Person of Character in Chinese / Japanese...

人格者 is a Japanese and Korean title that means, "person of character".

人格者 is unisex, so it can also be used to mean, "man of character", or "woman of character".

英國人 is the traditional Chinese and Japanese way to write British person, Briton, English person, Englishman, Englishwoman, etc.

In modern Japan, the middle character has been simplified making it 英国人. This same simplification is used in mainland China as well.

殺人剣 is a Japanese title for "Death Sword", "Life Taking Sword" or "satsujinken". 殺人剣 is the opposite of katsujinken, or the "life saving sword". This title is not as commonly used in Japanese but pairs well when hung with katsujinken.

The first two Kanji are a word that translates as homicide; to murder; to kill (a person). 殺人剣 is specifically to kill a person (as the second character means person or human) as opposed to an animal, etc.

The last Kanji is the Japanese variant of the originally-Chinese character for sword.

See Also:  Katsujinken

This "strong" character means "to strengthen" or robust. This brings images of a muscle-bound hulk of a weight lifter or body builder to an Asian person who sees this character.

Note that in Korean and Japanese, this character is normally part of compound words, and is not seen alone too often.

Note that the this character was simplified in Japan after WWII (also simplified in mainland China but not for calligraphy). If you want the modern Japanese/simplified version, please click on the Kanji shown to the right.

復讐者 is a Japanese Kanji title that means avenger or revenger.

The first two characters literally mean revenge or avenge.

The last character is a way to say person (or soldier/warrior).

Altogether, you have something like, "avenging person", hence avenger.

佛教 is the more exact way to express the religion or lifestyle of Buddhism.

It can also be read as "Buddha's Teachings". 佛教 is Chinese only, as a different character is more commonly used in Japanese to express Buddhism. The same first character is used in Korea but a slight variation exists in the second character in Korean Hanja. However, it would be fully recognized by any Korean person who can read Hanja.

駱 is a character that can be a Chinese surname Luo or Japanese surname Raku.

The original meaning of this character is camel, but that is rather archaic. The surname is the first thing that comes to mind for any Chinese or Japanese person.

This Chinese word is a form of personal strength.

It is a word that describes a person who is willing to take a risk. In English, we might say, "Someone with guts".

An example might be a person that is not rich but invests a lot of money into something (knowing they could double their money, or lose it all). Win or lose, this is a person that knows or pushes their potential.

Tearing this word apart, the first character means "to compel", urgent, urge, force, imminent, or "spur on". The second means power, strong, bear, or exert.

Note: 迫力 is also a word in Japanese Kanji and Korean Hanja but with a meaning more like force, intensity, appeal, strength, impact, force, or simply power.

復仇者 is a Chinese title that means avenger or taker of revenge.

The first two characters literally mean avenge, vengeance, reprisal, or revenge.

The last character is a way to say person. This last character is like adding -er or -ist to subjects like write and art to get writer and artist.

賢 is used to refer to being a wise, trustworthy and virtuous person. But it also contains the ideas of intelligence, genius, scholarship, virtue, sage, saint, good, excellent in character.

賢 is used in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. Also used in a Buddhist context with same meaning.

Note: Can also be male given name, Masaru, in Japanese.

This means, "forever in my heart" or "always in my heart" in Japanese.

The character breakdown:
永遠 (eien) eternity; perpetuity; immortality; permanence.
に (ni) indicates the location of a person or thing.
私の (watashi no) my; mine.
心の中 (kokoro no naka) the middle of one's mind; the midst of one's heart.
に (ni) indicates the location of a person or thing (makes this "in" the middle of one's heart).

Note: There’s more than one way to say "Forever in My Heart" in Japanese, so you’ll find another version in our database. This is the very verbose version.

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

情熱 is the Japanese word that means enthusiasm, or "passion for a cause".

In some context, this could have a meaning of being extremely fond of something, or having fondness for a cause or person.

Can also be translated as passion, zeal, ardour, or fervor.

Note: 情熱 order is not natural in Chinese. However, a typical Chinese person can guess that this is a Japanese or Korean word and also understand the intended the meaning. This selection is best if your audience is Japanese or old-school Korean.

See Also:  Persistence | Devotion | Tenacity | Commitment | Motivation

英雄 is the best way to write hero in Chinese and Japanese - especially for calligraphy.

英雄 is also the name of the Chinese movie titled Hero starring Jet Li.

