Great in Chinese / Japanese...

hóng hú zhī zhì

This Chinese proverb implies that having great ambitions also means that others will not understand your great expectations and ideas.

Though the actual words come from a longer saying of Confucius which goes, "The little swallows living under the eaves wouldn't understand the lofty ambitions of a swan (who flies far and wide)."

This Confucius quote has led to this idiomatic expression in China that means "think big." What you'd really be saying is "The lofty ambitions of a swan."

Note that Chinese people sometimes refer to the little swallow, as one who does not "think big" but is, instead, stuck in a rut, or just leading a mundane life. Therefore, it's a compliment to be called a swan but not a good thing to be called a swallow.

tai shi wo idaku

大志を抱 is a single Japanese word that kind of reads like a short proverb.

It suggests that you should have "high aims," "ambitions," or "aspirations" in your life.

nǔ lì

doryoku

노력

努力 means great effort; to strive; to try hard; great effort; great exertion; great endeavor (endeavour); great effort; to strive.

This "striving endeavor" word is valid in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

dà yáng

tai you

대양

大洋 is a rarely-used word for ocean in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. 大洋 is here mostly for reference - please order a different ocean for your custom calligraphy wall scroll.

The first character means "big" or "great."
The second means "ocean" or "body of water" (it can sometimes mean "foreign" but not in this case).
The first character designates that you are talking about a great or huge body of water (certainly a major ocean and not a smaller sea).

ei koku

英國 is Great Britain written in Japanese.

dà bù liè diān

大不列顛 is the Chinese name for Great Britain.

See Also:  England | United Kingdom | Scotland | Ireland | Europe

dà zhì huì mén

dai chi e mon

大智慧門 is the title for, "The Great Wisdom Door," or "The Gate to Great Wisdom."

This refers to a portal to all wisdom and knowledge in Buddhism.

chéng fēng pò làng

승풍파랑

乘風破浪 is a Chinese proverb that represents having great ambitions.

The British might say "to plough through." Another way to understand it is, "surmount all difficulties and forge ahead courageously."

This can also be translated as, "braving the wind and waves," "to brave the wind and the billows," "to ride the wind and crest the waves," or "to be ambitious and unafraid."

Literally it reads: "ride (like a chariot) [the] wind [and] break/cleave/cut [the] waves," or "ride [the] wind [and] slash [through the] waves."

乘風破浪 is a great proverb to encourage yourself or someone else not to be afraid of problems or troubles, and when you have a dream just go for it.

There is an alternate version, 長風破浪, but 乘風破浪 is far more common.

dà míng

dai myou

大名 is the title Daimyō in Japanese, which means "lord" or "great name."

This has the same meaning in Chinese of "great name," "your distinguished name." In ancient Japan, this referred to a feudal lord.

Also sometimes romanized from Japanese as Daimio, Daimyou, Oomiyou, or Oomyou.

ban ri no chou jou

万里の長城 is the Japanese name for the Great Wall of China.

dà shī

daishi

대사

大師 is a way to title a great master, grand master, or great teacher.

This can be used in the context of martial arts or a Buddhist teacher. Thus, it can be used to title a living Buddha, Bodhisattva or high-ranking monk.

cháng chéng

chou jou

장성

長城 is the Chinese name for the Great Wall.

Built at the northern border of China to protect from Mongol attack.

Notes:
In Japanese, this can be a surname Nagaki. Japanese often use a longer title for the Great Wall of China.
In Korean, this refers to Changsŏng (a city in Changsŏng-kun county, Chŏllanam-to province).

tai kun

대군

大君 is the Japanese word Taikun. It's defined directly as liege, lord, or an alternate title for a shogunate.

The sound of this Japanese word entered the English lexicon by the 1800's but took the spelling of "tycoon." Even President Lincoln was referred to as a Tycoon in the 1860's.

In Japan, this is still understood to be "Great Lord" or "Big Boss." In America, it means, "Bill Gates" and "Warren Buffet."

xióng xīn

yuushin

雄心 is the Chinese characters and Japanese Kanji for great ambition, lofty aspiration, or heroic spirit.

wàng

bou / nozomi

망

望 holds the ideas of ambition, hope, desire, aspiring to, expectations, looking towards, to gaze (into the distance), and in some context full moon rising.

望 is one of those single characters that is vague but in that vagueness, in also means many things.

望 is a whole word in Chinese and old Korean but is seldom seen alone in Japanese. Still, it holds the meanings noted above in all three languages.

tai mou

대망

大望 is one of a few ways to write "dream big" in Japanese.

大望 is a good title if you want that to inspire ambition or high aspirations. 大望 is also a way to say "great expectations."