Inner Strength Self-Improvement in Chinese / Japanese...

尤其要緊的你必須對你自己忠實 is the classic translation of a line from Shakespeare's Hamlet into Chinese.

自勝者強也 means “One who conquers oneself is strong” in Chinese.

自勝 = Self-overcoming or self-conquering
者 = is
強 = Strength
也 = Also

勇力 is a very short way to say “courage and strength” in Chinese and Japanese.

In Japanese, it's read more like “strong courage” or “powerful courage.” This can also be the personal name Yuri or Yuuri in Japanese.

剛毅 is a Japanese and Chinese word that means resolute and firm, fortitude, firmness of character, hardihood, manliness, or macho.

See Also:  Perseverance | Strength | Tenacity

願上帝給我力量 is a wish or a prayer that you might call out at a desperate time.

Translated by us for a military serviceman in Iraq. He may need to use this phrase often, though I am not sure where he's going to find a place to hang a wall scroll.

神が私に力を与えてください is “God give me strength” in Japanese.

This is the long and formal version. We also have a short version.

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

神は私に力を與える means “God give me strength,” in Japanese.

神は私に力を與える is the short version, we also have a longer more formal version.

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

內在美 is a title that speaks of beauty on the inside.

It's not about outward or physical beauty but rather the inner beauty possessed by someone. This can also be translated as “beauty of spirit.”

内面美 is a three-character title that speaks of beauty on the inside.

It's not about outward or physical beauty but rather the inner beauty possessed by someone. This can also be translated as “beauty of spirit.”

內秀 is an interesting word in Chinese that simultaneously means inner beauty and inner wisdom.

Some will translate it as “intelligent but unassuming.”
It's about having amazing abilities or traits on the inside which are not immediately obvious on the outside.

禪悅 is a title that refers to the inner bliss and peace you can achieve from meditation.

This term transcends a few religions, including Taoism and Buddhism. It can also be translated as “joy of the mystic trance” or simply “meditative bliss.”

Amazing that such a complex idea can be expressed in just two Chinese characters. Note that the first character is Chan/Zen (Chinese/Japanese), which means “meditation” in both languages.

心扉 is a Chinese title meaning inner heart or soul.

心燈 is the Buddhist concept of “The Lamp of the Mind” or “Inner Light.”

It's kind of the Buddhist way to express intelligence.

Directly translated, this means “heart light” or “heart lamp.”
Note: In ancient China, the ideas of heart and mind are interchangeable.

一道神光 is a Buddhist term that means “inner light,” or “intuitive wisdom.”

This actually reads, “[the] one path/way [of] spiritual light.” It implies that your spirit knows the way, and will light the path for you.

內健 is an old Chinese word meaning inner strength or inner health.

It's the idea of health and well-being starting or residing inside yourself. Also defined as fortitude within the context of good health.

表壯不如里壯 literally translates as: [Better to be] strong inside than [to be] strong outside.

The ancient original meaning was:
[An] able [husband] outside [working to support a family is] not as good as [an] able [wife] inside [working and saving to take care of the family].

The current meaning is:
Inner strength is more important than outward appearance.

内面の強さは外見の良さに勝る is a Japanese proverb that literally translates as “inner/internal strength/power [versus] outward-appearance [the] merit/virtue/good quality [does] excel/surpass/exceed/outweigh.”

More naturally in English, this would be “Inner Strength Outweighs Outward Appearance.”

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

內智 is a Buddhist term that means “inner wisdom.”

內心平靜 is a Chinese and Japanese phrase that is a direct translation of the western idea of inner peace.

The first two characters contain the idea of “heart,” “innermost being,” or “deep in the/your inner mind.”

The last two characters mean “tranquil” and “serene.”

I have seen this phrase used as “inner peace” for art prints and even on the side of coffee cups. But I think the translation is too literal. It feels like a direct translation from English rather than a nicely composed Chinese or Japanese phrase. See my other entries for “inner peace.”

See Also:  Serenity | Simplicity | Peace

靜 is the simplest way to convey the meaning of inner peace and serenity.

