Unity United Solidarity Cooperation in Chinese / Japanese...

團結/糰結 means to join forces, unity, united, union, combination, cooperation, or solidarity.

Regarding solidarity, this was part of the Chinese title used for the Solidarity Workers Union in Poland. In some circumstances, this can mean “hold a rally.”

While there's not a perfect match to the English word “unity” in Chinese, this word is pretty close. It contains the idea of joining forces and working as one. It could even mean rallying together to achieve a goal or defeat a common enemy.

There are several variations of these characters such as 团结, 団結, 團結, 糰結, etc. Modern Japanese will write it 団結. Just the first Kanji varies. Click on the image of that modern Japanese first Kanji to the right if you want this version instead of the traditional one.

協作 is a Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean word that means cooperation or collaboration.

Cooperation is working together and sharing the load. When we cooperate, we join with others to do things that cannot be done alone. We are willing to follow the rules which keep everyone safe and happy. Together we can accomplish great things.

The first character means “united” or “to coordinate.” The second character means “to do,” “to make,” or “to compose.” Knowing this, you can understand why together, these characters create a word that can be defined as “cooperation” in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

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

See Also:  Partnership

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

不怕风浪大就怕桨不齐 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: Do not fear strong winds [and] high waves; what [one should] worry about whether or not you're rowing in unison.

Figuratively, this means: However difficult the task, the key to success lies in making collective efforts.

I like to translate this as “Don't sweat the details, just get together and get it done.”

一致団結 is a Japanese phrase that means solidarity, or “banding together and working as one for a common cause.”

身土不二 (Shindofuni) is originally a Buddhist concept or proverb referring to the inseparability of body-mind and geographical circumstances.

This reads, “Body [and] earth [are] not two.”

Other translations or matching ideas include:
Body and land are one.
Body and earth can not be separated.
Body earth sensory curation.
You are what you eat.
Indivisibility of the body and the land (because the body is made from food and food is made from the land).

Going further, this speaks of our human bodies and the land from which we get our food being closely connected. This phrase is often used when talking about natural and organic vegetables coming directly from the farm to provide the healthiest foods in Japan.

Character notes: 身(shin) in this context does not just mean your physical body but a concept including both body and mind.
土 (do) refers to the soil, earth, clay, land, or in some cases, locality. It's not the proper name of Earth, the planet. However, it can refer to the land or realm we live in.

Japanese note: This has been used in Japan, on and off, since 1907 as a slogan for a governmental healthy eating campaign (usually pronounced as shindofuji instead of the original shindofuni in this context). It may have been hijacked from Buddhism for this propaganda purpose, but at least this is “healthy propaganda.”

Korean note: The phrase 身土不二 was in use by 1610 A.D. in Korea, where it can be found in an early medical journal.
In modern South Korea, it's written in Hangul as 신토불이. Korea used Chinese characters (same source as Japanese Kanji) as their only written standard form of the language until about a hundred years ago. Therefore, many Koreans will recognize this as a native phrase and concept.

See Also:  Strength and Love in Unity

統一 means to unify, to unite, to integrate, unity, consolidation, unification.

This title represents the idea of oneness, unity, integrity, and/or inclusion in Japanese.

The Kanji breakdown:
一 One    体 Body    性 Nature

Note: This word can be understood in Chinese but it more a Japanese word. Best if your audience is Japanese.

和合 means to blend, unite, or be of one mind.

和合 is usually used as a Buddhist term. It can also be defined as harmony, concord, agreement, unity, union, and harmonize/harmonization.

大英聯合王國 is the Chinese name for the United Kingdom.

See Also:  Great Britain | England | Scotland | Ireland | Europe

This is the most common Japanese name for the United Kingdom.

See Also:  Great Britain | England | Scotland | Ireland | Europe

This is United Arab Emirates in Japanese.

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

This is the Chinese name for the United Arab Emirates.

See Also:  Asia

This is the Chinese name for the United States of America (USA).

See Also:  North America

This is the United States of America (USA) written in Japanese.

協同 is a Japanese, Chinese, and Korean word that means to cooperate, in coordination with, coordinated, collaborate, collaboration, collaborative, doing together (as equals).

Some will also use this as a short way to express the western idea of synergy (collaboration for a better result). There's a longer word, 協同作用, that adds “action” to this word and more directly means synergy.

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.

同心協力 is a Chinese proverb that means “to work with a common purpose,” “to make concerted efforts,” “to pull together,” or “to work as one.”

