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Personalize your custom “Face” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “Face” title below...
1. Beauty: The art of makeup / cosmetics
4. Keep Calm in Face of Adversity
5. Dignity / Honor / Sanctity / Integrity
8. Honor
9. Happy
10. Justice / Rectitude / Right Decision
11. Just as Liquor Turns a Face Red, Gold Turns a Heart Black
12. Never Forget Your First Resolution
14. Undaunted After Repeated Setbacks
15. Radiance
18. Resilient in the Face of Adversity
19. Shaolin Temple
23. Dragon
In Chinese, 美容 is the title for the art of beauty, as applying makeup or cosmetics to enhance beauty.
Note: In Japanese and Korean, this takes the meaning of beautiful face or beauty of figure or form. Be sure you know who your audience is and have matched the desired meaning.
Courage in the face of Fear
勇敢 is about courage or bravery in the face of fear.
You do the right thing even when it is hard or scary. When you are courageous, you don't give up. You try new things. You admit mistakes. This kind of courage is the willingness to take action in the face of danger and peril.
勇敢 can also be translated as braveness, valor, heroic, fearless, boldness, prowess, gallantry, audacity, daring, dauntless, and/or courage in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. This version of bravery/courage can be an adjective or a noun. The first character means bravery and courage by itself. The second character means “daring” by itself. The second character emphasizes the meaning of the first but adds the idea that you are not afraid of taking a dare, and you are not afraid of danger.
勇敢 is more about brave behavior and not so much the mental state of being brave. You'd more likely use this to say, “He fought courageously in the battle,” rather than “He is very courageous.”
Used in modern times for divorced couples that come back together
破鏡重圓 is about a husband and wife who were separated and reunited.
About 1500 years ago in China, there lived a beautiful princess named Le Chang. She and her husband Xu De Yan loved each other very much. But when the army of the Sui Dynasty was about to attack their kingdom, disposed of all of their worldly possessions and prepared to flee into exile.
They knew that in the chaos, they might lose track of each other, so the one possession they kept was a bronze mirror which is a symbol of unity for a husband and wife. They broke the mirror into two pieces, and each of them kept half of the mirror. They decided that if separated, they would try to meet at the fair during the 15th day of the first lunar month (which is the lantern festival). Unfortunately, the occupation was brutal, and the princess was forced to become the mistress of the new commissioner of the territory, Yang Su.
At the Lantern Festival the next year, the husband came to the fair to search for his wife. He carried with him his half of the mirror. As he walked through the fair, he saw the other half of the mirror for sale at a junk market by a servant of the commissioner. The husband recognized his wife's half of the mirror immediately, and tears rolled down his face as he was told by the servant about the bitter and loveless life that the princess had endured.
As his tears dripped onto the mirror, the husband scratched a poem into his wife's half of the mirror:
You left me with the severed mirror,
The mirror has returned, but absent are you,
As I gaze in the mirror, I seek your face,
I see the moon, but as for you, I see not a trace.
The servant brought the inscribed half of the mirror back to the princess. For many days, the princess could not stop crying when she found that her husband was alive and still loved her.
Commissioner Yang Su, becoming aware of this saga, realized that he could never obtain the princess's love. He sent for the husband and allowed them to reunite.
This proverb, 破鏡重圓, is now used to describe a couple who has been torn apart for some reason (usually divorce) but have come back together (or remarried).
It seems to be more common these days in America for divorced couples to reconcile and get married to each other again. This will be a great gift if you know someone who is about to remarry their ex.
失意泰然 is a very old Japanese proverb that suggests “keeping calm and collected at times of disappointment,” or “maintaining a serene state of mind when faced with adversity.”
It's hard to relate individual character meanings to the overall meaning unless you also understand Japanese grammar. The word order is very different than English. That being said, here's the character meaning breakdown:
失 To miss, lose or fail.
意 Feelings, thoughts, meaning.
泰 Safe, peaceful.
然 Like that, in that way, however, although.
Using these definitions in English, we might say, “Although you may fail or lose, have a feeling of peace and calm.”
尊嚴 is a form of honor that means showing great respect for yourself, other people, and the rules you live by.
When you are honorable, you keep your word. You do the right thing regardless of what others are doing.
尊嚴 is the kind of personal honor or dignity that is of great value. If you lose this, you have lost yourself and perhaps the reputation of your family as well.
