Flower in Chinese / Japanese...

huā

hana

화

花 is the simple way to write "flower" in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean. It can also mean blossoms or can refer to a fancy or assorted pattern.

Note: In some context it can mean "spend money." However, as a single character, it will be read as "flower."

This has the meaning of Xochitl (flower) in Spanish, so if your name is Xochitl, I suggest this character to represent your name.

More random information about this character:
花 is the Korean surname spelled as "Hwa" before the Korean Romanization reformation of 2000-2001.
It's also a somewhat common given name in China (for females).
花 is a borrowed word from Chinese, so it sounds similar in Chinese and Korean.

huā kāi

These two characters literally mean "flower open."

花開 is also associated with Springtime, the beginning of something, or youth.

花開 is often followed by "flower falls" (closes and loses its petals) which means "Things come and go" or "Youth comes and goes."

If you like flowers and the Springtime, this is a great selection for you. However, if you want the companion "flower falls" (flower withers), we offer that as a companion wall scroll or all together as a four-character phrase.

See Also:  Flowers Fall

méi guì

玫瑰 is the most common way to write rose (as in the flower) in Chinese.

tan ga

丹花 means red flower in Japanese.

丹花 is also the a Japanese personal name romanized as Tanga.

mò lì huā

ma ri ka

茉莉花 is the title for "Jasmine Flower" in Chinese.

This title is rarely used in Japanese for a specific species known as "Arabian jasmine" (Jasminum sambac).
Japanese will more commonly write ジャスミンの花 (jyasumin no hana).

qiáng wēi

bara / shoubi

장미

薔薇 is the most universal way to write rose (as in the flower) because it is understood in both Chinese and Japanese (same characters in either language). 薔薇 is also a common way to write about roses in Asian poetry. This can be translated as "wild rose" if you are looking for that title.

薔薇 is also how to write "rose" in old Korean Hanja (though they now us Hangul and most Koreans of this generation will not be able to read this without a dictionary).

yuān wěi huā

ichi hatsu hana

鳶尾花 is the title for the iris flower in Chinese and Japanese.

If your name happens to be Iris, this is a beautiful way to express your name by meaning in both of these languages (it will mean your name but not sound like your name).

Can also mean wall iris, roof iris, or Iris tectorum.
Note: There are other titles for specific iris varieties - contact us if you need something special.

chāng pú

ayame / shoubu

菖蒲 is the title for the iris flower in Japanese.

If your name happens to be Iris, this is a nice way to express your name by meaning in Japanese (it will mean your name but not sound like your name).

Can also mean Siberian iris (Iris sanguinea) or sweet flag (Acorus calamus / Acorus gramineus) varieties.

Note: This will also be recognized in Chinese, though it is generally written with the addition of a character meaning "stone" in front of this title in Chinese.

ài huā lián pén ài ài nǚ téng nǚ xù

This proverb literally translates as, "If one loves a flower, [one will] love it's pot; [if one really] loves [one's] daughter, [one will also] love [one's] son-in-law."

Figuratively, is similar to the English proverbs:
Love me, love my dog.
Love for a person extends even to the crows on his roof.

fú láo ěr sī

弗勞爾斯 is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the family name Flowers.

This sounds like "Flowers" in Mandarin Chinese but does not mean flowers in any way, shape or form. I strongly suggest the single character which means "flower" in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

See Also:  Flower

niān huá wéi xiào

nenge misho

염화미소

This Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Buddhist title relays the idea of "heart-to-heart communication," or "thought transference."

The literal translation is, "holding a flower and subtly smiling," or "the holding of a flower with a subtle smile." It is the visual act and emotion that communicates more volumes than words can say.

huā sà

These two characters mean flower fall (closes and loses its petals). It suggests nearing the end of something. A time that some might call "The sunset of life." 花落 often follows "flower open" to talk of the cycle of life.

We offer this as a possible companion to a "flower open" scroll (to be placed side by side, or at either side of a doorway to say "things come and go" - a cool metaphor for a doorway). If placed in a doorway, it could be used as a suggestion to your guests that things bloom when they arrive through your door but wither when they leave (a great compliment).

See Also:  Flowers Bloom

huá

ririka

화

華 is really open to interpretation. 華 meant flowers or blooming in ancient China. It still has that meaning in Japanese, and Buddhist context.