靜 is often translated as “serenity.” It can also be used to express the ideas of still, calm, serene, quiet, silent, stillness, not moving, or tranquility.

In the old days, Chinese, Japanese, or Korean people might hang a wall scroll with this character in their reading room to bring about a sense of peace in the room.

While they once used the same character form in Japan, they now use a slightly-simplified version in modern Japan (after WWII). This version is shown to the right, and can be selected for your wall scroll by clicking on that Kanji instead of the button above.

See Also:  Peace

寧靜而致遠 is five characters from a longer ten-character proverb composed by Zhuge Liang about 1800 years ago.

诸葛亮 Zhuge Liang

The proverb means “Your inner peace/tranquility/serenity will help you see or reach far (into the world).”

The last word means “far” but the deeper meaning is that you will surpass what you can currently see or understand. Perhaps even opening up vast knowledge and understanding of complex ideas.

內在力量 is the slightly-verbose way to say inner strength.

The first two characters mean “intrinsic” or “inner.” The second two characters mean “power,” “force” or “strength” (especially physical strength). 內在力量 is more a short phrase rather than just a word in Chinese and Korean. This can sort of be understood in Japanese but it's not normal/proper Japanese.

內力 is the shorter version of inner strength (can also be translated as “internal force”). The first character holds the meaning of “inner” or “internal.” The second character means “power,” “force,” or “strength.”

內力 is a Kung Fu way of talking about an inner power or strength from within. This is a way to express “inner chi.” This is something that you might hear in a real Chinese Kung Fu movie.

While understood in Chinese and Japanese, this can have a secondary meaning of “inner stress” in Japanese.

自強 is the kind of inner strength that applies to a person who has will-power and can inspire themselves to do great things.

自強 can also be the creed of a person that always pursues self-improvement.

Other translations: self-strengthening, striving for improvement, self-improvement, striving to become stronger, and self-renewal.

內心自由 means Inner Freedom in Chinese.

The first word, 内心, means innermost being, the mind within, or the heart within.

The second word, 自由, means freedom, free, or liberty.

There is more than one way to say inner freedom in Chinese. This version is the most common.

內在自由 means Inner Freedom in Chinese.

The first word, 内在 means inner, internal, intrinsic, or innate.

The second word, 自由, means freedom, free, or liberty.

內心戰士 means Inner Warrior in Chinese.

This means inner warrior in Japanese.

內なる means inner or internal.

戦士 means warrior or fighter.

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

自己の完成 or Jiko no Kansei is a Japanese phrase that means self-completion, self-accomplishment, or self-perfection.

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

The first character 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.

博愛信念力量 is the verbose way to write the word list, “love faith 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.

自尊心 is a Japanese and Korean word that means “pride” or “self-respect.”

The first Kanji/Hanja means oneself. The second can mean revered, valuable, precious, noble, or exalted. And the last Kanji/Hanja means heart, mind, and/or spirit.

While these characters make sense and hold the same general meaning in Chinese, this is not a normal Chinese word. This selection should only be used if your audience is Japanese or Korean.

See Also:  Respect | Pride | Self-Reliance | Self-Control | Self-Discipline

力愛不二 is a proverb that literally means:
“Strength [and] Love [are] Not Two [separate ideas/concepts/things].”

You'll find this proverb translated from Japanese to English as:
Love and strength are not separate.
Power and love are indivisible.
Strength and love in harmony.
Strength and love stand together.

Old Japanese grammar is quite different than English, and so this proverb says a lot within the brevity of just 4 characters. If you just read these characters directly as “Strength Love Not Two,” you'd probably miss the real meaning.

According to the Swedish Shorinji Kempo Federation, this is the second characteristic of Shorinji Kempo.

This post really explains the concept best in my opinion: Bushido by MS: Riki Ai Fu Ni, which states: "Riki Ai Funi" is the philosophy that power (Riki) and love (Ai) are indivisible. More concretely, a person, who is powerful but does not have love, cannot control and misuse his/her power; on the other hand, a person, who has loved ones but is not powerful enough, cannot protect himself/herself nor loved ones.

The short and sweet version of self-control.

Note: This can also mean self-restraint.