The first character means brave (it can also mean British or English but not in this case).
The second character means heroic but also suggests a male person.
My Japanese dictionary also defines this as "a great man".

射手 means archer, shooter, or marksman in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

Depending on context, it can also mean "goal getter" in Chinese. This would also be the word for bowman.

射手 is kind of modern in Asia, meaning that it's only been in use for a few hundred years. However, the more ancient version of archer is often not even recognized by the current generation of Chinese and Japanese people.

The first character means "shoot" or "fire" (in the context of a gun or bow). It's also a suffix for radioactive things (in the context of chemistry) - radioactive things "fire off" electrons. In Japanese, that first Kanji is a short name and suffix for archery.

The second character means "hand" but hand can also mean a person, in the same way, that "farmhand" is a person in English.

狡 means crafty, cunning, sly, deed, or sneaky person.

狡 is not really a positive word, so I don't suggest you order it for a custom wall 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".

福音 is the Chinese, Korean and Japanese word for "Gospel" or "Word of God".

福音 is a specifically Christian word in Asia (not used for any other religion).

The first character means "blessing", "good fortune" or "good luck". This first character is a special character used throughout China to bring good tidings and fortune - especially during Chinese New Year. The second character means "sound", "noise" or "news".

Together, these characters create a word that means "The Good News" or "The Sound of Good Fortune".

When read by a Chinese or Japanese person, this word is always perceived as "The Christian Gospel", "Word of God", or even "The Voice of God".

See Also:  Christianity | Jesus Christ | God of Abraham

革命者 is a noun, meaning a rebel or revolutionary in Chinese (rarely-used in Japanese Kanji).

The first two characters mean "revolution" (specifically a political revolution or revolt).
The third character means "person".

銘記 means to keep in mind, to take note of, or simply to remember, in Chinese characters and Japanese Kanji.

The first character means to engrave, to inscribe, or to carve an inscription.

The second character means to remember, to note, mark, sign, to record, history, chronicle, or annals.

When used in the context of a person, this means to engrave on the heart, or to inscribe a memory in one's mind. In short, it's the idea of deeply remembering something, some event, or someone forever.

殺 is how to write "to kill" or "killing".

殺 is an absolutely shocking word to have on a wall scroll. It will bewilder, scare, and perhaps offend any Chinese, Korean, or Japanese person who sees it. I do not in any way recommend this for a piece of calligraphy artwork. This entry is only here because our calligraphy search engine received so many requests for "kill".

Note: In Korean Hanja, this character is not often used alone - see the other two-character entry for "kill".

美麗 is a two-character word used often in Chinese, old Korean, and ancient Japanese to express beauty.

I've had a few requests for a "two-character beautiful" and this is by far the best word. 美麗 is not a common word for an Asian person to want on a wall scroll. However, you will see it commonly used as an adjective in phrases, stories, and titles throughout magazines and signage in China.

美麗 can also be translated as gorgeous or lovely.

Note: 美麗 is not commonly used in modern Japan.

協力 is a Japanese word that means cooperation.

If you look at the second character, which means "strength" or "power", and then you look at the first character, you will see that the first character seems to represent multiple "strengths" together. Thus, you can visually see the meaning of this word as "stronger when working together". The combination of characters that form this word is commonly seen in Japanese Kanji and Korean Hanja but not used in China (however, a Chinese person could probably guess the meaning, and it can be pronounced in Chinese).

It is implied that you are cooperating to create some project or product.

This can also be translated as "joint effort".

See Also:  Partnership

The first character means "for a particular person, occasion, or purpose", "focused on one single thing", "concentrated" and sometimes, "special".

The second character means "heart" or "mind" by itself.

Together, these two characters make a word that means, "paying attention with your heart". It's often translated as, "dedication", as in "be absorbed in" or "concentrate one's efforts". It's also used to mean, "with single mind", "whole-heartedly", "paying attention", "undivided attention", "concentration (-ed)", "engrossed", "devotionally (listening/watching)", and/or "attentive".

My favorite translation, which comes from the Oxford Advanced Chinese/English Dictionary is, "wholehearted devotion".

If it seems like the meaning of this word is quite open, you are correct. The context in which the word is used matters a lot. It can mean different things depending on how you use it. This makes it kind of nice as you can decide what this means to you (within some limits). This word is always positive in meaning, so even if a Chinese person reads it differently than you, it will still have a good meaning.

