Believe in Chinese / Japanese...

相信 is the Chinese way to say believe.

This specifically means to be convinced that something is true or to accept something as true or real.

This can also be translated as "convinced of", "have trust in", "have faith in"

This means, "believe in yourself", "have faith in yourself", or "believe in myself" (can be myself or yourself depending in if you're saying it to yourself or someone else).

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

相信自己 means, "believe in yourself" in Chinese.

信 can mean to believe, truth, faith, fidelity, sincerity, trust and confidence in Chinese, old Korean Hanja and Japanese Kanji.

This single character is often part of other words with similar meanings.

It is one of the five basic tenets of Confucius.

In Chinese, it sometimes has the secondary meaning of a letter (as in the mail) depending on context but it will not be read that way when seen on a wall scroll.

In Buddhist context, this is śraddhā (faith through hearing or being taught).

See Also:  Faith | Trust | Confucius

神を信ぜよ is a way to express, "Trust in God" in Japanese.

The first character is "God".

The second character is a particle that links the ideas here.

The last three characters are a word that means, "to believe", "to believe in", "to place trust in", "to confide in", "to have faith in".

Basically, this is the Japanese phrase for, "Have faith in God", "Believe in God", or "Trust in God".

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

相信上帝 means exactly what the title suggests. The first two characters mean "trust" or "believe" and the second two mean "God" (as in the God of Abraham and the God of Zion).

相信上帝 is also how the American phrase "In God We Trust" as seen on U.S. Currency would be translated into Chinese. It would also be correct to say that this means "Believe in God", though in this arrangement/context, one would be more likely to interpret it as "trust".

信靠上帝 means "Trust in God", "Faith in God", "Rely upon God" and/or "Believe in God".

信 is another character that expresses the idea of honesty.

It can also mean truth, faith, believe in, fidelity, sincerity, trust and/or confidence.

Some have included this in the list for the Bushido, although "makoto" is probably more common/popular.

Note: In some context, this character can mean letter, news or envoy. However, alone, it will generally be read with the honesty-meaning.

See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here

See Also:  Loyalty Trustworthiness Trustworthy

神の信仰 is the simplest way to express, "Trust in God" in Japanese.

The first character means God, deity, divinity, or spirit (in this case, it will be read as God).

The second character is a particle that links the ideas.

The last two characters mean faith, belief, or creed, in religious context.

信念 express the idea of "having a belief", or "trusting in the unseen".

信念 could also be translated as beliefs or convictions.

Note: Also considered to be one of the Seven Heavenly Virtues.

See Also:  Devotion | Dedication | Trust

信仰 means firm belief, faith, persuasion, conviction, and sometimes religion or creed in Chinese, Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja.

信仰 clearly fits religious connotation of the English word "devotion".

信仰 is often used to refer to a person of faith or a religious person.

This can be directly translated as "firm belief", "creed", "conviction" or simply as "religious" depending on context.

Some will also use this to mean "trust in God" in Japanese (though the term for God is not actually in this title).

It should be noted that this word is a little strange alone on a wall scroll.

While this can be pronounced in Japanese, it’s not a great selection for a wall scroll if your audience is Japanese.

See Also:  Faith | Trust | Devotion | Trust | Trust in God

信唸是在黎明前的黑闇中能感到光明的鳥 is a philosophical poem/quote from Indian Poet and Philosopher, Rabindranath Tagore.

Rabindranath Tagore, 1915

This quote is not sourced, and therefore several variations exist in English. Some suggest the original was in the Bengali language.

This, of course, is the Chinese translation which has the meaning of, "Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark".

More about Rabindranath Tagore

自信 is created by simply putting the character for "faith/believe/confidence" with the character for "oneself" in front of it.

The literal translation holds the same meaning in English, Chinese and Japanese.

It's like a self-affirmation to say, "you can do it".

Some may also use this to mean self-esteem or a sense of self-worth. 自信 is also how to say, "believe in oneself".

See Also:  Confidence

The first two characters mean everyone or anyone but change to "no one" with the addition of a negative verb.

The third through fifth characters express the idea of to believe, to believe in, to place trust in, to confide in, or to have faith in.

The last character makes the sentence negative (without the last character, this would mean "trust everyone", with that last character it's "trust no one").

This is as close as you can get to the phrase "trust no man" in Japanese, though no gender is specified.

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

白羊座 is an alternate Chinese way to write Aries (ram) of western astrology.