米海兵隊 is the Japanese way to write “United States Marine Corps” or simply “U.S. Marines.”

Breaking down each Kanji, this means:
“rice (American) ocean/sea soldiers/army/military corps/regiment/group.”

This title will only make sense in Japanese, it is not the same in Chinese! Make sure you know your audience before ordering a custom wall scroll.

If you are wondering about rice, America is known as “rice country” or “rice kingdom” when literally translated. The Kanji for rice is often used as an abbreviation in front of words (like a sub-adjective) to make something “American.” Americans say “rice burner” for a Japanese car and “rice rocket” for a Japanese motorcycle. If you did the same in Japanese, it would have the opposite meaning.

Note: I have not verified this but I’ve found this title used for U.S. Marines in Korean articles, so it’s most likely a normal Korean term as well (but only in Korean Hanja).

See Also:  Marine Corps | Navy | Army | Art of War | Warrior | Military

協同作用 is probably the best way to express “synergy” in Chinese and Japanese.

This is not a particularly common word in either language, so you might want to look at “cooperation.”

社區 is how to write community in Chinese.

社區 can mean the neighborhood you live in. It can also be used the same way we use the word community in English.

Examples: African-American community, Christian community, Asian community, etc.

If you need a special calligraphy wall scroll to describe your community, just contact me, and I’ll translate it and make it for you.

海兵隊 is the Japanese and Korean way to express “Marine Corps” or simply “Marines.” It is not specific, so this can be the Marine Corps of any country, such as the British Royal Marines to the U.S. Marines.

Breaking down each character, this means:
“ocean/sea soldiers/army corps/regiment/group.”

See Also:  Military

齊心協力 is a Chinese proverb that means “to work with a common purpose,” “to make concerted efforts,” “to pull together,” or “to work as one (or as if with one heart).”

海軍陸戰隊 is the Chinese way to express “Marine Corps.” This could be the Marine Corps of virtually any country that has an amphibious military force.

Let me know if you want a more specific title, such as British Royal Marines or U.S. Marine Corps.

The Chinese title for Marines is very verbose...
Breaking down each character this means:
“ocean/sea military/arms shore/land fighting/war/battle corps/team/group.”

See Also:  Military

愛は全てを完全に結ぶ帯である is a Japanese phrase that suggests we (or a couple) are bound together by love.

I searched the web and found all of these English translation variations for this phrase:

Have love; The only way in which you may be completely joined together.

Love is the sash that perfectly binds us together.

Love is what binds us together

Love binds all things together in perfect unity.

This same Japanese phrase is used as part of Colossians 3:14 in at least one version of the Japanese Bible.

A few Biblical versions include:

...Charity, which is the bond of perfectness. (KJV)

...Love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (NIV)

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

This is the Chinese name for the country of the Pitcairn Island (overseas territory of the United Kingdom).

See Also:  Asia | United Kingdom

This is the Chinese name for the Falkland Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom).

See Also:  Great Britain | United Kingdom | Africa

This is the Chinese name for the Cayman Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom and a great place to hide money).

See Also:  North America | United Kingdom

英屬維爾斯群島 is the Chinese name for the British Virgin Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom).

See Also:  United States Virgin Islands | North America

This is the Chinese name for the Turks and Caicos Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom).

Note: Sometimes a different fourth character is used.

See Also:  Asia | United Kingdom

This is the Chinese name for Puerto Rico (overseas territory of the United States) .

See Also:  United States of America | North America

靈活性 is a Chinese and Korean word that means flexibility or being open to change.

You consider others' ideas and feelings and don't insist on your own way. Flexibility gives you creative new ways to get things done. Flexibility helps you to keep changing for the better. 靈活性 could also be defined as having a “flexible nature.”

See Also:  Cooperation

柔軟性 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja word that means “flexibility.”

It can also mean “compatibility,” “pliability,” “softness” and “elasticity.”

See Also:  Flexibility | Cooperation

This is the Chinese name for Great Britain.

See Also:  England | United Kingdom | Scotland | Ireland | Europe

This is the Chinese name for the country of Northern Ireland.

See Also:  Ireland | United Kingdom | Great Britain | Europe

This is the Chinese name for the country of Ireland.

See Also:  Northern Ireland | Great Britain | England | Scotland | United Kingdom | Europe

This is the Chinese name for the country of England.

