Woman in Chinese / Japanese...

巾幗 is the very old way to say woman in Chinese.

A common title in ancient China, this actually refers to the scarf or head wrapping worn by virtually all women at that time.

巾幗 is kind of a cool way to say Woman now. The actual gender character alone on a wall scroll would actually look like a fancy sign for the woman's restroom (WC).
If you are curious, the character to the right means female or woman. Knowing 女 is useful information if you are a woman searching for a toilet in China or Japan.

女傑 can mean brave woman, heroine, lady of character, distinguished woman, outstanding woman, and sometimes prominent woman.

Some people might use this to give a title to women like Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, Queen Elizabeth the First, Joan of Arc, Mulan Fa, Yevdokiya Nikolayevna Zavaliy, Harriet Tubman, Anne Frank, Clara Barton, and Jane Eyre.

I use it for a woman like Araceli Segarra (the first woman from Spain to climb Mt. Everest) and gave one of my daughters the middle name of Araceli.

烈婦 is a Japanese title for a strong-minded woman, virtuous woman, or heroin.

In some contexts, it can refer to a pure or chaste woman.

女強人 is the best way to say “strong woman” or “strong and independent woman” in Chinese.

Grammar in China is a bit different, so these three characters literally read as “female strength person” or “woman strong person.” This might sound funny in English, but this is a natural-sounding title in Chinese.

巾幗英雄 is an excellent and somewhat ancient way to say woman hero in Chinese. 巾幗英雄 is used in modern times to refer to an outstanding woman or a woman with significant accomplishments.

In the old days, it was a title for a woman warrior (oh, did I mention that there were great female generals who led massive armies into battle in ancient China?)

賢女 is a Japanese title for a wise woman or clever lady.

玄人 literally means “Mysterious Person/Woman.”

In Japanese, this is associated with a “geisha,” which matches this definition of a “mysterious woman.” However, this is the colloquial way to say “professional geisha” or “expert prostitute” in Japanese. It, therefore, might not be what you want on your wall.

Notes: This is a "Japanese only" term, though a Chinese person who sees these characters will think of a geisha or an alluring Japanese female musician.
While not often seen in Korean Hanja, this would mean a "dark woman," as in a woman that you cannot easily see through.

淑女 is an ancient title for a wise and virtuous woman or lady

In Japan, this can be a female given name, Kiyome.

美麗的女人 is the best and most polite way to express “beautiful woman” in Chinese.

Note: Some people may like the simple 2-character 美女 way to express this, but there are some bad connotations with that, so better to stay with this longer and more respectful title.

See Also:  Beautiful Girl | Beauty

沈魚落雁 is an old proverb that literally means “fish sink, goose alights.”

...But this takes some explaining. This is a proverb from Zhuangzi (莊子), who lived in the late 4th century BC.

This figuratively refers to female beauty that is so captivating that even the birds and beasts take notice.

Perhaps a better and more accurate way to describe this is to say that it speaks of the charms of a uniquely beautiful woman who is so beautiful that fish stay on the bottom of the water and flying wild geese fall from the sky in shame.

This proverb is so famous that it is also known and used in Japan (same characters, different pronunciation).

Note: This can also be written 沉魚落雁 instead of 沈魚落雁 (just the first character varies slightly).

婦人會 is a Japanese title for women's group or association.

This can be read as “girl power,” “woman power,” “women empowerment” or “female strength.”

女力 is kind of a strange or unofficial title in Chinese and Japanese. At least, it's not common for a wall scroll.

This should be “onna ryoku” in Japanese but I found some who suggest it should be “me riki.”

We don't really have a word like 健美 in English, but these two characters create a word that means “strong and beautiful.” It could also be translated as “healthy and beautiful.”

Note: 健美 is a word in Chinese and Korean, but it's also the family name Takemi in Japanese. The characters hold the same meaning in Japanese; however, it's like having the English name Stillwell when few people would perceive the meanings of still and well.

美麗的姑娘 is the best way to express “beautiful girl” in Chinese.

See Also:   Beauty

美 is often used to describe the beauty of a woman.

However, when applied to a man, it can mean handsome. It's also the first character in the word for “beauty salon” which you will see all over China and Japan.

This can be used as the given name for a girl (spell it or say it as “Mei” or “May”).

