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Loyalty Before Dishonor in Chinese / Japanese...

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  1. Fix the roof before the rain; Dig the well before you are thirsty

  2. Death Before Dishonor

  3. The Night is Darkest Before the Dawn

  4. Death Before Surrender

  5. Death Before Dishonor

  6. Death Before Surrender

  7. Faithful / Honorable / Trustworthy / Fidelity / Loyalty

  8. Pride Goes Before a Fall

  9. Hoes Before Bros

10. Love Loyalty Respect

11. Loyalty to Duty or Master

12. Loyalty

13. Loyalty / Devotion

14. Loyalty / Faithful / Devoted

15. Respect and Loyalty

16. Have a Walking Stick at the Ready Before You Stumble

17. Ultimate Loyalty to Your Country


Fix the roof before the rain; Dig the well before you are thirsty

 bǔ lòu chèn tiān qíng wèi kě xiān jué jǐng
Fix the roof before the rain; Dig the well before you are thirsty Scroll

补漏趁天晴未渴先掘井 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: Mend the roof while the weather is fine, [and when you are] not yet thirsty, dig the well beforehand.

In simple terms, this means: Always being prepared in advance.


See Also:  Have a Walking Stick at the Ready Before You Stumble

Death Before Dishonor

Better to be broken jade than unbroken pottery

 níng wéi yù suì
Death Before Dishonor Scroll

寧為玉碎 is the short version of a longer Chinese proverb which means “rather be shattered piece of jade than an unbroken piece of pottery.”

寧為玉碎 says the “rather be a broken piece of jade” part (the second half is implied - everyone in China knows this idiom).

A little more explanation:
Death is implied with the “broken” meaning. Jade is one of the most precious materials in Chinese history, and in this case, is compared with one's honor and self-worth. Pottery is just something you eat off of; it has no deep value, just as a person who has lost their honor or had none to begin with.
Thus, this means “better to die with honor than to live in shame” or words to that effect.

This is often translated in English as “Death Before Dishonor,” the famous military slogan.

I would also compare this to the English proverb, “Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.”

Death Before Dishonor

Better to be broken jade than unbroken pottery

 níng wéi yù suì bù wéi wǎ quán
Death Before Dishonor Scroll

寧為玉碎不為瓦全 is the long version of a Chinese proverb that means “rather be shattered piece of jade than an unbroken piece of pottery.”

A little more explanation:
Death is implied with the “broken” meaning. Jade is one of the most precious materials in Chinese history, and in this case, is compared with one's honor and self-worth. Pottery is just something you eat off of, it has no deep value, just as a person who has lost their honor, or had none to begin with.
Thus, this means “better to die with honor than to live in shame” or words to that effect.

寧為玉碎不為瓦全 is often translated in English as “Death Before Dishonor,” the famous military slogan.

I would also compare this to the English proverb, “Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.”


This is an idiom. It therefore doesn’t directly say exactly what it means. If you think about the English idiom, "The grass is always greener," it does not directly say "jealousy" or "envy" but everyone knows that it is implied.

The Night is Darkest Before the Dawn

 lí míng qián de hēi àn
The Night is Darkest Before the Dawn Scroll

黎明前的黑暗 is the most natural way to write “The night is darkest before the dawn,” in Chinese.

The words break down this way by meaning this way:
1.黎明 dawn or daybreak
2.前 before, in front, ago, former, previous, and/or earlier
3.的 (possessive particle) of
4.黑暗 dark, darkly, or darkness

If you try to understand the Chinese word order and grammar, it's like, “Before dawn is the darkest [time].”

Death Before Surrender

Rather die than compromise

 níng sǐ bù qū
Death Before Surrender Scroll

寧死不屈 is often translated as “Death Before Dishonor.”

The literal translation is more like, “Better die than compromise.” The last two characters mean “not to bend” or “not to bow down.” Some might even say that it means “not to surrender.” Thus, you could say this proverb means “Better to die than live on my knees” or simply “no surrender” (with the real idea being that you would rather die than surrender).

Death Before Dishonor

You can die or kill, but never dishonor or disgrace yourself

 kě shā bù kě rǔ
Death Before Dishonor Scroll

可殺不可辱 almost directly matches the idea of “Death Before Dishonor” while also being an ancient Chinese proverb.

The direct meaning is, “[you] can die/kill [but you] cannot [allow] dishonor/disgrace [upon yourself].” Chinese grammar, and especially ancient grammar, is a little different than English. Not nearly as many articles are needed, and a lot is implied.

