Shang4 in Chinese / Japanese...

This is the most common character for the Chinese surname that romanizes as Shang. This is also a name, “Makato” in Japanese and “Sang” in Korean.

尚 is also a word meaning: still; yet; to value; to esteem; furthermore; in addition; greater; further.

上進 is a Chinese and Japanese Kanji word that means to advance, to make progress, to do better, to be ambitious, to improve oneself, or to move forward.

This can refer to a single person, general things (such as a work project), or a whole country.

In Japanese, this is sometimes used as the given name Joushin.

尚特 is the name Chante in Chinese (Mandarin).

上帝 is how Chinese Christians and Jews refer to God, AKA The Judeo-Christian God.

There are Chinese Jews whose ancestry dates back to Jewish traders on the silk road. They are known as the Kaifeng Jews. Most have left China for Israel now.

There are also plenty of Christians in China of the Protestant and Catholic varieties. However, the churches are basically run by the government, and the Chinese Catholic church does not recognize the Pope.

Oddly, in my experience, I found the Chinese Protestant church to be much less political compared to Baptist and other Protestant churches that I have visited in America.

上帝 is also the typically-used title for God in Japanese.

While you may find this term in old Korean dictionaries, it is an obscure and rarely-used title for God in modern Korean.

See Also:  Christianity | Jesus Christ

天上 is a Chinese, Japanese, and Korean word that means celestial or heavenly.

You can directly translate this as “heavens above,” or “sky above.”

This Chinese and Japanese word means to make progress, to do better, ambition to improve oneself, to move forward, to advance.

This should be romanized as Joushin but is often romanized as Joshin from Japanese. It can also be a given name in Japanese.

基尚 is the name Kishan in Chinese (Mandarin).

This an alternate transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Kishan.

We like this one better because of the way it sounds, and the good meaning. 吉尚 is also a rare but real family name in Chinese culture.

尚內 is the name Shanae in Chinese (Mandarin).

上海 is the Chinese and Japanese name for Shanghai, China.

When pronounced as, Joukai, it can be a surname in Japanese.

上等 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja for the highest quality, top-notch, superiority, first-class, or very good.

尚塔 is the name Shanta in Chinese (Mandarin).

上昇 means to rise up, to go up, or to ascend in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

If you are rising, ascending, or climbing, this is the word for you.

In the older Buddhist context, this means to ascend, with the implication that the destination is the heavenly realm.

尚特 is the name Chaunte in Chinese (Mandarin).

尚塔 is the name Chanta in Chinese (Mandarin).

尚塔爾 is the name Chantal in Chinese (Mandarin).

This is a common Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the female French name Chantale.

This is the second most common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Chantel.

時尚甲 is a special entry for a customer's business name for a nail salon known as “Fancy Nails.”

Note: In Japanese Katakana, Fancy Nails would be ファンシー　ネイルズ

尚特爾 is the name Chantell in Chinese (Mandarin).

基尚特 is the name Kishant in Chinese (Mandarin).

尼尚特 is the name Nishant in Chinese (Mandarin).

尚提亞 is the name Shaunteya in Chinese (Mandarin).

家庭至上 is a Chinese phrase that means “family above all else.”

The first two characters mean family, household, or home (they will be read as “family” in this case).

The last two characters mean supreme, paramount, or above all else.

敬畏上帝 is probably the best way to translate the Christian English phrase “Fear God” into Chinese.

The first two characters mean to revere, be in awe of, or a general term of reverence. It can mean fear, but only in the context of respect or fear of authority.

上帝保佑 is a blessing exchanged between Chinese Christians.

The first two characters mean God (The God of Zion). The second two characters express the idea of giving protection. Another way to translate this is “May God protect you.”

See Also:  Guardian Angel

上帝愛你 means “God loves you,” in Chinese.

上善若水 is a quote that is sometimes presented as “Be like water.”