See Also:  Will-Power | Discipline

自己抑制 has a meaning like “to restrain oneself” in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean.

The first two characters mean “regarding oneself,” and the second two mean “to refrain” or “to restrain.”

See Also:  Discipline | Will-Power

自愛 means self-love, self-regard, regard for oneself, cherishing one's good name, taking care of oneself, or love myself.

In the Buddhist context, this is the cause of all pursuit or seeking, which in turn causes all suffering. All Buddhas discharge themselves from self-love and all pursuits of personal gratification. Such elimination of self-love is a step towards nirvāṇa.

This title can be taken as positive or negative, depending on how you read it. Some will see it as arrogant, and others will read it as a token of self-respect. Because of this ambiguity, I do not recommend this title for a wall scroll.

自省 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja means: to examine oneself; to reflect on one's shortcomings; introspection; self-awareness; self-criticism; self-examination; reflection.

In Japanese, this can be the given name, Jisei.

自己改革 is a Japanese title that refers to one who changes themselves or improves themselves by reforming their lives.

Another way to translate it is “A person who changes their attitude or something about themselves.”

自恃 means self-reliance but is often used to mean self-confidence or the state of being self-assured.

Basically, this means you can rely on yourself (with a slight suggestion that others can rely on you as well).

The first character means “oneself,” while the second means “to rely upon.”

See Also:  Confidence | Self-Confidence

克己 can be translated as “self-denial,” “self-abnegation,” “self-restraint,” “self-discipline,” “self-mastery,” or selflessness.

As a tenet of Korean taekwondo, and other martial arts, this is often used with the title “self-control.”

捨己 is a Chinese and Japanese word that means selfless, self-sacrifice (to help others), self-renunciation, or altruism.

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

自信心 is the long title for self-confidence.

It differs from the other version, only with the addition of the character for heart or soul at the end. With that addition, you could say this means a self-confident heart.

See Also:  Confidence

自覺 is the idea of being conscious, self-aware, and sometimes “on one's own initiative.”

After WWII, they started using a simplified form of the second Kanji for this word in Japan. That version is shown to the right, and you can click on that Kanji if you want the modern Japanese form. Otherwise, the characters shown in the upper left are the correct ones for ancient/old/traditional Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

自意識 is the idea of being conscious and self-aware in Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja.

This is not a normal word in Chinese.

自衛 means self-defense in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

自律 means self-discipline and self-control.

It is doing what you really want to do rather than being tossed around by your feelings like a leaf in the wind. You act instead of reacting. You get things done in an orderly and efficient way. With self-discipline, you take charge of yourself.

Not sure if this one works for a Japanese audience.

See Also:  Discipline | Self-Control

修養 means self-improvement in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

Other translations for this word include accomplishment, training, self-cultivation, (mental) training, self-discipline, cultivation, or cultivating moral character.

自尊 means self-respect or self-esteem in Chinese, Korean and Japanese. It can also mean “pride in oneself.”

Note: Japanese sometimes put the character for the heart after these two. However, this two-character word is universal between all three languages (which is often better since more than a third of the world's population can read this version as a native word).

自力 is a word in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, old Korean, and Buddhist term meaning: the power within oneself; self-sufficient; by oneself; self-made; self-power; inner ability.

自我實現 is the Chinese and old Korean Hanja title for self-actualization or self-realization.

自己実現 is the Japanese title for self-actualization, self-fulfillment, or self-realization.

自性覚れば即ち是れ佛なり is a Zen quote that means “If one realizes one's own nature, one becomes a Buddha.”

The inference here is that if you understand who you really are, and become truly aware of yourself and your original nature, you are well on your way to becoming a liberated person (a Buddha).

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

以柔克剛 can be translated as “Softness Overcomes Hardness,” “Flexibility Overcomes Power,” “Flexibility Overcomes Strength,” “Overcoming Powerful Strength with Flexibility,” or “Use Softness to Conquer Strength.”

精神力量 is a title that speaks of one's soul or spirit and the capacity or strength that soul possesses.

The first two characters mean mind, heart, spirit, and/or soul.

The last two characters mean strength, capacity, or ability.

