it has been around so long that its origins have been forgotten.

It could be something that Confucius or one of his disciples said, but no one can say for sure.

大力 can mean immense physical strength or great power.

This can also act as an adjective for expressing how energetically or vigorously something is.

This can also be a given name, Dairiki, in Japanese.

悟性 means the power of understanding and insight in Chinese.

It is often associated with Neo-Confucianism. In that regard, it means to realize, perceive, or have the perception of man's true nature. It can also mean finding your soul, the soul of others, or the soul of the world. Some will translate this simply as the state of being “savvy.”

In Japanese, this is often translated as wisdom and understanding.

霊能力 is a word that means psychic power or spiritual ability in Japanese.

You may recognize the first character, 霊 (rei), is the same as the first Kanji in the word reiki. It means spirit or spiritual, but in this context can also mean psychic.
能力 can mean ability, capacity, or power.

自力 is a word in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, old Korean, and Buddhist term meaning: the power within oneself; self-sufficient; by oneself; self-made; self-power; inner ability.

自勝者強也 means “One who conquers oneself is strong” in Chinese.

自勝 = Self-overcoming or self-conquering
者 = is
強 = Strength
也 = Also

勇力 is a very short way to say “courage and strength” in Chinese and Japanese.

In Japanese, it's read more like “strong courage” or “powerful courage.” This can also be the personal name Yuri or Yuuri in Japanese.

願上帝給我力量 is a wish or a prayer that you might call out at a desperate time.

Translated by us for a military serviceman in Iraq. He may need to use this phrase often, though I am not sure where he's going to find a place to hang a wall scroll.

神が私に力を与えてください is “God give me strength” in Japanese.

This is the long and formal version. We also have a short version.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

神は私に力を與える means “God give me strength,” in Japanese.

神は私に力を與える is the short version, we also have a longer more formal version.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

內健 is an old Chinese word meaning inner strength or inner health.

It's the idea of health and well-being starting or residing inside yourself. Also defined as fortitude within the context of good health.

表壯不如里壯 literally translates as: [Better to be] strong inside than [to be] strong outside.

The ancient original meaning was:
[An] able [husband] outside [working to support a family is] not as good as [an] able [wife] inside [working and saving to take care of the family].

The current meaning is:
Inner strength is more important than outward appearance.

内面の強さは外見の良さに勝る is a Japanese proverb that literally translates as “inner/internal strength/power [versus] outward-appearance [the] merit/virtue/good quality [does] excel/surpass/exceed/outweigh.”

More naturally in English, this would be “Inner Strength Outweighs Outward Appearance.”

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

內在力量 is the slightly-verbose way to say inner strength.

The first two characters mean “intrinsic” or “inner.” The second two characters mean “power,” “force” or “strength” (especially physical strength). 內在力量 is more a short phrase rather than just a word in Chinese and Korean. This can sort of be understood in Japanese but it's not normal/proper Japanese.

自強 is the kind of inner strength that applies to a person who has will-power and can inspire themselves to do great things.

自強 can also be the creed of a person that always pursues self-improvement.

Other translations: self-strengthening, striving for improvement, self-improvement, striving to become stronger, and self-renewal.

愛信強 is the shortest way to write the word list, “love faith strength.”

The first character is love, the second is faith or believe, and the third means strong or strength.

It should be noted that word lists like this are not as natural sounding in Chinese as word lists can be in English. it’s more common to have a full phrase (with subject, verb, and object) or single words on calligraphy wall scrolls in Asia.

博愛信念力量 is the verbose way to write the word list, “love faith strength.”

It should be noted that word lists like this are not as natural sounding in Chinese as word lists can be in English. it’s more common to have a full phrase (with subject, verb, and object) or single words on calligraphy wall scrolls in Asia.

力愛不二 is a proverb that literally means:
“Strength [and] Love [are] Not Two [separate ideas/concepts/things].”

You'll find this proverb translated from Japanese to English as:
Love and strength are not separate.
Power and love are indivisible.
Strength and love in harmony.
Strength and love stand together.

Old Japanese grammar is quite different than English, and so this proverb says a lot within the brevity of just 4 characters. If you just read these characters directly as “Strength Love Not Two,” you'd probably miss the real meaning.

According to the Swedish Shorinji Kempo Federation, this is the second characteristic of Shorinji Kempo.

This post really explains the concept best in my opinion: Bushido by MS: Riki Ai Fu Ni, which states: “Riki Ai Funi” is the philosophy that power (Riki) and love (Ai) are indivisible. More concretely, a person, who is powerful but does not have love, cannot control and misuse their power; on the other hand, a person, who has loved ones but is not powerful enough, cannot protect himself/herself nor loved ones.

以柔克剛 can mean “Softness Overcomes Hardness,” “Flexibility Overcomes Power,” “Flexibility Overcomes Strength,” “Overcoming Powerful Strength with Flexibility,” or “Use Softness to Conquer Strength.”