However, this is an ancient quote from the great philosopher Lao Tzu. It suggests that the ultimate goodness and purity (in the world) is water. Many take this as a suggestion to be like pure/good water.

掌上明珠 is a Chinese proverb that literally means “a pearl in the palm.”

Figuratively, this is used to describe, or as a title for, a beloved person. This can especially apply to a daughter.

信靠上帝 means “Trust in God,” “Faith in God,” “Rely upon God” and/or “Believe in God.”

相信上帝 means exactly what the title suggests. The first two characters mean “trust” or “believe,” and the second two mean “God” (as in the God of Abraham and the God of Zion).

Thisis also how the American phrase “In God We Trust” as seen on U.S. Currency would be translated into Chinese. It would also be correct to say that this means “Believe in God,” though, in this arrangement/context, one would be more likely to interpret it as “trust.”

上帝的鬥士 means “God's Fighter.”

While a lot of people search for “Warrior of God,” or “Soldier of God,” this is actually the most natural way to say something like this in Chinese.

上帝就是愛 is a common way to express “God is Love” in Chinese.

大乘無上法 means the supreme Mahāyāna truth.

This refers to the ultimate reality in contrast with the temporary and apparent. Other translations include “the reliance on the power of the vow of the bodhisattva” or “the peerless great vehicle teaching.”

Note: This may suggest that Mahayana Buddhism, as practiced in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and other regions is superior (with subtle arrogance) to the original Theravada (or old school) Buddhism. Mahayana and Theravada Buddhists generally get along better than Catholics and Protestants, but there have been schisms.

The direct translation of the Chinese characters, 上帝与你常在, is “God Together [with] You Always Exist.”

Keep in mind that Chinese grammar is sometimes very different from English. This makes perfect sense in Chinese.

Note: The title for God is the first two characters - the other words in the direct translation represent one character each.

上帝是我的法官 is not a traditional Chinese phrase.

We professionally translated it for a customer's request (in proper Chinese grammar).

See Also:  God | Justice

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.

好好學習天天向上 is a famous proverb by Chairman Mao Zedong that sounds really strange when directly translated into English.

I include it in our database of phrases to illustrate how different the construction and grammar can be between Chinese and English. The direct translation is “Good Good Study, Day Day Up.” In Chinese, a repeated character/word can often serve to reinforce the idea (like saying “very” or suggesting “a lot of”). So “good good” really means “a lot of good.” While “day day” can be better translated as “day in day out.” The idea of “up” has a meaning in China of “rising above” or “improving.”

After understanding all of this, we come up with a slightly better translation of “With a lot of good study, day in and day out, we raise above.”

The more natural translation of this proverb would be something like, “study hard, and keep improving.”

不當和尚不知頭冷 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: [One who has] not been a monk [does] not know [the feeling of a] cold head.
I need to explain that a Chinese Buddhist monk always has a shaved head, and thus a cold head in winter.

Figuratively, this means: One cannot know the true meaning of hardship until one has experienced it oneself.

This is an idiom in Chinese, so the figurative meaning is what people perceive when they hear or read this phrase. Just as in English, when someone says, "The grass is always greener," one will think about the idea of jealousy, rather than the quality of one’s lawn.

只有上帝能评判我 means “Only God can judge me” in Chinese.

於是又彎著腰用指頭在地上畫字 is John 8:8 in Chinese.

This text is from the 1919 Chinese Union Bible.

You may know it from the KJV as:
And again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

花園里的戰士好過戰場上的園丁 is the Chinese for the phrase, “It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.”

This proverb is purported to come from the following exchange:

A student approaches his samurai master and says,
“Teacher, you instruct me how to fight, yet you preach to me about peace. How do I reconcile the two?”
The samurai responds,
“Because it is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.”

自行束脩以上吾未尝无诲焉 means, for anyone who brings even the smallest token of appreciation, I have yet to refuse instruction.