While this is not directly the same thing as “face” or “saving face” in Asian culture, it is associated with the same concept in China.
In Japan, they currently use a more simplified second character for this word. The ancient Japanese form is the same as China but after WWII some Kanji were changed. If you want the modern Japanese version, just click on the Kanji image shown to the right, instead of the button above.
外向 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja for outward-looking, extrovert, or extroverted.
This literally means “to face the outside” (as opposed to hiding one's face).
Do not bow down for the sake of five pecks of rice
不为五斗米折腰 is a Chinese idiom/proverb that speaks of being above bribes and not losing face or honor for short-term gain.
Some may also translate the perceived meaning as “high-hearted” or “integrity beyond reproach.”
The more literal meaning is “Do not bow down for the sake of five pecks of rice.”
(Modern Japanese version)
名譽 is a version of honor that is about having or earning the respect of others and about your reputation.
It is the status of being worthy of honor (not to be confused with doing honorable things or specific actions - see our other “honor” listing for that).
Both modern Japanese and modern mainland Chinese use the same simplified version of the second character of honor. You can make a special request for the traditional second character as shown to the right (just click on that character to the right of you want to order that version). Before WWII, both Japan and China used the traditional form but modern Japanese and Chinese use this simplified form. Koreans still use the traditional form when they are not writing in their modern Hangul glyphs.
This is also a virtue of the Samurai Warrior
See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here
欣 is the type of happiness that you feel on the inside. It is the feeling of being released and delighted as well as being in a state of contentment. 欣 is more the internal happiness that perhaps only shows by the smile on your face. It can also be translated as “to take pleasure in” or “to rejoice.”
Note: 欣 is often used in compound words - especially in Korean Hanja.
As Japanese Kanji, this is so rare, that most Japanese people are not aware of its existence.
See Also: Happiness
Also means: honor loyalty morality righteousness
義 is about doing the right thing or making the right decision, not because it's easy but because it's ethically and morally correct.
No matter the outcome or result, one does not lose face if tempering proper justice.
義 can also be defined as righteousness, justice, morality, honor, or “right conduct.” In a more expanded definition, it can mean loyalty to friends, loyalty to the public good, or patriotism. This idea of loyalty and friendship comes from the fact that you will treat those you are loyal to with morality and justice.
義 is also one of the five tenets of Confucius's doctrine.
There's also an alternate version of this character sometimes seen in Bushido or Korean Taekwondo tenets. It's just the addition of a radical on the left side of the character. If you want this version, click on the image to the right instead of the button above.
This is also a virtue of the Samurai Warrior
See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here
See Also: Judgment | Impartial | Confucius Tenets
白酒紅人面黃金黑世心 literally says: [Just as] white liquor makes people's faces turn red, [So] yellow gold makes people's hearts turn black.
This is a warning about the nature of greed. The suggestion is that one who lusts for gold and riches will eventually have a black heart (or become a heartless greedy bastard). As a wall scroll, this is a reminder and warning to keep yourself from following the greedy path.
Never Lose Your Beginner's Spirit
初心忘るべからず is an old Japanese proverb that suggests you try to never forget the enthusiasm you had as a child when you try new things (or even face the day-to-day). Basically, avoid having the mundane attitude that many people get with age.
You'll find this Japanese proverb translated in a few different ways. Here are some of them:
Don't forget your first resolution.
Never forget your childlike enthusiasm.
Forget not the beginner's mind.
Try never to lose your initial enthusiasm (freshness of attitude).
Note: This is sometimes written as 初心忘る可からず. The one shown above is used about 10x more often. There’s only one character difference between the two versions.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
It's Never Too Late Too Mend
Long ago in what is now China, there were many kingdoms throughout the land. This time period is known as “The Warring States Period” by historians because these kingdoms often did not get along with each other.
Sometime around 279 B.C. the Kingdom of Chu was a large but not particularly powerful kingdom. Part of the reason it lacked power was the fact that the King was surrounded by “yes men” who told him only what he wanted to hear. Many of the King's court officials were corrupt and incompetent which did not help the situation.
The King was not blameless himself, as he started spending much of his time being entertained by his many concubines.
One of the King's ministers, Zhuang Xin, saw problems on the horizon for the Kingdom, and warned the King, “Your Majesty, you are surrounded by people who tell you what you want to hear. They tell you things to make you happy and cause you to ignore important state affairs. If this is allowed to continue, the Kingdom of Chu will surely perish, and fall into ruins.”
