Independence in Chinese / Japanese...

Besides meaning “to be independent,” this can also mean “to stand alone,” self-reliance or self-support.

Modern Japanese use a simplified version of the first character of independence. it’s the same simplified version currently used in mainland China, so understood by most Chinese and all Japanese people. Click on the character to the right if you want the simplified/Japanese version.

獨立獨步 is a Japanese proverb that, Dokuritsu-Doppo, is an indication of independence, self-reliance, standing on one's own two feet, or making one's way in life.

The first two characters mean freedom or liberty.

The second two characters mean spirit, heart, mind, or soul.

Together, 自由精神 is a title that is very similar to the English term “free spirit.”

See Also:  Freedom

自由な精神 is very similar to the English term “free spirit.”

The first two characters mean freedom or liberty.

The middle character is a connecting Hiragana which is needed for Japanese grammar.

The last two characters mean spirit, heart, mind, or soul.

See Also:  Freedom

獨立精神 means independent spirit in Chinese.

The first two characters mean independent, independence, or to stand alone.

The last two characters mean spirit, spiritual, vigor, vitality, drive, mind, consciousness, thought, essence, heart, or soul.

With this information, you can make your translation combination such as “independent heart,” “stand-alone spirit,” or more creatively, “the drive to stand alone” in English. There are a lot of ways to interpret 獨立精神.

獨立心 means independent spirit or independent heart in Japanese.

The first two characters mean independent or independence. The third character means spirit, heart, or mind.

獨立心 is a Japanese term, although Chinese people could guess the meaning (the characters make sense individually in Chinese but are not often used this way). Also, the first character would be written 獨 in Traditional Chinese versus 独 which is the Simplified Chinese and modern Japanese version.

月 is how to write the title for “moon” in Chinese, Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji.

月 is also used to refer to the month. This is because China traditionally uses a lunar calendar, so saying “next moon” is the same as saying “next month” etc.
In modern Chinese and Japanese and old Korean, the character for a number is put in front of this moon character to represent western months. So “one moon” is January “two moons” is February etc.

If you are wondering, in the east Asian way to write dates, the character for “sun” or “day” is used with a number in front of it to express the day of the month. So “ten moons, one sun” becomes “October 1st” or “10/1” (this date happens to be Chinese National Day - The equivalent of Independence Day in the USA, Canada Day, or the Queen's Birthday).

In Japanese, 月 can be a surname that romanizes as Tsuki, Tsukizaki, or Takagetsu.

This is the Japanese given name 独 which romanizes as Hitori or Doku.

Originally this was written as 獨 but was simplified/modernized in Japan at some point.

独 can also be an abbreviation for Germany.

The actual meaning is alone, independent, single, sole, only, or solitary.

This is also a Simplified Chinese character, but most Chinese calligraphers would prefer to write the Traditional Chinese of 獨 instead of 独.

心印 is a Buddhist concept that simply stated is “appreciation of truth by meditation.”

It's a deep subject, but my understanding is that you can find truth through meditation, and once you've found the truth, you can learn to appreciate it more through further meditation. This title is not commonly used outside of the Buddhist community (your Asian friends may or may not understand it). The literal translation would be something like “the mind seal,” I've seen this term translated this way from Japanese Buddhist poetry. But apparently, the seal that is stamped deep in your mind is the truth. You just have to meditate to find it.

Soothill defines it this way: Mental impression, intuitive certainty; the mind is the Buddha-mind in all, which can seal or assure the truth; the term indicates the intuitive method of the Chan (Zen) school, which was independent of the spoken or written word.

Reference: Soothill-Hodous Dictionary of Chinese Buddhism

See Also:  Zen

離子 is one of several Japanese female given names that romanize as Riko.

This one vaguely means independent child. Though it can also refer to an ion (a departing particle).

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 is 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, 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.”

汶萊 is the Chinese name for Brunei Darussalam, an independent sultanate in northwest Borneo.

Sometimes also written as 文萊 or 文莱.

薩摩亞 is the Chinese name for the country of Samoa (formerly known as Western Samoa).

The official name is the Independent State of Samoa. Not to be confused with American Somoa which is to the southeast.

See Also:  Oceania

女強人 is the best way to say “strong woman” or “strong and independent woman” in Chinese.

Grammar in China is a bit different, so these three characters literally read as “female strength person” or “woman strong person.” This might sound funny in English, but this is a natural-sounding title in Chinese.

This is the Chinese name for the territory of American Samoa (formerly known as Eastern Samoa).

This should not be confused with Independent Somoa which is to the west.

If you want just a general “Samoa” title, just use the plain “Samoa” entry, as it does not actually designate western, eastern, American, or independent.

See Also:  Oceania