In modern China, this means glorious, beautiful, splendid, magnificent, or the best part of something. It can also refer to the country of China or something Chinese (such as people - overseas Chinese are often called "hua ren"). 華 is also a surname in China.

In Japanese, this can be the female given name "Ririka." It's also the short name for a certain kind of playing cards in Japan.

In Korean, This can be the surname "Hwa." While it also means splendid, flowery, or the country of China in Korean.

kāi huā

kai ka

개화

These two characters literally mean opening flowers (a verb). 開花 is also associated with Springtime, the beginning of something, or youth.

If you like flowers and the Springtime, this is a great selection for you.

In Korean Hanja, this can be a metaphor for achieving enlightenment or becoming civilized (blooming civilization).

See Also:  Flowers Fall

huā kāi huā luò

花開花落 is a complete proverb that lightly speaks of the cycle of life, or how things come and go in life. It is used as a metaphor to suggest that youth is a temporary state, which in time will pass.

This can also be used to suggest that fortunes can come and go (everything is temporary).

Note: There are two versions of this proverb which are very similar. The other uses a word that means wither instead of fall.

huā kāi huā xiè

花開花謝 is a complete proverb that lightly speaks of the cycle of life, or how things come and go in life. It is used as a metaphor to suggest that youth is a temporary state, which in time will pass.

This can also be used to suggest that fortunes can come and go (everything is temporary).

Note: There are two versions of this proverb which are very similar. The other uses a word that means fall instead of wither.

hana wa sa ki hana wa chi ru

This Japanese proverb is about the cycle of life, or how things come and go in life.

This can be used to suggest that youth, fortune, and life can come and go (everything is temporary).

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

hana wa sakuragi hito wa bushi

This Japanese proverb simply reads, "[In] Flowers it's Cherry Blossoms, [In] Men it's Warriors."

This is meant to say that of all the flowers in the world, the cherry blossom is the best. And of all men in the world, the Samurai or Warrior is the best

This proverb has been around for a long time. It's believed to have been composed sometime before the Edo Period in Japan (which started in 1603).

Some will drop one syllable and pronounce this, "hana wa sakura hito wa bushi." That's "sakura" instead of "sakuragi," which is like saying "cherry blossom" instead of "cherry tree."

The third character was traditionally written as 櫻. But in modern Japan, that became 桜. You may still see 櫻 used from time to time on older pieces of calligraphy. We can do either one, so just make a special request if you want 櫻.

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

zèng rén méi guī shǒu liú yú xiāng

This proverb has been translated several ways:

1. Roses given, fragrance in hand.

2. You present others roses, fragrance remains.

3. The fragrance of the rose always remains on the hand of those that bestow them.

4. A little bit of fragrance always clings to the hands which give the flowers

However, this literally translates as, "Give someone rose flowers, [your] hands keep [the] remaining fragrance."

nán wú miào fǎ lián huá jīng

na mu myou hou ren ge kyou

This is sometimes translated as the "Devotion to the Law of the Lotus Flower Scripture."

This is a meditation chant and homage to the Lotus Sutra, used by Nichiren Buddhists in Japan.
This is also a chant used in China by certain sects of Buddhism that celebrate the deity Guanyin.

Also romanized as "Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō" or without accents as "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo."

Modern
Japanese
Variant

Original
Traditional
Version

The last character was originally written as seen on the left. Sometimes, you will see it written in the Japanese variant form as shown on the right. If you want this Japanese variant, click on the "Modern Japanese Variant" text instead of the button up by the main title of this entry.

lián

hasu

연 or 련

蓮 is another name for "lotus."

This happens to be a single-character that expresses "lotus" in Chinese, and the common name of "lotus" in Japanese and Korean (note that there are two ways to pronounce this character in Korean).

qing lián

seiren

靑蓮 is a common title for Blue Lotus.

靑蓮 is often used in a Buddhist context for blue lotus from the Sanskrit "utpala." This often refers to the clarity and purity of the lotus blue eyes possessed by a Living Buddha. It can also represent purity of mind (without desire, suffering, fear etc).

hé huā

하화

荷花 is one of two ways to write/say "lotus" or "lily" in Chinese.

It will make a nice wall scroll if you are fond of lotus flowers, and/or lotuses have a special meaning to you.