This enraged the King who scolded Zhuang Xin for insulting the country and accused him of trying to create resentment among the people. Zhuang Xin explained, “I dare not curse the Kingdom of Chu but I feel that we face great danger in the future because of the current situation.” The King was simply not impressed with Zhuang Xin's words.
Seeing the King's displeasure with him and the King's fondness for his court of corrupt officials, Zhuang Xin asked permission from the King that he may take leave of the Kingdom of Chu, and travel to the State of Zhao to live. The King agreed, and Zhuang Xin left the Kingdom of Chu, perhaps forever.
Five months later, troops from the neighboring Kingdom of Qin invaded Chu, taking a huge tract of land. The King of Chu went into exile, and it appeared that soon, the Kingdom of Chu would no longer exist.
The King of Chu remembered the words of Zhuang Xin and sent some of his men to find him. Immediately, Zhuang Xin returned to meet the King. The first question asked by the King was “What can I do now?”
Zhuang Xin told the King this story:
A shepherd woke one morning to find a sheep missing. Looking at the pen saw a hole in the fence where a wolf had come through to steal one of his sheep. His friends told him that he had best fix the hole at once. But the Shepherd thought since the sheep is already gone, there is no use fixing the hole.
The next morning, another sheep was missing. And the Shepherd realized that he must mend the fence at once. Zhuang Xin then went on to make suggestions about what could be done to reclaim the land lost to the Kingdom of Qin, and reclaim the former glory and integrity of the Kingdom of Chu.
The Chinese idiom shown above came from this reply from Zhuang Xin to the King of Chu almost 2,300 years ago.
It translates roughly into English as...
“Even if you have lost some sheep, it's never too late to mend the fence.”
This proverb, 亡羊补牢犹未为晚, is often used in modern China when suggesting in a hopeful way that someone change their ways, or fix something in their life. It might be used to suggest fixing a marriage, quitting smoking, or getting back on track after taking an unfortunate path in life among other things one might fix in their life.
I suppose in the same way that we might say, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life” in our western cultures to suggest that you can always start anew.
Note: This does have Korean pronunciation but is not a well-known proverb in Korean (only Koreans familiar with ancient Chinese history would know it). Best if your audience is Chinese.
Persistence to overcome all challenges
百折不撓 is a Chinese proverb that means “Be undaunted in the face of repeated setbacks.”
More directly translated, it reads, “[Overcome] a hundred setbacks, without flinching.” 百折不撓 is of Chinese origin but is commonly used in Japanese and somewhat in Korean (same characters, different pronunciation).
This proverb comes from a long, and occasionally tragic story of a man that lived sometime around 25-220 AD. His name was Qiao Xuan, and he never stooped to flattery but remained an upright person at all times. He fought to expose the corruption of higher-level government officials at great risk to himself.
Then when he was at a higher level in the Imperial Court, bandits were regularly capturing hostages and demanding ransoms. But when his own son was captured, he was so focused on his duty to the Emperor and the common good that he sent a platoon of soldiers to raid the bandits' hideout, and stop them once and for all even at the risk of his own son's life. While all of the bandits were arrested in the raid, they killed Qiao Xuan's son at first sight of the raiding soldiers.
Near the end of his career, a new Emperor came to power, and Qiao Xuan reported to him that one of his ministers was bullying the people and extorting money from them. The new Emperor refused to listen to Qiao Xuan and even promoted the corrupt Minister. Qiao Xuan was so disgusted that in protest, he resigned from his post as minister (something almost never done) and left for his home village.
His tombstone reads “Bai Zhe Bu Nao” which is now a proverb used in Chinese culture to describe a person of strong will who puts up stubborn resistance against great odds.
My Chinese-English dictionary defines these 4 characters as “keep on fighting despite all setbacks,” “be undaunted by repeated setbacks,” and “be indomitable.”
Our translator says it can mean “never give up” in modern Chinese.
Although the first two characters are translated correctly as “repeated setbacks,” the literal meaning is “100 setbacks” or “a rope that breaks 100 times.” The last two characters can mean “do not yield” or “do not give up.”
Most Chinese, Japanese, and Korean people will not take this absolutely literal meaning but will instead understand it as the title suggests above. If you want a single big word definition, it would be indefatigability, indomitableness, persistence, or unyielding.