I don't believe it is used at all in Japanese, so the other version is probably better or at least more universal.

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

摩羯座 is an alternate Chinese way to write Capricorn (horned goat) of western astrology.

I don't believe it is used at all in Japanese, so the other version is probably better or at least more universal.

See Also:  Chinese Zodiac

誠 means truth, faith, fidelity, sincerity, trust and/or confidence.

As a single-character wall scroll, this suggests that you believe "honesty is the best policy", as your personal philosophy.

This is also a virtue of the Samurai Warrior
See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here

See Also:  Sincerity | Sincere

This single character means "forgive" in Chinese.

In Korean, this kind of means forgive but also has slightly different definitions of consider, excuse, faithful or believe.

堅信 means: to believe firmly; firm faith; without any doubt.

Japanese Christians sometimes use this term to mean the rite of confirmation.

This can also be the Japanese given name, Kenshin.

These four characters together relay the meaning that can be expressed in English as, "When three people say there's a tiger running in the street, you believe it".

Of course, there is an ancient story behind this idiom...

三人成虎 is actually a proverb that resulted from a conversation that occurred around 300 B.C.

The conversation was between the king of the Wei kingdom and one of the king's ministers named Pang Cong.

It was near the end of one of many wars, this time with the Zhao kingdom. Pang Cong was to be sent by the king to the Zhao kingdom with the king's son who was to be held hostage. It was common at the time for a king to make his son a hostage to secure stable peace between warring kingdoms.

Before minister Pang Cong departed, he asked his king, "If one person told you there was a tiger running in the street, would you believe it?".

"No", the king said.

The minister continued, "What if two people told you?"

The king replied, "Well, I would have my doubts but I might believe it".

The minister continued, "So, what if three people told you that there is a tiger running in the streets?"

The king replied, "Yes, I would believe it, it must be true if three people say it".

The minister then reminded the king, "Your son and I are now traveling far away to live in the distant Zhao kingdom - much farther from your palace than the street. Rumors may fly about me in my absence, so I hope your majesty will weight such rumors appropriately".

The king replied, "I have every trust in you, do not worry"

While the minister was gone, the king's enemies gossiped about minister Pang Cong on many occasions. At first, the king thought nothing of these comments and rumors. But slowly as the rumors mounted, the king began to suspect ill of his minister.

Some time later when peace was well-established, the minister and prince were freed and returned to the kingdom of Wei. The king received his son, BUT DID NOT EVEN SUMMON MINISTER PANG CONG TO THE PALACE!

Hopefully this story will help you see how dangerous words can be when used to promote rumors, or create ill will. And perhaps will inspire you to not believe everything you hear.

There is also a secondary suggestion in this idiom that gossip is as ferocious as a tiger. Some Chinese people who don't know the ancient story above may believe that this scroll means that rumors are as vicious as three tigers.

Note: This proverb appears in my Korean dictionary but is not well-known in Korea.

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

The first characters 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.

嫘 is one Chinese surname that romanizes as Lei.

There are other characters that romanize as Lei, and are surnames. Make sure you get the right one.

I believe this is also a surname in Korean, where it's written as 루 and pronounced like "Ru" or "Lu" in modern Korean.

Honesty is being truthful and sincere. It is important because it builds trust. When people are honest, they can be relied on not to lie, cheat or steal. Being honest means that you accept yourself as you are. When you are open and trustworthy, others can believe in you.

正直 is one of the 8 key concepts of Tang Soo Do.

Note: This entry is cross-listed as "integrity" because it also fits that definition.

Please note that the second Kanji sometimes has an alternate form in Japanese. Let us know if you want the alternate form shown to the right.

See Also:  Truth | Trust | Integrity

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 true yellow-gold colored fish. 金魚 is why alternate coloration such as orange, black, red, and white were bred. Many believe this is why colors other than yellow-gold are more common for "goldfish" found in pet shops today.

少林寺 is the full title of the Shaolin Temple.

This refers to the Buddhist monastery famous for its kung fu monks.

少林寺 is also known in Japanese where they use the same characters but romanize it as Shourinji or Shōrinji.

Some believe this monastery and temple represent the place where Bodhidharma sat with his face to a wall for nine years leading to his discovery of enlightenment and establishment of Buddhism.

If you believe that life is a journey, this is a nice Japanese title for you wall.