In Japanese, they tend to use a variation of the second character which has one less stroke. If you want your calligraphy written this Japanese form, please click on the Kanji shown to the right instead of the button above. Note: Japanese and Chinese people will recognize either form.

See Also:  Faith | Devotion

保護者 is the universal word for protector in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

The first character means to defend, to protect, to insure or guarantee, to maintain, hold or keep, or to guard.

The second character means to protect.

Together the first and second characters create a word that means to defend, to protect, or to safeguard.

The last character means person.

Add all three characters together, and you have a word that means "protector", one who will protect, guard, and keep you safe.

Some will also translate this word as guardian or patron.

Note: Not a common selection for a wall scroll in Asia.

See Also:  Guardian Angel

醒悟 / 省悟 is a Chinese word that expresses the idea of reality or coming to understand what is true and real.

The first character means to wake up, awaken, comprehend, introspect, or visit.

The second character means to comprehend or understand (be enlightened).

The meanings of Chinese words are not necessarily the sum of their parts. In this case, at best, you can derive that the characters express "understanding what is real" or "knowing what is real". Any Chinese person will perceive this word in a similar way to how we use "reality" in English.

Note: The first character can also be written in a different form as shown to the right. Same meaning in Chinese, either way it’s written.

找尋著 is a way to write "seeker" in Chinese.

The first two characters are a word that means to look for, or to seek. The last character means person, or in this case, it's like the English "-er" that makes "seek" into "seeker".

This Japanese title means, "The chosen one" but can also refer to "The select few" or "the chosen ones".
The last character clarifies that the "one" refers to a person or persons (male or female).

This can also be written 撰ばれし者 or 択ばれし者 with same pronunciation and meaning. The one shown above is the most common way to write it.

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

This is a common Japanese way to say, "welcome home".

This is said by a person greeting another as they return home. It's a typical phrase that is almost said by reflex as part of Japanese courtesy or etiquette.

Sometimes written as 御帰りなさい (just first character is Kanji instead of Hiragana).

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

聖人 can mean saint, sage, or holy man.

Note: There is more than one way to express this idea. This one really matches "Holy man" because the second character means "human" or "person" (therefore, this could equally mean "Holy woman").

推手 is the martial arts title "Pushing Hands".

推手 is the title for two-person training routines practiced in internal Chinese martial arts such as Baguazhang, Xingyiquan, Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan), Liuhebafa, Chuan Fa, and Yiquan.

The first character means "pushing".
The second character means "hand" (or "hands").

This term can be romanized as "Tui Sau", "Tui Sao", or from Mandarin, "Tui Shou".

If you are looking for this term, chances are, you already know the meaning within the context of Tai Chi and other martial arts.

芸者 is the real basis for the way we spell geisha.

However, there are many more ways to refer to a woman that fills the role that westerners think of when they hear the word geisha.

In Japanese, these characters literally mean "artful person". But in English, it might be better translated as "a person (woman) highly trained/accomplished in the arts".

However, my Japanese dictionary says "a singing and dancing girl".

Many will argue as to whether "geisha" = "prostitute" or not. My Japanese friends seem to have the opinion that a geisha is so highly trained in the art playing musical instruments and dancing that the fact she might also be a prostitute is secondary to her performance on stage.

芸者 is a "Japanese only" term, they use a slightly different first character to express "geisha" in Chinese. Since this is a Japanese term, I have not included the Chinese version.

調和 is one of the several ways to express harmony in Chinese and Japanese.

Note: The first character means harmony, but also suggests a musical meaning. It can also be used to describe warriors marching in perfect cadence (in step) or to regulate something.
The second character carries the meaning of harmony and peace by itself.

Together, these characters create a word that can be defined as harmonious; to mediate; to reconcile; to compromise; mediation; temper; to mix; to blend; blended; to season; seasoning (getting the flavors of the food in balance); to placate; be in harmonious proportion.

The meaning obviously varies depending on context. However, when hanging as a wall scroll, this will refer to the person (you) being balanced and in harmony while rational and under control at the same time.

See Also:  Musician | Dance

猿拳 is the Japanese martial arts title, "Monkey Fist", referring to Monkey-Style Kung Fu.

猿拳 is very similar to a Chinese term that uses a different first character (the characters for ape and monkey were reversed when Japan borrowed Chinese characters, so this would be "Ape Fist" if a Chinese person read it).