See Also: Tenacity | Fortitude | Strength | Perseverance | Persistence
光彩 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja for radiance.
Other meanings include luster, splendor/splendour, and brilliance.
光彩 is the radiance you see when a person's arrival brings happiness and joy to the room. Or the radiance on the face of a new bride etc.
If you delve into the dictionary, other forms of radiance will refer to isotopes emitting radiation. 光彩 is not related to radiation and is not the kind that causes cancer.
In Japanese, this can be several female given names such as Misa, Hikari, Hiiro, Teresa, or Arisa. And a more unisex given name of Kousai or Kosai.
光芒 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja for radiance meaning rays of light, brilliant rays, beams of light, etc.
光芒 is the radiance you feel when the sun hits your face in the morning, bringing you warmth while kickstarting your vitamin D production.
眉を開く is a Japanese proverb and expression that means “to feel relieved,” “to forget about one's troubles,” or “to settle into peace of mind.”
The literal words suggest relaxing your eyebrows or face. Allow worry or concern to go away, and just be content with “letting it be.”
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
打たれ強い is often used as a martial arts term.
It means being able to take a lot of punishment or being able to take a hit. In Japanese baseball, it can also refer to the pitcher's ability to keep his cool when the batter gets a hit. 打たれ強い is generally about being resilient and strong in the face of criticism or adversity.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
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 them as Shourinji or Shōrinji.
Some believe this monastery and temple represent where Bodhidharma sat with his face to a wall for nine years, leading to his discovery of enlightenment and the establishment of Buddhism in China.
應戰 is a Chinese word that means “to take up a challenge” or “to face an attack and meet it.”
敢て is a Japanese word that can mean a few things related to the idea of taking up a challenge.
It can be defined as daring (to do something), venturing (often overcoming reluctance), or taking action (even in the face of probable failure). It can also be to take upon oneself or take up a challenge.
A customer asked me to split these Wing Chun maxims into two parts, so he could order a couplet. I thought this was a good idea, so it's been added here.
A couplet is a set of two wall scrolls that start and finish one phrase or idea. Often, couplets are hung with the first wall scroll on the right side, and the second on the left side of a doorway or entrance. The order in Chinese is right-to-left, so that's why the first wall scroll goes on the right as you face the door.
Of course, couplets can also be hung together on a wall. Often they can be hung to flank an altar, or table with incense, or even flanking a larger central wall scroll. See an example here from the home of Confucius
Be sure to order both parts 1 and 2 together. One without the other is like Eve without Adam.
Year of the Dragon / Zodiac Sign
龍 is the character for dragon in Chinese, old Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji.
The dragon is a creature of myth and legend that dominates Chinese, Japanese, and even European folklore. In China, the dragon is the symbol of the Emperor, strength, and power, and the Chinese dragon is known as the god of water.
From the Chinese Zodiac, if you were born in the year of the Dragon, you . . .
Have a strong body and spirit.
Are full of energy.
Have vast goals.
Have a deep level of self-awareness.
Will do whatever you can to “save face.”
See also our Chinese Zodiac or Dragon Calligraphy pages.