See Also:  Great Britain | United Kingdom | Ireland | Scotland | Northern Ireland | Europe

蘇格蘭 is the Chinese name for Scotland.

See Also:  Great Britain | United Kingdom | England | Northern Ireland | Ireland | Europe

This is the Chinese name for the country of Mexico.

See Also:  Spain | United States of America | Canada | North America

This is the Chinese name for the country of Canada.

See Also:  United States of America | Mexico | North America

提携 varies a bit depending on which language you are reading it in.

提携 means to guide and help (younger people) in Chinese.
Cooperation or “working in concert” in Korean.
And cooperation, tie-up, joint business, and link-up in Japanese.

This is the Chinese name for the United States Virgin Islands (overseas territory of the United States).

See Also:  North America | British Virgin Islands

天人合一 is a title that represents the oneness of heaven and humanity. It conveys the idea that man is an integral part of nature.

You can also read this as “heaven and man in unity,” or “nature and man in unity.” The “man” is really “people” or “humans” and is not gender-specific in Chinese.

團隊精神 is a Chinese word that can mean “esprit de corps” or “team spirit.”

Other translations include collectivism, teamwork, or solidarity.

This is the Chinese name for Bermuda (overseas territory of the United Kingdom).

See Also:  North America

This is the Chinese name for Anguilla (overseas territory of the United Kingdom).

See Also:  Africa

This is the Chinese name for Gibraltar (territory of the United Kingdom but also claimed by Spain).

See Also:  Great Britain | Spain | Europe

關島 is the Chinese name for the island of Guam (overseas territory of the United States).

See Also:  North America

倫敦 is the current Chinese and an old Japanese way to write London (capital of the United Kingdom / Great Britain).

団結空手道 is the title for Danketsu Karate-Do, a dojo located in Stroudsburg, PA.

団結 (danketsu) means union, unity, or combination.

空手道 (karate-do) means “empty hand way.”

If you need you martial arts school/dojo/academy added to my database, just give me the info (actual Chinese/Japanese text if you have it).

In the Buddhist context, 公案 is a Zen question for meditation.

From the Buddhist dictionary, this is:
Problems set by Zen masters, upon which thought is concentrated as a means to attain inner unity and illumination.

The secular meaning of this word can mean a judge's desk, a complex legal case, a contentious issue, a dossier, a case record, public laws, regulations, or case law.

気剣体一致 is the title Ki Ken-Tai Icchi.

気 = energy, 剣 = sword, 体 = body, 一致 = synchronization/unity. So, “energy, sword, and body in unison” would be one way to translate this. Sometimes written with the possessive article, の, making it 気剣体の一致 or “Ki Ken-Tai no Icchi.” Let me know in the special instructions if you want that の character added by the calligrapher.

海豹部隊 is the title for United States Navy SEALs in Chinese. The U.S. part is implied, as few, if any, other nations claim to have sailors with the title “navy seals.”

Sometimes the term 海豹突击队 (Simplified) or 海豹突擊隊 (Traditional) is also used in Chinese. It means “Seal Commando Team.”

This is the surname Ng in Chinese.

吳 is sometimes romanized as Ang, Eng, Ing and Ong in the United States and Ung in Australia. In Mandarin, 吳 is usually romanized as Wu, but sometimes Woo. In Vietnamese, 吳 can be the Ngô surname.

Be careful, as 黃/黄 is another surname character that also romanizes as Ng and other variants noted above.

In Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean, 英 can often be confused or read as a short name for England (this character is the first syllable of the word for England, the English language, the British Pound, and other titles from the British Isles).

In some contexts, this can mean “outstanding” or even “flower.” But it will most often read as having something to do with the United Kingdom.

This is not the most common way to say hero, courage or bravery but you may see it used sometimes.

I strongly recommend that you choose another form of courage/bravery.

一心 literally reads as “one heart” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

Colloquially or figuratively, it means: wholeheartedly; heart and soul; of one mind; wholeheartedness; one's whole heart; with the whole mind or heart; one mind in heart.
I'm not kidding, all of those came right from the dictionary for this one title. In Buddhism, this can refer to the bhūtatathatā, or the whole of things; the universe as one mind, or a spiritual unity.

In Japanese, this can be the female given name, Hitomi.

气剑体一致 often gets translated as “Mind Sword Body,” or “Spirit, Sword, and Body as One.” But I think these translations don't tell you enough about what this is really saying.

