Fire in Chinese / Japanese...

火 is the symbol for fire, flame, or blaze in Chinese, Korean and Japanese.

Fire is one of the five elements that ancient Chinese believed all things were composed of. These elements are also part of the cycle of Chinese astrology. Every person has both an animal sign, and one of the five elements according to the date of their birth. See also Five Elements and Chinese 12 Animals / Zodiac.

See Also:  Five Elements

火の意志 or the "Will of Fire" is an element from the Naruto series.

The word order in Japanese makes this more like, "Fire's Will".

火 is fire.

の is a possessive article.

意志 means will, volition, intention, or intent.

火虎 is the Chinese and Japanese title for "fire tiger".

If you were born between 9 Feb 1986 and 28 Jan 1987, or between 13 Feb 1926 and 1 Feb 1927, you are a fire tiger according to the Chinese Zodiac.

There are 12 animals and 5 elements in the cycle. Therefore, the fire tiger comes around once every 60 years. The next will be in 2046.

The branch of the zodiac for tiger is written 寅 when dating ancient documents and artwork, but 虎 is the way to write the character for an actual tiger.

火馬 is the title, "Fire Horse".

火馬 is not a common title for calligraphy. You might be looking for 丙午, 43rd year of the sexagenary cycle (year of the Fire Horse, renowned for disasters and the birth of women destined to kill their husbands).

火蛇 is the Chinese and Japanese title for "fire snake" or "blazing serpent".

This literally means, "[The] furnace fire [has become] pure green.

爐火純青 is an allusion to Daoist alchemy. figuratively, this speaks of an art or technique brought to the point of perfection.

火龍 is how to write "Fire Dragon" in Chinese and Japanese Kanji.

This title is used more often in Chinese; a little lesser-known in Japanese.

聖火 is a Chinese, Japanese and Korean term that applies to the sacred fire of the ancient Greek Olympic torch or games.

This could also apply to other sacred or holy fires, as it can be a somewhat generic term.

This Chinese proverb means, "fire [and] water have-not mercy".

This serves to remind us that the forces of nature are beyond human control.

Some may also translation this as, "implacable fate".

螢 is the Chinese, older Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja way to write firefly, lightning bug, or glow worm (Luciola cruciata).

Note: After post WWII language reforms in Japan, they started using a more simple version of this Kanji. This version is shown to the right. If you want this modern Japanese version, please click on the Kanji to the right instead of the button above.

紅熊貓 is the Chinese title for the red panda, or firefox.

Some also call this the lesser Panda.

螢火蟲 is a very verbose Chinese title for a firefly, glowworm, or lightning bug.

The first character, 螢 means firefly or glow-worm by itself. This title adds the character for fire (火) and bug (蟲).

杯水車薪 is a warning against a futile effort.

This proverb literally refers to one who is "trying to put out a burning cart of wood with a cup of water", or "throw a cup of water on a cartload of wood". The lesson to be learned is about using the right measure or tool for the job, and not to waste your effort if you are inadequately equipped for the task at hand - in other words the postscript should be "go get a bucket or a fire hose".

灰 is the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean word for ash or ashes.

This can also refer to dust, lime, or gray. When speaking of emotions in Chinese, it can refer to being discouraged or dejected.

In Japanese, this can be the surname, Hai.

金木水火土 is a list of the Chinese characters for the five elements in a comfortable order (meaning that they simply "feel right" to a Chinese person who views this arrangement).

The order is metal, wood, water, fire, earth.

Note that sometimes the metal element is translated as gold. And earth refers to soil versus the whole planet earth.

This proverb suggests "Legendary Phoenix rises from the ashes". Literally, it means, "Legendary Phoenix [reaches] Nirvana".

There is a legend in China of a great bird which is reborn once every 500 years. This bird gathers all the ill-will, suffering, desire, and other negative things of the whole world. The bird then plunges into the fire to burn away all negative things, sacrificing itself in the process (achieving Nirvana, or perhaps allowing others the opportunity to reach Nirvana).

500 years later, the phoenix is reborn from the ashes again, and the cycle repeats.

地水火風空 is the specifically-Japanese version of the five elements.

地水火風空 is a little different than the ancient or original Chinese version.

The elements are written in this order:
1. Earth / Terra / Ground
2. Water
3. Fire
4. Wind / Air
5. Sky / Emptiness / Void / Ether

Note: This set of Kanji can also be romanized as "ji sui ka fuu kuu", "jisuikafuukuu", or "jisuikafuku".

These can also be written in the order 地火風水空 (chi ka sui fuu kuu). Let me know when you place your order if you want the Kanji to be in this character order.

五行 is the title of the five elements which are: wood, fire, water, earth, and metal.

The first character means "5" and the second character is simply "elements".

According to ancient Chinese science, all matter in the world is made up of these elements. One idea presented with the five elements is that when energy is added, matter is believed to expand. When energy is removed, matter contracts. Oddly, this concept is not far from Einstein's theories, and modern science. Just a few thousand years before Einstein.

More info: Wikipedia - Five Elements (Wu Xing).

See Also:  Wood | Water | Earth | Metal | Five Elements

風林火山 is the battle strategy and proverb of Japanese feudal lord Takeda Shingen (1521-1573 AD).

This came from the Art of War by Chinese strategist and tactician Sun Tzu (Sunzi).

You can think of this as a sort of abbreviation to remind officers and troops how to conduct battle.

風林火山 is literally a word list: Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain.

The more expanded meaning is supposed to be...

"Swift as the wind, quiet as the forest, fierce as fire, and immovable as a mountain"

"As fast as the wind, as quiet as the forest, as daring as fire, and immovable as the mountain"

"Move as swift as the wind, stay as silent as a forest, attack as fierce as fire, undefeatable defense like a mountain"

"Move swiftly like the wind, stay silent like the forest, attack fiercely like fire, take tactical position on the mountain"

See Also:  Art of War

In Buddhism, this is mahābhūta, the four elements of which all things are made: earth, water, fire, and wind.

This can also represent the four freedoms: speaking out freely, airing views fully, holding great debates, and writing big-character posters.

In some context, this can be a university or college offering four-year programs.

To others, this can represent the Tao, Heaven, Earth and King.

Going back to the Buddhist context, these four elements "earth, water, fire, and wind" represent 堅, 濕, 煖, 動, which is: solid, liquid, heat, and motion.

洛基 is the Chinese title for Loki, god of fire and mischievous destroyer in Norse mythology.

火星 is the Japanese Kanji, old Korean Hanja and Chinese title for the planet Mars.

The characters literally mean, "fire star" or "spark".

火花 is a Chinese and Japanese word that means spark or sparkle.

Literally, these characters mean "fire flower".

This can also be the Japanese female given name Hibana.

地水火風 is a Buddhist term that means "earth, water, fire, wind".

地水火風 is often just referred to as "the four elements". There is a more common title (the five elements) which adds wood to the mix. These four elements are used in some sects of Japanese Buddhism (not so much in Chinese).

五大 is the Japanese title for the five elements.

In Japan, the five elements differ slightly from the original Chinese. Therefore, in Japanese philosophy you have: earth, water, fire, wind and void (space).

The meaning of the first character is 5, but the second character means great or large. Some translate this as the five majors. 大 is only understood to be "elements" when you have 五 in front of it.

In Buddhism, this can be short for 五大明王, or the five great and wise kings.