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These search terms might be related to Face:
Accept the Situation and Move On
Air / Atmosphere
Air Force
Earth Fire Water Air
Inner Strength is Better Than Outward Appearance
Listen to Both Sides and Be Enlightened, Listen to One Side and Be in the Dark
Meet the Buddha, Kill the Buddha
Realize Your Ambitions / Embrace Your Ambition
Realize Your Ambitions / Ride on the Crest of Success
Realize Your Dreams
Sky / Air / Ether / Space
Take Up a Challenge
Until We Meet Again
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Beauty: The art of makeup cosmetics | 美容 | biyou / biyo | měi róng / mei3 rong2 / mei rong / meirong | mei jung / meijung |
Bravery Courage | 勇敢 | yuu kan / yuukan / yu kan | yǒng gǎn / yong3 gan3 / yong gan / yonggan | yung kan / yungkan |
Broken Mirror Rejoined | 破鏡重圓 破镜重圆 | pò jìng chóng yuán po4 jing4 chong2 yuan2 po jing chong yuan pojingchongyuan | p`o ching ch`ung yüan pochingchungyüan po ching chung yüan |
|
Keep Calm in Face of Adversity | 失意泰然 | shitsuitaizen | ||
Dignity Honor Sanctity Integrity | 尊嚴 尊严 / 尊厳 | son gen / songen | zūn yán / zun1 yan2 / zun yan / zunyan | tsun yen / tsunyen |
Outgoing Extroverted | 外向 | gaikou / gaiko gaiko / gaiko | wài xiàng wai4 xiang4 wai xiang waixiang | wai hsiang waihsiang |
Having High Principles | 不為五斗米折腰 不为五斗米折腰 | bù wèi wǔ dǒu mǐ zhé yāo bu4 wei4 wu3 dou3 mi3 zhe2 yao1 bu wei wu dou mi zhe yao buweiwudoumizheyao | pu wei wu tou mi che yao puweiwutoumicheyao |
|
Honor | 名譽 名誉 | meiyo | míng yù / ming2 yu4 / ming yu / mingyu | ming yü / mingyü |
Happy | 欣 | kin | xīn / xin1 / xin | hsin |
Justice Rectitude Right Decision | 義 义 | gi | yì / yi4 / yi | i |
Just as Liquor Turns a Face Red, Gold Turns a Heart Black | 白酒紅人面黃金黑世心 白酒红人面黄金黑世心 | bái jiǔ hóng rén miàn huáng jīn hēi shì xīn bai2 jiu3 hong2 ren2 mian4 huang2 jin1 hei1 shi4 xin1 bai jiu hong ren mian huang jin hei shi xin | pai chiu hung jen mien huang chin hei shih hsin | |
Never Forget Your First Resolution | 初心忘るべからず / 初心忘る可からず 初心忘るべからず | sho shin wasu ru be ka ra zu shoshinwasurubekarazu | ||
Better Late Than Never | 亡羊補牢猶未為晚 亡羊补牢犹未为晚 | wáng yáng bǔ láo yóu wèi wéi wǎn wang2 yang2 bu3 lao2 you2 wei4 wei2 wan3 wang yang bu lao you wei wei wan | wang yang pu lao yu wei wei wan wangyangpulaoyuweiweiwan |
|
Undaunted After Repeated Setbacks | 百折不撓 百折不挠 | hyaku setsu su tou hyakusetsusutou hyaku setsu su to | bǎi zhé bù náo bai3 zhe2 bu4 nao2 bai zhe bu nao baizhebunao | pai che pu nao paichepunao |
Radiance | 光彩 | kousai / kosai | guāng cǎi guang1 cai3 guang cai guangcai | kuang ts`ai kuangtsai kuang tsai |
Radiance Rays of Light | 光芒 | koubou / kobo | guāng máng guang1 mang2 guang mang guangmang | kuang mang kuangmang |
Let It Be Be Relieved | 眉を開く | mayu o hira ku mayuohiraku | ||
Resilient in the Face of Adversity | 打たれ強い | u ta re tsuyo i utaretsuyoi | ||
Shaolin Temple | 少林寺 | shou rin ji shourinji sho rin ji | shào lín sì shao4 lin2 si4 shao lin si shaolinsi | shao lin ssu shaolinssu |
Take Up a Challenge | 應戰 应战 | yìng zhàn ying4 zhan4 ying zhan yingzhan | ying chan yingchan |
|
Take Up a Challenge | 敢て | aete | ||
A Vast Sky Full of Stars | 空一面の星 | sora ichimen no hoshi soraichimennohoshi | ||
Wing Chun Fist Maxims (Part 1) | 有手黐手無手問手來留區送甩手直沖怕打終歸打貪打終被打粘連迫攻絕不放鬆來力瀉力借力出擊 有手黐手无手问手来留区送甩手直冲怕打终归打贪打终被打粘连迫攻绝不放松来力泻力借力出击 | |||
Dragon | 龍 龙 | ryuu / tatsu ryu / tatsu | lóng / long2 / long | lung |
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. |
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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.
Some people may refer to this entry as Face Kanji, Face Characters, Face in Mandarin Chinese, Face Characters, Face in Chinese Writing, Face in Japanese Writing, Face in Asian Writing, Face Ideograms, Chinese Face symbols, Face Hieroglyphics, Face Glyphs, Face in Chinese Letters, Face Hanzi, Face in Japanese Kanji, Face Pictograms, Face in the Chinese Written-Language, or Face in the Japanese Written-Language.
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