仙 means immortal (as in a being or person).

In some context, it can mean hermit, ascetic, man of the hills, or wizard. The Buddha is often put in this category.

In Chinese mythology and folklore, there is a famous group of eight immortals (八仙).

The 楞嚴經 (Śūraṅgama Sūtra) speaks of many kinds of immortals including walkers on the earth, fliers, wanderers at will (into space or into the deva heavens), beings with the ability to transform themselves into any form, etc.

劍聖 is about the closest you can get to juggernaut in Chinese.

This more literally means, "Sage of the Sword", "Master Swordsman", or "Sword Saint". In Chinese terms, such a person with divine mastery of the sword is unstoppable. Thus, the meaning of juggernaut can be derived from this term.

There is a very similar Japanese word (slight variation on first character) that means "Sword Saint", or "Kensei".

守護者 is a Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja title for a protector, watcher, or keeper.

The character breakdown:
守護 = to guard; to protect; protection; safeguard.
者 = person; someone of that nature; someone doing that work, the one [who, which].

From this breakdown, you can translate this as, "The one who protects", "Someone who safeguards", or "guardian".

Taidō (The Way of the Body) is a style of Karate practiced in Japan and popular around the world.

Taidō or 躰道 traces a lineage from Genseiryū (玄制流) which came from Shuri-te (首里手), one of the original martial arts schools of ancient Okinawa.

The first character 躰 is a variant of the original Chinese character 體. In modern Japan, they tend to use 体, a more simple form of the character. 体 is also the modern Simplified Chinese form of 體.
The 躰 character is correct for this 躰道 martial arts title. But it can be confusing with so many variants out there, not to mention other homophonic Japanese words that also romanize as Taidō or Taidou.

To have a bit more fun with this 躰 character, it has a 身 radical on the left, which sets it apart. The meaning doubles up on the "body" as 身 (shin) is a character that also means body in Japanese and Chinese. On the right is 本 which often means root, stem, origin, source, or fundamental (but can also mean "book" in some contexts). This has deviated from the original 體 which was 骨 (bone) + 豊 (vessel). Hence, body was your "bone vessel" in ancient Asia.

The meaning of 躰, as well as 體 and 体, is usually translated as body. When related to the physical body, it can also refer to the torso, trunk, build, physique, or constitution of a person. As an extension of this, it can also refer to someone's health (good body = good health).
However, depending on context, it can encompass other meanings such as: form; style; system; to experience; aspect; corpus, corporeal; the substance, the essentials.

The second character, 道, is recognized and well-known as the "Way" and is the same "do" as in Karate-do or Aikido.

身 is how to write "body" as in your human body, in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja.

Depending on context and certain language issues, this character can also mean: main part, hull, oneself, somebody, person, I, me, sword, lifetime, one's station in life, etc.

While this written word is universal in three languages, it still makes a rather odd selection for a wall scroll. Also, they tend to use 体 (karada) in Japanese for body (depending on context).

See Also:  Karada

基督教 is the Chinese, Japanese and Korean word for "Christianity".

Just as in English, this word is often used to mean "Protestant" but includes Catholics in the true definition.

It is the word used to refer to the whole "Christian religion" or "Christian Faith" and therefore, it can be translated as "Christianity". However, used as an adjective in regards to a person, it would translate as "Christian". But more like saying "His religion is Christianity" rather than a noun form.

If you break it apart, the characters mean Base/Foundation Leading/Supervising Religion/Teaching. It makes more sense in Japanese, Chinese, and Korean. The first two characters together are translated as "Christ". So you can also say this means "Christ's Religion" or "Christ's Teachings" when directly translated, or in reverse, "The Religion of Christ" or "The Teaching of Christ".

Notes: The last character has a slight difference in one stroke - however, in calligraphic form, this will not be apparent. This entry can easily be read by any Korean person who knows Hanja characters (Chinese characters used in Korean).

See Also:  Jesus Christ | God of Abraham

These two characters contain the ideas of "fate", "destiny", "fortune" and "luck" in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

運命 is often defined as "a person's fate" or "personal fate" in various dictionaries.

These two characters can be reversed (written in either order) and yield roughly the same meaning.

This particular character order happens to be more common in old Korean and less common in modern Chinese.