There are many ways to express ideas similar to “Death Before Dishonor” in Chinese, and I would rate this one in the top two.

Death Before Dishonor

A soldier can die or kill, but never dishonor or disgrace himself

 shì kě shā bù kě rǔ
Death Before Dishonor Scroll

士可殺不可辱 almost directly matches the military idea of “Death Before Dishonor,” while also being an ancient Chinese proverb.

The direct meaning is, “[A] soldier/warrior can die/kill [but he/she] cannot [allow] dishonor/disgrace [upon himself/herself].” Chinese grammar, and especially ancient grammar, is a little different than English. Not nearly as many articles are needed, and a lot is implied.

There are a lot of ways to express ideas similar to “Death Before Dishonor” in Chinese, and I would rate this one in the top two.

This is the original form of this proverb with the character for “soldier/warrior” at the beginning. Most of the time, this character is dropped, becoming a five-character proverb (the soldier/warrior part is implied, even without the character being present in the proverb). We also offer a shorter version.

Death Before Dishonor

 fu mei yo yo ri shi
Death Before Dishonor Scroll

不名誉より死 is the Japanese version of “Death Before Dishonor.”

Japanese grammar is a bit different than English, so this really means something like “Rather die than to be dishonored.” However, “dishonor” is the first three Kanji, and death is the last Kanji. There are two Hiragana (より) which indicate the preference is death when comparing dishonor to death.


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

Death Before Surrender

 nìng sǐ bù xiáng
Death Before Surrender Scroll

寧死不降 is an ancient Chinese proverb that can be translated as “Rather die than surrender,” “Prefer death over surrender,” “To prefer death to surrender,” or simply “No surrender.”

This is probably the closest proverb to the English proverb “Better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.”

Faithful / Honorable / Trustworthy / Fidelity / Loyalty

 xìn yì
 shingi
Faithful / Honorable / Trustworthy / Fidelity / Loyalty Scroll

信義 is a word often used to describe a person with an honest and loyal reputation.

Simply put, this applies to somebody you can trust (with your life).

In Chinese, this is often defined as good faith, honor, trust, and justice.
In Korean, this word means fidelity, truthfulness, or faithfulness.
In Japanese: faith, fidelity, and loyalty. It's also a Japanese male given name when pronounced “Nobuyoshi.”

Pride Goes Before a Fall

 jiāo bīng bì bài
 kyouheihippai / kyohehippai
Pride Goes Before a Fall Scroll

This literally means an arrogant army is bound to lose.

The meaning is similar to “pride goes before a fall.”

Others may translate this as “defeat is inevitable for an overconfident army,” “being arrogant and overconfident inevitably leads to defeat,” or “pride comes before a fall.”

Hoes Before Bros

 jiàn sè wàng yì
Hoes Before Bros Scroll

見色忘義 is a modern Chinese idiom that means to put love before loyalty or to forget loyalty when in love.

This would be roughly equivalent to the English, “Hoes before bros.”

Love Loyalty Respect

 ài zhōng jìng
Love Loyalty Respect Scroll

愛忠敬 is a Chinese word list that means love, loyalty, and respect.

愛忠敬 is the shortest way to express these words/ideas. Word lists are not as natural in Chinese as they are in English - phrases or proverbs are more common.

Love Loyalty Respect

 zhēn ài zhōng chéng zū jìng
Love Loyalty Respect Scroll

真愛忠誠尊敬 is a Chinese word list that means love, loyalty, and respect.

Loyalty to Duty or Master

 zhōng
 chuu
 
Loyalty to Duty or Master Scroll

忠 is the simplest way to write the word loyalty in Chinese and Japanese.

A single character like this leaves the meaning open. But alone, a Chinese or Japanese person would think of loyalty to duty or loyalty to one's master (in ancient times). I suppose that it could be loyalty to your boss or company in this day in age.

忠 can also mean fidelity or faithfulness.

This can also be romanized as “chung.”

 zhōng chéng
 chuu sei
Loyalty Scroll

忠誠 is the written form of loyalty that is universal in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

Loyalty is staying true to someone. It is standing up for something you believe in without wavering. It is being faithful to your family, country, school, friends, or ideals when the going gets tough and when things are good. With loyalty, you build relationships that last forever.

Notes:

1. There is also a Japanese version that is part of the Bushido Code which may be more desirable depending on whether your intended audience is Japanese or Chinese.

2. This version of loyalty is sometimes translated as devotion, sincerity, fidelity, or allegiance.


See Also:  Honor | Trust | Integrity | Sincerity

Loyalty / Devotion

 zhōng yì
 chuu gi
Loyalty / Devotion Scroll

忠義 is another form of loyalty or devotion.