In this context, 気, which is the modern Japanese version of 氣, means spiritual and unseen energy or “life energy.” In some cases, 気 can be translated as spirit, feeling, or nature. If defined as the mind, it's more about the invisible or intangible parts of one's mind (or soul).

剣 is the Japanese version of 劍 meaning sword.

体 is the modern Japanese version of 體 meaning body.

The Kanji 一 means one, and in this case, suggests “all in one.” The Kanji 到 means to send, deliver, or convey. But together, 一到 suggests all these things in agreement, union cooperation, or in concert.

Note: Arguments exist as to whether this should be romanized as Kikentaiitchi, Kikentaiicchi, or kikentaiichi. Technically, if you drop the last character, you get 気剣体一 and kikentaiichi (ki ken tai ichi), which is also a valid phrase.

破鏡重圓 is about a husband and wife who were separated and reunited.

About 1500 years ago in China, there lived a beautiful princess named Le Chang. She and her husband Xu De Yan loved each other very much. But when the army of the Sui Dynasty was about to attack their kingdom, disposed of all of their worldly possessions and prepared to flee into exile.

They knew that in the chaos, they might lose track of each other, so the one possession they kept was a bronze mirror which is a symbol of unity for a husband and wife. They broke the mirror into two pieces, and each of them kept half of the mirror. They decided that if separated, they would try to meet at the fair during the 15th day of the first lunar month (which is the lantern festival). Unfortunately, the occupation was brutal, and the princess was forced to become the mistress of the new commissioner of the territory, Yang Su.

At the Lantern Festival the next year, the husband came to the fair to search for his wife. He carried with him his half of the mirror. As he walked through the fair, he saw the other half of the mirror for sale at a junk market by a servant of the commissioner. The husband recognized his wife's half of the mirror immediately, and tears rolled down his face as he was told by the servant about the bitter and loveless life that the princess had endured.

As his tears dripped onto the mirror, the husband scratched a poem into his wife's half of the mirror:

You left me with the severed mirror,
The mirror has returned, but absent are you,
As I gaze in the mirror, I seek your face,
I see the moon, but as for you, I see not a trace.

The servant brought the inscribed half of the mirror back to the princess. For many days, the princess could not stop crying when she found that her husband was alive and still loved her.

Commissioner Yang Su, becoming aware of this saga, realized that he could never obtain the princess's love. He sent for the husband and allowed them to reunite.

This proverb, 破鏡重圓, is now used to describe a couple who has been torn apart for some reason (usually divorce) but have come back together (or remarried).
It seems to be more common these days in America for divorced couples to reconcile and get married to each other again. This will be a great gift if you know someone who is about to remarry their ex.

東方自尊 is the universal way to write “Asian Pride.”

We worked on this one for a long time. The effort involved both Chinese and Japanese translators and lengthy discussions. If you have been searching for this term, there is a reason that it's hard to find the way to write “Asian Pride” in Chinese and Japanese - it's because of the inherent difficulties in figuring out a universal combination of characters that can be read in all languages that use forms of Chinese characters.

This final solution that you see to the left creates a reasonable title in Chinese and an exotic (perhaps unusual) title in Japanese (This could be read as “Eastern Self-Respect” in Japanese”).
Although not as natural, it does have the same meaning as Korean Hanja, and the older generation of Vietnamese people will be able to read it.

The first two characters literally mean “Oriental” and the second two mean “pride,” “self-esteem,” or “self-respect” (we chose the most non-arrogant way to say “pride”). If you have “Asian Pride” (sometimes spelled Asian Pryde) these are the characters for you.

Note: For those who wonder, there is nothing technically wrong with the word “Oriental.” It is a correct word, and any bad meanings were created by so-called “Asian Americans” and Caucasians in the United States. To say “Asian” would not completely correct the intended meaning since that would include people from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, India, and portions of Russia.

For further proof, if you were of East Asian ancestry and born in England, you would be known as a “British Oriental” (The “Oriental stigma” is basically an American creation and, therefore, applies mainly to the American English language - where they get a bit overzealous with political correctness).

Further, since the Chinese and Japanese word for Oriental is not English, they can not be construed as having ill meaning. On one trip to China or Japan, you will find many things titled with these two characters, such as malls, buildings, and business names. These places also use “Oriental” as their English title (much as we do since our Chinese business name starts with these same two characters).

In short, the first two characters have the meaning that Americans attach to “Asian” but is more technically correct.