See Also:  Good Fortune | Good Luck

榮 relates to giving someone a tribute or praise.

It's a little odd as a gift, so this may not be the best selection for a wall scroll.

I've made this entry just because this character is often misused as "honorable" or "keeping your honor". It's not quite the same meaning, as this usually refers to a tribute or giving an honor to someone.

榮 is often found in tattoo books incorrectly listed as the western idea of personal honor or being honorable. Check with us before you get a tattoo that does not match the meaning you are really looking for. As a tattoo, this suggests that you either have a lot of pride in yourself or that you have a wish for prosperity for you and/or your family.

In modern Japanese Kanji, glory and honor looks like the image to the right.

There is a lot of confusion about this character, so here are some alternate translations for this character: prosperous, flourishing, blooming (like a flower), glorious beauty, proud, praise, rich, or it can be the family name "Rong". The context in which the character is used can change the meaning between these various ideas.

In the old days, this could be an honor paid to someone by the Emperor (basically a designation by the Emperor that a person has high standing).

To sum it up: 榮 has a positive meaning, however, it's a different flavor than the idea of being honorable and having integrity.

This is the Chinese way to express "Marine". (as in a member of the Marine Corps). It is not country-specific, so it could be the Royal Marines, U.S. Marines, Chinese Marines, etc.
In Australian English, they would translate this as "Naval Infantryman".

Breaking down each character, this means:
"ocean/sea military/arms shore/land fighting/war/battle corps/team/group person/member". Note that the first two characters presented together but outside of this phrase mean "navy" (sea military).

See Also:  Warrior | Military | Navy | Art of War

痛 means pain in Chinese and old Korean Hanja. It also means pain/hurt/bruise in Japanese but is seldom seen as a single Kanji (usually at least a Hiragana is added to make the word "itai" which is what a Japanese person will scream when they are in pain).

Depending on context, this word can mean hurt, ache, sorrow, or refer to damage to a human body. As a single character, the possible meanings are very open - so you can decide what it means to you, as long as the general meaning is still "painful".

See Also:  Hurt

武芸者 is the Japanese Kanji title for "Martial Arts Master". It suggests that you have reached at least the level of black belt, and are probably to the level where you are ready to become an instructor.

Please consider carefully where you stand before ordering this phrase on a wall scroll. If you are not a master, this will make you look a bit foolish.

If you want to get this as a gift for your master at the dojo. Try to discreetly make sure this term is used in your school. Different schools and styles of Japanese martial arts use different terms. You may notice in the Romaji and the characters, this has the same characters as "geisha" which means "person skilled in arts" (what a geisha girl really is). The title here has the character for "martial", "warrior", and/or "military" in front of it. Therefore the literal translation is "martial art person".

These Kanji are valid Chinese characters and Korean Hanja but this title does not really make sense in Chinese and not often used in Korean, though a Chinese or Korean would be able to guess the meaning by looking at the first and last characters.

危 means danger, peril or "to endanger" in Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean.

If you live a dangerous life or want to subtly warn others that you are a dangerous person, this may be the selection for you.

This also means "danger" and sometimes "fear" in Japanese and Korean but is seldom seen outside of compound words in those languages (as a single character, it's kind of like an abbreviation for danger in Japanese and Korean). 危 is also a rather odd selection for a wall scroll anyway. It's only here because people search for danger on our website.

This literally translates as: [Only one who does] not sleep, learns how long the night is; [Only by] long acquaintance [does one] learn a person ['s true] character.

Basically, this proverb suggests that we really need to experience something intimately and for a long time to really know everything about it.

This can also be translated as, "Spending years with someone is the only way to know them".

Note: Sometimes this proverb is split into just the first or second idea alone (first 5 or last 5 characters only).

When you meet a wise person, you should learn from them and be inspired to become as wise as they are.

見賢思齊 is a pretty long proverb in English but in Chinese it's only four characters.
However, in Chinese the deeper meaning often surpass the dictionary definition of each character.

In this case, you should seek wise people to learn from throughout your life...
Always try to learn enough to become equal to them. It also suggests that the process of learning and seeking wisdom is a non-ending cycle.

See Also:  Knowledge

拳闘 is the term used in Japanese Kanji to refer to the original Olympic sport of combat and fighting.

This can also be translated as prizefighting.

The first Kanji means fist. The second means fight. So when literally translated, this means "fist fight" (though understood in Japanese as a more refined sport, versus street fighting).