Note: Separately, these are two words in Japanese and can be pronounced, but this does not make a natural title in Japanese (best if your audience is Chinese).

力量 is a general strength term.

It can refer to mental or physical strength (depending on context). 力量 can also be used to describe strength in terms of capability, capacity, ability, and even tact. Some may translate this as power or force.

力量與榮譽 is “strength and honor” in Chinese.

The first two characters are usually understood as (physical) strength but can also mean power or force.

The middle character is a connecting particle similar to “and.”

The last two characters are a way to say honor but can also be understood as honorable reputation, honorary, or glory.

力と名譽 is “strength and honor” in Japanese Kanji (with one Hiragana).

The first Kanji is understood as strength, power, or force.

The second character is a connecting particle-like, “and” or “with.”

The last two Kanji mean honor/honour, credit, or prestige. This last word is also used in the Bushido code to mean honor.

While not a common title for a wall scroll in China, 力與愛 means “strength and love” or “power and love” in Chinese characters.

While 力量和勇氣 is not a typical Chinese phrase, this is how to write “strength and courage.”

If this is an important idea for you, we can make a great custom Chinese “strength and courage” wall scroll for you.

力と勇気 may not be the most common Japanese phrase, but this is how to write “strength and courage” or “power and bravery” in Japanese.

強力 means herculean strength, powerful, or strong.

I've even heard this described as “strength to carry a mountain.”

Note: This can also be the Japanese surname Gouriki (like Mr. Strong).

氣力 can mean any of the words in the title above, and in some contexts, can also mean effort, will-power, or talent.

This refers mostly to physical strength (as opposed to mental or spiritual).

In modern Japan, they use a simplified first character for this word. If you want to order this title with that special Japanese version, click on the character to the right instead of the button above.

體力 means “physical strength,” “physical power,” or “physical stamina” in Chinese, ancient Japanese, and old Korean Hanja.

See Also:  Fortitude | Health

体力 means “physical strength” or “physical power.”

The first character was first simplified in Japan. Later, that simplified version became the standard in mainland China. Just in case you want this version, it is offered here. I suggest it if your audience is Japanese. Most Chinese know the older traditional version, which looks like 體力.

体力 can also be defined: stamina; endurance; physical strength; resilience; resistance to disease; clout; stability.

力 is the simplest form of “power” or “strength.”

In Japanese, it is pronounced “chikara” when used alone, and “ryoku” when used in a sentence (there are also a few other possible pronunciations of this Kanji in Japanese).

In some contexts, this can mean ability, force, physical strength, capability, and influence.

See Also:  Strength | Vitality | Health

強固 means firmness, stability, security, and strength in Japanese.

It's not used commonly in China, but it means “powerful,” “firm,” “solid,” “strong,” or “better than others” in Chinese. There is a slight variation in the top of the first character between Chinese and Japanese. Because this is more of a Japanese word, we are showing the Japanese form here.

強固 is also a Korean word, but Korean Hanja uses the Chinese form of the first character (one tiny stroke is a little different), so just let me know if your audience is Korean when you place your order, and we'll have it written in the Chinese/Korean version.

力量 博愛 榮譽 is the verbose way to write the word list, “strength love honor.”

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.

自強不息 is a proverb or idiom that suggests that the pursuit of self-improvement is eternal. It can also be a suggestion to strive unremittingly in life.

The first two characters mean inner strength with the idea of self-improvement. The last two characters mean “never rest” or “striving without giving up.”

Some will translate these four characters as “Exert and strive hard without any let-up.”

思い切り can be translated as “with all one's strength,” “with all one's heart,” “to the limits of your heart,” or “to the end of your heart/emotions.”

The character breakdown:
思い (omoi) thought; mind; heart; feelings; emotion; sentiment; love; affection; desire; wish; hope; expectation; imagination; experience
切り (kiri) bounds; limits.

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

己に忠実なれ is “...to thine own self be true” in Japanese.

This is a small portion of the classic line from Shakespeare's Hamlet.

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

意志力 is a form of willpower or self-control and is about having the determination or tenacity to keep going.

In Japanese, this is the power of will, the strength of will, volition, intention, intent, or determination.