In Chinese, this is more specifically about being loyal and devoted to your friends.

In Japanese, this is more often used to mean loyalty to your country or nation.

Except for the slight difference noted above between Japanese and Chinese, this word is understood universally in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. It can also be used to describe devotion or fidelity.

It should be noted that this Kanji combination is being used less and less in modern Japan (this is a better choice if your audience is Chinese, though any Japanese person will clearly understand it).

Loyalty / Faithful / Devoted

 chuujitsu / chuugi
Loyalty / Faithful / Devoted Scroll

忠実 is a Japanese way to write “Loyalty” - it also contains the ideas of being faithful, devoted, true, and obedient.

The second character is a modified form only used in the Japanese lexicon; however, Chinese speakers can easily guess the meaning.


This is also a virtue of the Samurai Warrior
See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here

Respect and Loyalty

 zūn jìng zhōng chéng
 son kei chu sei
Respect and Loyalty Scroll

尊敬忠誠 means respect and loyalty in Chinese.

This is a word list (not a normal Chinese or Japanese phrase).

Word lists like this are not very common or natural in Chinese, so try to look for a better phrase to match your idea before you settle on this.

Have a Walking Stick at the Ready Before You Stumble

 koro ba nu saki no tsue
Have a Walking Stick at the Ready Before You Stumble Scroll

転ばぬ先の杖 is a Japanese proverb that literally translates as: Have a walking stick ready before stumbling.

This is similar to the English idiom, “A stitch in time saves nine.”

In simple terms, this means: Always being prepared in advance.


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


See Also:  Fix Roof Before the Rain; Dig the Well Before You Are Thirsty

Ultimate Loyalty to Your Country

The most famous tattoo in Chinese history

 jìn zhōng bào guó
Ultimate Loyalty to Your Country Scroll

盡忠報國 is a proverb that is the tattoo worn on the back of Yue Fei, a famous Chinese warrior who lived until 1142 A.D.

The tattoo can be translated as “Serve the country with the utmost loyalty.” More literally, it means “[The] Ultimate Loyalty [is too] Duty [of] Country.”

Legend has it that this tattoo once saved his life when he was accused of treason.

The first two characters have come to create a word that means “serve the country faithfully” or “die for the country.” Note: It's more a willingness to die for one's country than the actual act of dying.

The last two characters have come to mean “Dedicate oneself to the service of one's country.”

Both of these words are probably only in the Chinese lexicon because of this famous tattoo.

If you break it down, character-by-character, here is what you get:
1. To the utmost, to the limit of something, the ultimate.
2. Loyalty or duty (a sense of duty to one's master, lord, country, or job).
3. Report, recompense, give back to (in this case, you are giving yourself to your country as payback).
4. Country, state, nation, kingdom.


More about the famous warrior and army general, Yue Fei




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The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...