For a bit of trivia: The title for the “USA” in Chinese is “Mei Guo” which literally means “Beautiful Country.” This name was bestowed at a time before Chairman Mao came to power and decided that China didn't like the USA anymore (even though we fought together against the Japanese in WWII). But these days, Chinese people love Americans (but have a distaste for American politics and policy). But I digress...

美 is also how “Beautiful” is written in Japanese Kanji and Korean Hanja. 美 can also mean: very satisfactory; good; to be pleased with oneself; abbreviation for the USA; fine; handsome; admirable; madhura; sweet; and/or pleasant.

See Also:  Beautiful Girl

粉色 means pink color in Chinese.

In certain contexts or colloquially, this can also refer to something erotic or a beautiful woman. Sometimes an adjective or reference to a woman who is powdered (with make-up).

凰 is another simple way to write “Phoenix” in Chinese. 凰 is the specifically female element of a phoenix, so this is how you write “female phoenix.” 凰 is sometimes used to represent the female empress (many times in history, China was ruled by a woman, in much the same way queens came to power in Europe).

Note that the emperor is always represented as a dragon (not the male version of a phoenix).

If you see yourself as a strong woman, this might be a calligraphy scroll for you to express “woman power” or “powerful woman” in a cool way.

女王 is one way to write queen in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

女王 is not the same thing as an empress.

The first character means “woman” or “female,” and the second means “king.” So this is literally “woman king.”

See Also:  Empress | Goddess | King | Emperor

Any woman with affection for Asian art will love a gift of this Chinese proverb calligraphy on a wall scroll.

She will melt in your arms as you tell her the meaning of these characters.

Contained in this phrase is a reference to the most beautiful woman in Chinese history. Her name was Xi Shi, and she was known to have good looks that need not have fine robes or makeup. Her charms were so powerful that she brought down an entire kingdom (in a successful effort to bring honor and pride back to her people).

情人眼里出西施 is a great way to express that the woman in your life is your one love.

龍女 is literally “Dragon Lady” or “Dragon Woman.”

愚女 is a humble title for “daughter” in Japanese.

If you literally define each character, you get “silly girl” or “foolish woman.”

媛 means, a beauty; beautiful (woman); princess; a young lady of noble birth; girl; small & lovely.

媛 is used a bit more commonly in Chinese than in Japanese.

Note: This can be the female given name "Hime" in Japanese.

吉亞 is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Gea in a neutral or unisex version.

Okay for a man or woman.

女神 is Goddess from English or Dea from Latin in both Chinese and Japanese.

The literal meaning:
女 = Female or woman.
神 = Spirit, deity, soul, or saint.

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.”

愛情 is a universal word in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese which means love and affection.

Some may translate this as “love between a man and a woman.”

Depending on the context, it can mean utter devotion or favorite.

花木蘭 is the name of the famous Chinese woman warrior Hua Mulan.

She was made famous in the west by Disney's animated movie, “Mulan.”

Most of the historical information about her comes from an ancient poem. It starts with a concerned Mulan, as she is told a man from each family is to serve conscription in the army. Her father is too old, and her brother is too young. Mulan decides to take the place of her father. After twelve years of war, the army returns, and the best warriors are awarded great posts in the government and riches. Mulan turns down all offers and asks only for a good horse for the long trip home. When Mulan greets visiting comrades wearing her old clothes, they are shocked to find the warrior they rode into battle with for years is actually a woman.

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 of 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.

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”).

巨人 can mean giant or great person (great man or woman) in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

巨人 is also the short name of the Tokyo Giants baseball team.
Sometimes the Japanese female name Mito.

妾 is the most simple way to say concubine or mistress in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

Sometimes this can mean servant. Occasionally, a woman may use this title in place of “I” or “me” to say “your humble servant” in a self-deprecating way.

甘味 is sweet or sweetness in Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. This refers to a sweet taste, sugary taste, or sweet flavor. It can also be a noun meaning sweets, dessert, or cake.

This can also refer to charm or appeal (of a woman or lovely thing).

黑闇女 is a Buddhist title that means “dark sister,” “dark one,” or “dark woman.”

There are two sisters:
One is the deva, 功德女 (“merit” or “achieving”), who causes people to acquire wealth.
The other is the “dark one,” 黑闇女, which causes people to spend and waste.

These sisters always accompany each other.