Another way to put it is: If a student (or potential student) shows just an ounce of interest, desire, or appreciation for the opportunity to learn, a teacher should offer a pound of knowledge.

This quote is from the Analects of Confucius.

This was written over 2500 years ago. The composition is in ancient Chinese grammar and phrasing. A modern Chinese person would need a background in Chinese literature to understand this without the aid of a reference.

This poem was written almost 1200 years ago during the Tang dynasty.

It depicts traveling up a place known as Cold Mountain, where some hearty people have built their homes. The traveler is overwhelmed by the beauty of the turning leaves of the maple forest that surrounds him just as night overtakes the day, and darkness prevails. His heart implores him to stop, and take in all of the beauty around him.

First, before you get to the full translation, I must tell you that Chinese poetry is a lot different than what we have in the west. Chinese words simply don't rhyme in the same way that English or other western languages do. Chinese poetry depends on rhythm and a certain beat of repeated numbers of characters.

I have done my best to translate this poem keeping a certain feel of the original poet. But some of the original beauty of the poem in its original Chinese will be lost in translation.

Far away on Cold Mountain, a stone path leads upwards.
Among white clouds, people's homes reside.
Stopping my carriage I must, as to admire the maple forest at nights fall.
In awe of autumn leaves showing more red than even flowers of early spring.

Hopefully, this poem will remind you to stop, and “take it all in” as you travel through life.
The poet's name is “Du Mu” in Chinese that is: .
The title of the poem, “Mountain Travels” is:
You can have the title, poet's name, and even “Tang Dynasty” written as an inscription on your custom wall scroll if you like.

More about the poet:

Dumu lived from 803-852 AD and was a leading Chinese poet during the later part of the Tang dynasty.
He was born in Chang'an, a city in central China and the former capital of the ancient Chinese empire in 221-206 BC. In present-day China, his birthplace is currently known as Xi'an, the home of the Terracotta Soldiers.

He was awarded his Jinshi degree (an exam administered by the emperor's court which leads to becoming an official of the court) at the age of 25 and went on to hold many official positions over the years. However, he never achieved a high rank, apparently because of some disputes between various factions, and his family's criticism of the government. His last post in the court was his appointment to the office of Secretariat Drafter.

During his life, he wrote scores of narrative poems, as well as a commentary on the Art of War and many letters of advice to high officials.

His poems were often very realistic and often depicted everyday life. He wrote poems about everything, from drinking beer in a tavern to weepy poems about lost love.

The thing that strikes you most is the fact even after 1200 years, not much has changed about the beauty of nature, toils, and troubles of love and beer drinking.

This is the serenity prayer, as used by many 12-step programs and support groups.

In Chinese, this says:
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Here is the Lord's Prayer in Chinese from Mathew 6:9-13.

The Chinese text with punctuation is:
Part of 6:9 ...我们在天上的父，愿人都尊你的名为圣。
6:10 愿你的国降临，愿你的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。
6:11 我们日用的饮食，今日赐给我们。
6:12 免我们的债，如同我们免了人的债。
6:13 不叫我们遇见试探，救我们脱离凶恶，因为国度，权柄，荣耀，全是你的，直到永远，阿们。
Note that punctuation is not included in traditional Chinese calligraphy artwork.

From KJV, this is:
Part of 6:9 ...Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.
6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Here is the Lord's Prayer in Chinese from Luke 11:2-4.

The Chinese text with punctuation is:
Part of 11:2 ...我们在天上的父，有古卷只作父阿愿人都尊你的名为圣。愿你的国降临。愿你的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。有古卷无愿你的旨意云云。
11:3 我们日用的饮食，天天赐给我们。
11:4 赦免我们的罪，因为我们也赦免凡亏欠我们的人。不叫我们遇见试探。救我们脱离凶恶。有古卷无末句。
Note that punctuation is not included in traditional Chinese calligraphy artwork.

From KJV, this is:
Part of 11:2 ...Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
11:3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.