Title CharactersRomaji (Romanized Japanese)Various forms of Romanized Chinese
Fix the roof before the rain; Dig the well before you are thirsty補漏趁天晴未渴先掘井
补漏趁天晴未渴先掘井
bǔ lòu chèn tiān qíng wèi kě xiān jué jǐng
bu3 lou4 chen4 tian1 qing2 wei4 ke3 xian1 jue2 jing3
bu lou chen tian qing wei ke xian jue jing
pu lou ch`en t`ien ch`ing wei k`o hsien chüeh ching
pu lou chen tien ching wei ko hsien chüeh ching
Death Before Dishonor寧為玉碎
宁为玉碎
níng wéi yù suì
ning2 wei2 yu4 sui4
ning wei yu sui
ningweiyusui
ning wei yü sui
ningweiyüsui
Death Before Dishonor寧為玉碎不為瓦全
宁为玉碎不为瓦全
níng wéi yù suì bù wéi wǎ quán
ning2 wei2 yu4 sui4 bu4 wei2 wa3 quan2
ning wei yu sui bu wei wa quan
ningweiyusuibuweiwaquan
ning wei yü sui pu wei wa ch`üan
ning wei yü sui pu wei wa chüan
The Night is Darkest Before the Dawn黎明前的黑暗lí míng qián de hēi àn
li2 ming2 qian2 de hei1 an4
li ming qian de hei an
limingqiandeheian
li ming ch`ien te hei an
limingchienteheian
li ming chien te hei an
Death Before Surrender寧死不屈
宁死不屈
níng sǐ bù qū
ning2 si3 bu4 qu1
ning si bu qu
ningsibuqu
ning ssu pu ch`ü
ningssupuchü
ning ssu pu chü
Death Before Dishonor可殺不可辱
可杀不可辱
kě shā bù kě rǔ
ke3 sha1 bu4 ke3 ru3
ke sha bu ke ru
keshabukeru
k`o sha pu k`o ju
koshapukoju
ko sha pu ko ju
Death Before Dishonor士可殺不可辱
士可杀不可辱
shì kě shā bù kě rǔ
shi4 ke3 sha1 bu4 ke3 ru3
shi ke sha bu ke ru
shikeshabukeru
shih k`o sha pu k`o ju
shihkoshapukoju
shih ko sha pu ko ju
Death Before Dishonor不名譽より死
不名誉より死
fu mei yo yo ri shi
fumeiyoyorishi
Death Before Surrender寧死不降
宁死不降
nìng sǐ bù xiáng
ning4 si3 bu4 xiang2
ning si bu xiang
ningsibuxiang
ning ssu pu hsiang
ningssupuhsiang
Faithful
Honorable
Trustworthy
Fidelity
Loyalty
信義
信义
shingixìn yì / xin4 yi4 / xin yi / xinyihsin i / hsini
Pride Goes Before a Fall驕兵必敗
骄兵必败
kyouheihippai / kyohehippai
kyoheihipai / kyohehipai
jiāo bīng bì bài
jiao1 bing1 bi4 bai4
jiao bing bi bai
jiaobingbibai
chiao ping pi pai
chiaopingpipai
Hoes Before Bros見色忘義
见色忘义
jiàn sè wàng yì
jian4 se4 wang4 yi4
jian se wang yi
jiansewangyi
chien se wang i
chiensewangi
Love Loyalty Respect愛忠敬ài zhōng jìng
ai4 zhong1 jing4
ai zhong jing
aizhongjing
ai chung ching
aichungching
Love Loyalty Respect真愛忠誠尊敬zhēn ài zhōng chéng zū jìng
zhen1 ai4 zhong1 cheng2 zu1 jing4
zhen ai zhong cheng zu jing
zhenaizhongchengzujing
chen ai chung ch`eng tsu ching
chenaichungchengtsuching
chen ai chung cheng tsu ching
Loyalty to Duty or Masterchuu / chuzhōng / zhong1 / zhongchung
Loyalty忠誠
忠诚
chuu sei / chuusei / chu seizhōng chéng
zhong1 cheng2
zhong cheng
zhongcheng
chung ch`eng
chungcheng
chung cheng
Loyalty
Devotion
忠義
忠义
chuu gi / chuugi / chu gizhōng yì / zhong1 yi4 / zhong yi / zhongyichung i / chungi
Loyalty
Faithful
Devoted
忠實
忠実
chuujitsu / chuugi
chujitsu / chugi
Respect and Loyalty尊敬忠誠
尊敬忠诚
son kei chu sei
sonkeichusei
zūn jìng zhōng chéng
zun1 jing4 zhong1 cheng2
zun jing zhong cheng
zunjingzhongcheng
tsun ching chung ch`eng
tsunchingchungcheng
tsun ching chung cheng
Have a Walking Stick at the Ready Before You Stumble転ばぬ先の杖koro ba nu saki no tsue
korobanusakinotsue
Ultimate Loyalty to Your Country盡忠報國
尽忠报国
jìn zhōng bào guó
jin4 zhong1 bao4 guo2
jin zhong bao guo
jinzhongbaoguo
chin chung pao kuo
chinchungpaokuo
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.


Dictionary

Lookup Loyalty Before Dishonor in my Japanese & Chinese Dictionary


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A high-ranked Chinese master calligrapher that I met in Zhongwei

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Some people may refer to this entry as Loyalty Before Dishonor Kanji, Loyalty Before Dishonor Characters, Loyalty Before Dishonor in Mandarin Chinese, Loyalty Before Dishonor Characters, Loyalty Before Dishonor in Chinese Writing, Loyalty Before Dishonor in Japanese Writing, Loyalty Before Dishonor in Asian Writing, Loyalty Before Dishonor Ideograms, Chinese Loyalty Before Dishonor symbols, Loyalty Before Dishonor Hieroglyphics, Loyalty Before Dishonor Glyphs, Loyalty Before Dishonor in Chinese Letters, Loyalty Before Dishonor Hanzi, Loyalty Before Dishonor in Japanese Kanji, Loyalty Before Dishonor Pictograms, Loyalty Before Dishonor in the Chinese Written-Language, or Loyalty Before Dishonor in the Japanese Written-Language.