人生行路 means "journey of life" in Japanese Kanji. The actual word order is more like "life (人生) journey (行路)" as Japanese grammar is a bit different than English.

Note: The "journey" part can also be translated as "road", so this is also how to say, "the road of life".

南無釋迦牟尼佛 is a Buddhist chant or prayer of respect to the Shakyamuni Buddha.

Some will translate this as the Buddhist vow.

The first two characters, 南無, are sometimes translated as "amen"; others will translate it as, "believe in", or "homage to".
To expand on this, 南無 can also mean, "taking of refuge in", while also representing devotion or conviction. 南無 as with most religious concepts or words, different people or denominations will have varying definitions.

This is the modern Japanese version of "Namu Amida Butsu" or "The Compassionate Amitabha Buddha".

Some will translate this as, "I sincerely believe in Amitabha; Lord have mercy on me".

This phrase especially applies to Japanese Pure Land Buddhists.

There is a more universal version using ancient characters (with more strokes) for the 4th and last characters. That version is also used in Chinese, Korean, and occasionally Vietnamese. This is used to pay homage to Amitabha Buddha.

See Also:  Bodhisattva | Buddhism | Nirvana

關羽 is the name Guan Yu, Army General for the Kingdom of Shu.

He is also known as Guan Gong (like saying Duke Guan or Sir Guan)

He was immortalized in the novel, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

He was a fearsome fighter, also famous for his virtue and loyalty. He is worshiped by some modern-day soldiers and has the title "Warrior Saint" in China. Some believe he offers safety and protection for military servicemen.

Guan Yu lived until 219 A.D.

Loyalty is staying true to someone. It is standing up for something you believe in without wavering. It is being faithful to your family, country, school, friends or ideals, when the going gets tough as well as when things are good. With loyalty, you build relationships that last forever.

Notes:
1. This written form of loyalty is universal in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

2. There is also a Japanese version that is part of the Bushido Code which may be more desirable depending on whether your intended audience is Japanese or Chinese.

3. This version of loyalty is sometimes translated as devotion, sincerity, fidelity, or allegiance.

See Also:  Honor | Trust | Integrity | Sincerity

承諾 embodies the idea commitment, but also means to make a big effort or undertaking a great task.

Commitment is caring deeply about something or someone. It is deciding carefully what you want to do, and then giving it 100%, holding nothing back. You give your all to a friendship, a task, or something you believe in. You finish what you start. You keep your promises.

In Chinese, this word directly means to undertake something or to make a promise to do something.

Outside of the commitment idea, this particular word can also mean approval, acceptance, consent, assent, acquiescence, or agreement depending on context (especially in Japanese and Korean). Therefore, this word is probably best if your audience is Chinese.

See Also:  Partnership | Hard Work | Dedication

因緣 is the Buddhist concept of a chance meeting or an opportunity that presents itself by fate.

Sometimes this is used to describe a cosmic chain of events or cause and effect.

It also is used to describe predestined relationships between people - and sometimes married couples (although if you want one about marriage, try this: Fate / Destiny of Lovers.

因緣 can also be translated as origin, karma, destiny, affinity, connection, and relation. This all depends on context - seen alone on a wall scroll, this will be read with a "fate / chance" meaning by a Chinese person, or a Korean person who can read Hanja.

The more complex definition of this word would be, "Direct causes and indirect conditions, which underlie the actions of all things".

This concept is known as nidana in the original Sanskrit. Also sometimes presented as hetupratyaya (or "hetu and prataya") which I believe is Pali.

Note: Japanese will tend to use this version of the second Kanji:
If you order this from the Japanese master calligrapher, expect that you’ll get this version. However, this word often carries a negative connotation in Japanese (bad things happen), as it is used that way in a certain Japanese idiom. Therefore, this may not be the best choice if Japanese is your target language.

See Also:  Buddhism | Opportunity

唐手道 is the alternate title for Karate-do.

This title uses a character, 唐, which represents the Tang Dynasty of China. Thus, this is often translated as the "Tang Hand Way" or incorrectly, "Tang Fist Way".
I have also seen some call it "China Hand Way".
Many in Korea refer to and romanize these characters as as "Tang Soo Do" (당수도) where these characters refer to a kind of Korean style of Karate.

There is not a lot of information on this title but some believe that a simplified form of Kung Fu that started in China, and ended up very popular in Japan used this title initially. It was later changed in Japan to a different Karate title which means "Empty Hand" (as in, without weapons).