It's very uncommon (some will say taboo) to say “I love you” in Japanese culture. It's especially awkward for a man to tell a woman this in Japanese. Everyone is more likely to say “Watashi wa anata ga suki desu” or “I like you” (literally, “I regarding you, have like.”

If you have to say “I love you” in Japanese, 愛してる is a selection of Kanji and Hiragana that provide a way.

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

貞烈 is the Japanese Kanji for “Extreme Faithfulness.”

The first Kanji means “firm adherence to one's principles,” chastity (of a woman), chaste, etc.

The second Kanji means ardent, intense, fierce, stern, upright, to give one's life for a noble cause, exploits, achievements, virtuous, and in some contexts, heroic.

Now you get the idea why this refers to someone who is extremely faithful (to a cause, themselves, their religious beliefs, or their philosophy.

妹 is the single character title for a younger sister.

In colloquial Japanese speech, this can be a way to say, darling, dear, honey, or my betrothed (only used when referring to a woman).

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

In Chinese, you will generally see this used in double form, “妹妹” or “mei mei” when referring to a younger sister.

木蘭 is a general term for the magnolia (magnolia liliflora) or lily magnolia in Chinese and Japanese.

This can refer to any of the flowering plants or trees in the Magnolia genus.

In Chinese, this is also the name Mulan, as in Hua Mulan, the legendary woman warrior and folk hero of fifth-century China.

In Japanese, this can also be the female given name Mokuren.

妖艶 means sexy, fascinating, voluptuous, or bewitching in Japanese Kanji. 妖艶 / 妖艷 is specifically in regards to women.

This has a dictionary meaning of flirtatious or bewitchingly pretty in Chinese. However, in practice, this would refer to a sexy but bitchy woman in modern China.

This is also a word in old Korean Hanja; however, I have not confirmed how it is perceived in Korean culture.

This may not be appropriate for a wall scroll unless your audience is Japanese only.

Note: The second character can also be written in the alternate version shown to the right.

愛慕 means “adoring love” in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

I suppose this is the best kind of love to have. 愛慕 has the common character for love. But the second character modifies and reinforces the meaning to become adore, adoring love, or to love and adore.

Ancient Chinese warning:
Adoring someone is fine until you are in the shoes of the Prince of the Kingdom of Wu. This Prince adored a certain beautiful woman (Xi Shi) so much that he neglected his duties and soon let the kingdom fall into ruins.

Beyond benevolence, 仁 can also be defined as “charity” or “mercy” depending on context.

The deeper meaning suggests that one should pay alms to the poor, care for those in trouble, and take care of his fellow man (or woman).

仁 is one of the five tenets of Confucius. In fact, it is a subject that Confucius spent a great deal of time explaining to his disciples.

I have also seen this benevolent-related word translated as perfect virtue, selflessness, love for humanity, humaneness, goodness, goodwill, or simply “love” in the non-romantic form.

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

See Also:  Altruism | Kindness | Charity | Confucius

恕 means to forgive, show mercy, absolve, or excuse in Chinese and Korean Hanja (though mostly used in compound words in Korean).

恕 incorporates the pictogram of a heart at the bottom, and a woman and a mouth at the top. The heart portion has the most significance, as it is suggested that it is the heart's nature to forgive.
In Asian culture, as with most other cultures, forgiveness is an act of benevolence and altruism. In forgiving, you put yourself in someone else's shoes and show them the kindness that you would want them to show you. Confucius referred to this quality as “human-heartedness.”

皇后 is the title of empress/emperess, the female form of the emperor.

皇后 is used in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

While the emperor's reign was for life, if he died, his wife would hold his power. In this case, a woman was the ultimate ruler of the greater part of East Asia (now China) until her death and the succession of the emperor's firstborn son to lead the empire. Numerous times in various Chinese dynasties, an empress took power in this way.

The first character means emperor by itself.

The second character alone can mean “wife of an emperor or king” (the first character clarifies that we are talking about an empress and not a queen). It can also mean sovereign or last offspring, depending on context.

Note: In some books, this word is translated as queen. While only incorrect if you get technical (because an empress is theoretically a higher level than a queen), the meaning is very similar.

皇后 is sometimes used for the title of queen, but more technically, this is the wife of the emperor (a higher level than a queen).

See Also:  Emperor | King | Queen | Phoenix