Note: A completely different second character is used in the Chinese word for boxing but a Chinese person would still be able to guess the meaning of these Kanji.

ナルト is the title "Naruto" from the Japanese animation series. See Naruto Anime Series.

Because of the special Japanese character set used to write this title, it can only be written by the Japanese master calligrapher. Do not try to order it from one of our Chinese calligraphers.

Please note that while this is the correct title for this anime series, it can also mean the "@" sign or "at" in Japanese under different context (a Japanese person not familiar with the series may be confused by your wall scroll).

Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

善 means goodness, virtue, good deed, charitable, benevolent, well-disposed, nice, pleasant, kind, or simply, "good".

善 is the kind of good that applies to someone's good character, or a good person in general.

Referring to someone with this word means that they have a well-aimed moral compass, are charitable, giving, wise, and honest. Basically, this is a blanket statement for every good trait a human can have, or all the things that make someone good.

In another context, it can mean to improve or perfect something or refer to someone who is good at something.

愛人 means lover, sweetheart, spouse, husband, wife, or beloved in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

The first character means "love" and the second means "person".

This title can be used a lot of different ways, depending on context. Husbands and wives may use this term for each other. But, if you change the context, this title could be used to mean "mistress". It's pretty similar to the way we can use "lover" in many different ways in English.

In modern Japan, this lover title has slipped into the definition of mistress, and is not good for a wall scroll.

飛虎 is the short, or rather, Korean title of the "Flying Tigers".

This short title is not very often used in China but is a title used in Korea. At the time the Flying Tigers volunteers were in China, Korea was also occupied by Japanese forces. Because many Korean civilians were enslaved and killed at the hands of the Japanese soldiers, any group that fought against the Japanese at that time was held in high-esteem by Korean people.

Note: I suggest the other 3-character entry since this group was so strongly related with China.

飛虎 is also used as an adjective in Korean to describe a courageous person.

These Kanji characters make up the title for Shotokan.

This should be considered a Japanese-only title. It does make sense and is pronounceable in Chinese and Korean but only as a title for a building (perhaps a martial arts hall) surrounded by pine trees. Also, the first two characters were simplified in both Japanese and Chinese. The third character was simplified in Chinese but not Japanese.

Upon request, we can offer the fully traditional Chinese version but be sure you know what you are asking for.

Note: This would be understood in Chinese and Korean Hanja by a person from those cultures who is familiar with martial arts and various schools of Japanese karate.

師傅 is "sifu" as in the "master" in the context of martial arts.

But there are two sifu titles floating around. This one can simply mean "skilled worker".

Historically, this term has been used for a lot of things, such as, "The tutor of a king or emperor". But now it's more commonly used to mean, master worker, or qualified worker.

Currently, within the field of skilled labor, a master (shifu) is higher than a journeyman, and is considered to be one worthy to teach others.

Note: In the 1970's and 1980's this term was used as a common form of polite address between people. You might say, "master, do you know were Tian'anmen Square is?" to just a person on the street at that time. This usage has almost passed, however, for some reason, people still often refer to taxi cab drivers as "master" in China (though I think/hope this is fading).

In Mandarin Chinese, this is pronounced like "Sure Foo", and in Cantonese like, "See Foo".

The second character is the difference between this sifu and the other. In this case, the second character by itself means tutor, instructor, or teacher.

狂 is a single character that means "crazy" in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

狂 means crazy, unrestrained, lunatic, insane, confused, deranged, wild, or mad.

This can also refer to an extreme enthusiast (like a football fan). But then, it can also refer to a person possessing a mental abnormality.

In some context, this can mean conceited (it probably won't be read that way on a wall scroll).

A warning: 狂 is an odd selection for a wall scroll. You should only order this if you plan to bewilder or confuse those who see it. It kind of says something about you, something that most native Asian people will not view in a good light.

This Chinese proverb comes from an old story from some time before 476 BC. About a man named Qi Huangyang, who was commissioned by the king to select the best person for a certain job in the Imperial Court.

Qi Huangyang selected his enemy for the job. The king was very confused by the selection but Qi Huangyang explained that he was asked to find the best person for the job, not necessarily someone that he personally liked or had a friendship with.

Later, Confucius commented on how unselfish and impartial Qi Huangyang was by saying "Da Gong Wu Si" which if you look it up in a Chinese dictionary, is generally translated as "Unselfish" or "Just and Fair".