精神力量 is a title that speaks of one's soul or spirit and the capacity or strength that soul possesses.

The first two characters mean mind, heart, spirit, and/or soul.

The last two characters mean strength, capacity, or ability.

Note: Separately, these are two words in Japanese and can be pronounced, but this does not make a natural title in Japanese (best if your audience is Chinese).

力量 is a general strength term.

It can refer to mental or physical strength (depending on context). 力量 can also be used to describe strength in terms of capability, capacity, ability, and even tact. Some may translate this as power or force.

力量與榮譽 is “strength and honor” in Chinese.

The first two characters are usually understood as (physical) strength but can also mean power or force.

The middle character is a connecting particle similar to “and.”

The last two characters are a way to say honor but can also be understood as honorable reputation, honorary, or glory.

力と名譽 is “strength and honor” in Japanese Kanji (with one Hiragana).

The first Kanji is understood as strength, power, or force.

The second character is a connecting particle-like, “and” or “with.”

The last two Kanji mean honor/honour, credit, or prestige. This last word is also used in the Bushido code to mean honor.

While not a common title for a wall scroll in China, 力與愛 means “strength and love” or “power and love” in Chinese characters.

While 力量和勇氣 is not a typical Chinese phrase, this is how to write “strength and courage.”

If this is an important idea for you, we can make a great custom Chinese “strength and courage” wall scroll for you.

力と勇気 may not be the most common Japanese phrase, but this is how to write “strength and courage” or “power and bravery” in Japanese.

強力 means herculean strength, powerful, or strong.

I've even heard this described as “strength to carry a mountain.”

Note: This can also be the Japanese surname Gouriki (like Mr. Strong).

氣力 can mean any of the words in the title above, and in some contexts, can also mean effort, will-power, or talent.

This refers mostly to physical strength (as opposed to mental or spiritual).

In modern Japan, they use a simplified first character for this word. If you want to order this title with that special Japanese version, click on the character to the right instead of the button above.

體力 means “physical strength,” “physical power,” or “physical stamina” in Chinese, ancient Japanese, and old Korean Hanja.

See Also:  Perseverance / Indomitable / Invincible Fortitude | Strong / Healthy

体力 means “physical strength” or “physical power.”

The first character was first simplified in Japan. Later, that simplified version became the standard in mainland China. Just in case you want this version, it is offered here. I suggest it if your audience is Japanese. Most Chinese know the older traditional version, which looks like 體力.

体力 can also be defined: stamina; endurance; physical strength; resilience; resistance to disease; clout; stability.

See Also:  Perseverance / Indomitable / Invincible Fortitude | Strong / Healthy

強固 means firmness, stability, security, and strength in Japanese.

It's not used commonly in China, but it means “powerful,” “firm,” “solid,” “strong,” or “better than others” in Chinese. There is a slight variation in the top of the first character between Chinese and Japanese. Because this is more of a Japanese word, we are showing the Japanese form here.

強固 is also a Korean word, but Korean Hanja uses the Chinese form of the first character (one tiny stroke is a little different), so just let me know if your audience is Korean when you place your order, and we'll have it written in the Chinese/Korean version.

力量 博愛 榮譽 is the verbose way to write the word list, “strength love honor.”

It should be noted that word lists like this are not as natural sounding in Chinese as word lists can be in English. it’s more common to have a full phrase (with subject, verb, and object) or single words on calligraphy wall scrolls in Asia.

自強不息 is a proverb or idiom that suggests that the pursuit of self-improvement is eternal. It can also be a suggestion to strive unremittingly in life.

The first two characters mean inner strength with the idea of self-improvement. The last two characters mean “never rest” or “striving without giving up.”

Some will translate these four characters as “Exert and strive hard without any let-up.”

思い切り can mean “with all one's strength,” “with all one's heart,” “to the limits of your heart,” or “to the end of your heart/emotions.”

The character breakdown:
思い (omoi) thought; mind; heart; feelings; emotion; sentiment; love; affection; desire; wish; hope; expectation; imagination; experience
切り (kiri) bounds; limits.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

電 is the title for electricity in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

While This means electric or electricity, it can also be used to mean lightning.

Note: This Kanji is not usually used alone like this in Japanese.

See Also:  Thunder | Will-Power / Self | Supernatural Energy | Rain

電氣 is the title for electricity in Japanese Kanji.

This can also be used to mean lightning in Japanese.

See Also:  Thunder | Will-Power / Self | Supernatural Energy | Rain

不痛不強 is a proverb that is close to our idea of “no pain, no gain” in English. It holds this meaning in the context of working out at the gym etc.

不痛不強 means “no pain, no strength,” meaning that if you don't experience a little pain, you will not gain any strength.