Note: When used in Korean, this is pronounced 당수도. This title is often romanized as "Tang Soo Do", "Tangsudo", "Dang Su Do", or "Dangsudo". The last two romanizations on that list are the official Korean government romanization, though martial arts schools tend to use other non-standard versions.

空無 is "nothingness" in a Buddhist context.

The first character means empty but can also mean air or sky (air and sky have no form).

The second character means have not, no, none, not or to lack.

Together these characters reinforce each other into a word that means "absolute nothingness".

I know this is a term used in Buddhism but I have not yet figured out the context in which it is used. I suppose it can be the fact that Buddhists believe that the world in a non-real illusion, or perhaps it's about visualizing yourself as "nothing" and therefore leaving behind your desire and worldliness.
Buddhist concepts and titles often have this element of ambiguity or rather "mystery". Therefore, such ideas can have different meanings to different people, and that's okay. If you don't get it right in this lifetime, as there will be plenty more lifetimes to master it (whatever "it" is, and if "it" really exists at all).

Soothill defines this as "Unreality, or immateriality, of things, which is defined as nothing existing of independent or self-contained nature".

龜 is the generic term for turtle in Chinese, and old Korean Hanja. It's like saying "turtle" (or "tortoise") without being specific about species of turtle.

Please note that there are many special characters in Chinese and a few in Japanese that denote specific species of turtle, and do not include this character. We can't possibly cover all of these species but if you want a certain one, such as "loggerhead" or a "leatherback", just contact me and I'll do my best to research your special species.

If you noticed, I said species names that do not include this character. 龜 is because, in much the same way we can do it in English by just saying, "loggerhead", instead of "loggerhead turtle", the same can be done in Chinese and Japanese.

This may be hard to believe but the image shown to the right is an alternate version of this character, which is currently used in Japan. This was originally an alternate form in ancient China for turtle - but it's so obscure now, that most Chinese people would just think this is the Japanese version of turtle (I did a lot of research on this). The version shown in the upper left is traditional Chinese (also used in Korea, prior to 100 years ago). It will generally not be recognized by the new generation of Japanese people. If your audience is Japanese, please click on the Kanji image shown to the right to have the calligrapher write that version (instead of clicking the button above).

Note: In Japanese, this Kanji is also a representation of long life. This is related to the fact that a tortoise can live for hundreds of years.

The first chapter of Sun Tzu's Art of War lists five key points to analyzing your situation.

It reads like a 5-part military proverb. Sun Tzu says that to sharpen your skills, you must plan. To plan well, you must know your situation. Therefore, you must consider and discuss the following:

1. Philosophy and Politics: Make sure your way or your policy is agreeable among all of your troops (and the citizens of your kingdom as well). For when your soldiers believe in you and your way, they will follow you to their deaths without hesitation, and will not question your orders.

2. Heaven/Sky: Consider climate / weather. This can also mean to consider whether God is smiling on you. In the modern military, this could be waiting for clear skies so that you can have air support for an amphibious landing.

3. Ground/Earth: Consider the terrain in which the battle will take place. This includes analyzing defensible positions, exit routes, and using varying elevation to your advantage. When you plan an ambush, you must know your terrain, and the best location from which to stage that ambush. This knowledge will also help you avoid being ambushed, as you will know where the likely places in which to expect an ambush from your enemy.

4. Leadership: This applies to you as the general, and also to your lieutenants. A leader should be smart and be able to develop good strategies. Leaders should keep their word, and if they break a promise, they should punish themselves as harshly as they would punish subordinates. Leaders should be benevolent to their troops, with almost a fatherly love for them. Leaders must have the ability to make brave and fast decisions. Leaders must have steadfast principles.

5. [Military] Methods: This can also mean laws, rules, principles, model, or system. You must have an efficient organization in place to manage both your troops and supplies. In the modern military, this would be a combination of how your unit is organized, and your SOP (Standard Operating Procedure).

Notes: This is a simplistic translation and explanation. Much more is suggested in the actual text of the Art of War (Bing Fa). It would take a lot of study to master all of these aspects. In fact, these five characters can be compared to the modern military acronyms such as BAMCIS or SMEAC.

CJK notes: I have included the Japanese and Korean pronunciations but in Chinese, Korean and Japanese, this does not make a typical phrase (with subject, verb, and object) it is a list that only someone familiar with Sun Tzu’s writings would understand.