If you translate each character, you'd have something like,

"Big/Deep Justice Without Self".

Direct translations like this leave out a lot of what the Chinese characters really say. Use your imagination, and suddenly you realize that "without self" means "without thinking about yourself in the decision" - together, these two words mean "unselfish". The first two characters serve to really drive the point home that we are talking about a concept that is similar to "blind justice".

One of my Chinese-English dictionaries translates this simply as "just and fair". So that is the short and simple version.

Note: This can be pronounced in Korean but it's not a commonly used term.

See Also:  Selflessness | Work Unselfishly for the Common Good | Altruism

靈氣 is the title of a healing practice that is now found throughout the world but with origins in Japan.

Special note: Outside of the context of the healing practice of Reiki, this means "aura" or "spiritual essence that surrounds all living things". A Japanese person not familiar with the practice will take the "aura" meaning.

Reiki is a technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also heals. It can be compared to massage but is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If your life force energy is low, you'll be more likely to get sick or feel stress. If your life force energy is abundant and flowing well, you become more capable of being happy and healthy.

There is a lot of information available if you want to Google this term - my job is to offer the calligraphy, while you can decide if it is right for you.

Note: We are showing the ancient (traditional) form of the Reiki Kanji. I have seen Reiki written with both the slightly simplified version and this more classic form. If you want the form of Reiki with the two strokes in the shape of an X on the second character and the modern first character, simply click on the Kanji characters to the right.

Note: 靈氣 is also a Chinese word but in Chinese, these characters create a word that refers to a smart person or someone with high aspirations. It is not read as a healing method in Chinese.
In Korean Hanja, this can be read as "mysterious atmosphere" by a Korean who is not familiar with the practice of Reiki (still has a cool meaning in Korean).

道 is the character "dao" which is sometimes written as "tao" but pronounced like "dow" in Mandarin.

道 is the base of what is known as "Taoism". If you translate this literally, it can mean "the way" or "the path".

Dao is believed to be that which flows through all things, and keeps them in balance. It incorporates the ideas of yin and yang (e.g. there would be no love without hate, no light without dark, no male without female.)

The beginning of Taoism can be traced to a mystical man named
Lao Zi (604-531 BC), who followed, and added to the teachings of Confucius.

More about Taoism / Daoism here.

Note that this is pronounced "dou" and sometimes "michi" when written alone in Japanese but pronounced "do" in word compounds such as Karate-do and Bushido. It's also "do" in Korean.

Alternate translations and meanings: road, way, path; truth, principle province.

Important Japanese note: In Japanese, this will generally be read with the road, way, or path meaning. Taoism is not as popular or well-known in Japan, so that Daoist/Taoist philosophy is not the first thing a Japanese person will think of then they read this character.

See our Taoism Page

These Japanese Kanji make up the title for Shotokan Karate.

This should be considered a Japanese-only title. It does make sense and is pronounceable in Chinese and Korean but only as a title for a building (perhaps a martial arts hall) surrounded by pine trees - followed by the characters for "The empty hand method" (kong shou dao / Karate-do). Also, the first two characters were simplified in both Japanese and Chinese. The third character was simplified in Chinese but not Japanese.

Upon request, we can offer the fully traditional Chinese version but be sure you know what you are asking for.

Note: This would be understood in Chinese and Korean Hanja by a person from those cultures who is familiar with martial arts and various schools of Japanese karate.

This is a kind of complex ten-character proverb composed by Zhuge Liang about 1800 years ago.

This Chinese proverb means "Leading a simple life will yield a clear mind, and having inner peace will help you see far (into the world)".

What I have translated as "simple life" means NOT being materialistic and NOT competing in the rat race.

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

The whole phrase has a theme that suggests if you are NOT an aggressive cut-throat person who fights his way to the top no matter how many people he crushes on the way, and instead seek inner peace, you will have a happier existence and be more likely to understand the meaning of life.

See Also:  Serenity

勇者無畏 is a complete sentence that means literally "Brave People Have No Fear" or "A Brave Person Has No Fear" (plural or singular is not implied).

We translated "No Fear" into the two variations that you will find on our website. Then we checked Chinese Google and found that others had translated "No Fear" in the exact same ways. Pick the one you like best. A great gift for your fearless friend.

See Also:  Fear No Man