Buy an 八 calligraphy wall scroll here!
Personalize your custom “八” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “八” title below...
1. Eight
2. August
3. Ba Gua
6. Kazuya
7. Laiba
9. Ba Gua Zhang
10. Ba Ji Quan
11. Batangas
13. Hakko-Ryu
The number eight
八 is the number eight in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
八 is a strange selection for a wall scroll, so it's here mostly for reference. I guess it's OK if the number eight is important to you.
Because this character is rather simple (just two strokes), 捌 instead of 八 is an anti-fraud way to write eight on bank documents.
Eighth Month
八月 is the month of August in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
八月 literally means “eighth month” or “eighth moon.”
In Japanese, this can also be the female given name, Yatsuki, in much the same way August can be a female given name in English.
This means eighteen (18).
This can be pronounced seipai, toya, or jūhachi in Japanese. It can also be a Japanese personal name, Toya.
This would be the way to write the Buddhist Sanskrit word aṣṭādaśa (meaning 18) in Chinese, old Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji.
Martial arts term
八卦掌 is the title Baguazhang, a form of Chinese boxing.
Literally translated, this means “Eight Trigrams Palm.
You will see this romanized as “Ba Gua Zhang,” or “Pa Kua Chang” (same characters, just different romanization used in mainland China versus Taiwan).
八卦掌 is also known in Japan as hakkeshou or hakkesho.
八極拳 is “Ba Ji Quan” or “Eight Extremes Fist.”
Some also translate this as “Eight Extremities Fist,” though I don't feel that's accurate.
八極拳 (Bājíquán) is a Chinese martial art that features explosive, short-range power and is famous for its elbow strikes. It originated in the Hebei Province in Northern China but spread to Taiwan and other places.
The full title is 開門八極拳 (Kāimén Bājíquán), which means Open-Door Bajiquan.
Other romanizations include: BaJiQuan, Pa Chi Ch`üan, or Pa Chi Chuan.
In Japan, this is known as Hakkyokuken.
八光流 (Hakkō-Ryū) is a style of jujutsu associated with Daito-Ryu.
The title Hakko-Ryu comes from the Japanese phrase which translates as “The Style of the Eighth Light,” or more literally, “Eighth Light Style.”
The 光 character is associated with brightness or brilliance. It can be used to describe someone of great talent or potential. So the meaning goes far beyond just light.
八聖道 is one of two titles for the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path.
This version specifically has the “noble” idea in the middle character, which also means holy, sacred, wise and good, or upright.
The other title also romanizes as Hasshoudou or Hasshōdō in Japanese but is written 八正道.
Ashtangika Marga / Astangika-Marga / Atthangika Magga
八正道 is a complex set of steps that Buddhists much take to cleanse karma, achieve enlightenment, eventually cease the cycle of rebirth and live in a state of Nirvana.
Note: This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term and remains an unknown concept to most Japanese and Chinese people. Sometimes written as 八聖道.
Always rising after a fall or repeated failures
七転八起 is a Japanese proverb that relays the vicissitudes of life, with the meaning “seven times down eight times up.”
Some would more naturally translate it into English as “Always rising after a fall or repeated failures” or compare it to the English, “If at first, you don't succeed, try, try again.”
The first Kanji is literally “7.” The second means “fall down” (sometimes this Kanji means “turn around,” “revolve” or “turn over” but in this case, it holds the meaning of “fall”). The third is “8.” And the last is “get up,” “rouse,” or “rise.”
Basically, if you fail 7 times, you should recover from those events and be prepared to rise an 8th time. This also applies if it is the world or circumstances that knock you down seven times...
...just remember that you have the ability to bounce back from any kind of adversity.
Note: This can be pronounced in two ways. One is “shichi ten hakki” or “shichitenhakki.” The other is “nana korobi ya oki” also written, “nanakorobi-yaoki.”
Special Note: The second character is a Kanji that is not used in China. Therefore, please select a Japanese calligrapher for this title.
Below are some entries from our dictionary that may match your 八 search...
Characters If shown, 2nd row is Simp. Chinese |
Pronunciation Romanization |
Simple Dictionary Definition |
八 see styles |
bā ba1 pa paa / pa パー |
More info & calligraphy: Eight(numeric) eight (chi: bā); (surname) Yatsuyanagi aṣṭa, eight. |
一八 see styles |
kazuya かずや |
More info & calligraphy: Kazuya |
八仙 see styles |
bā xiān ba1 xian1 pa hsien hassen はっせん |
More info & calligraphy: Eight Immortals(given name) Hassen |
八卦 see styles |
bā guà ba1 gua4 pa kua hakke; hakka はっけ; はっか |
More info & calligraphy: Ba Gua(1) eight trigrams; divination signs; (2) divination; fortune-telling; (place-name) Hatsuke eight trigrams |
八月 see styles |
bā yuè ba1 yue4 pa yüeh yatsuki やつき |
More info & calligraphy: August(adverbial noun) August; (female given name) Yatsuki eighth month |
十八 see styles |
shí bā shi2 ba1 shih pa toya とや |
More info & calligraphy: Eighteen / 1818; eighteen; (personal name) Toya aṣṭādaśa, eighteen. |
八卦掌 see styles |
bā guà zhǎng ba1 gua4 zhang3 pa kua chang hakkeshou / hakkesho はっけしょう |
More info & calligraphy: Ba Gua Zhang{MA} eight trigrams palm; ba gua zhang; pa kua chang |
八幡神 see styles |
hachimanjin; yawatanokami はちまんじん; やわたのかみ |
More info & calligraphy: Hachiman: God of War |
八極拳 八极拳 see styles |
bā jí quán ba1 ji2 quan2 pa chi ch`üan pa chi chüan hakkyokuken はっきょくけん |
More info & calligraphy: Ba Ji Quanbajiquan (Chinese martial art) |
八正道 see styles |
bā zhèng dào ba1 zheng4 dao4 pa cheng tao hasshōdō はっしょうどう |
More info & calligraphy: The Noble Eightfold Path(Buddhist term) noble eightfold path (八正道分) Āryamārga. The eight right or correct ways, the "eightfold noble path" for the arhat to nirvāṇa; also styled 八道船, 八正門, 八由行, 八游行, 八聖道支, 八道行, 八直行, 八直道. The eight are: (1) 正見Samyag-dṛṣṭi, correct views in regard to the Four Axioms, and freedom from the common delusion. (2) 正思 Samyak-saṁkalpa, correct thought and purpose. (3) 正語 Samyag-vāc, correct speech, avoidance of false and idle talk. (4) 正業 Samyak-karmānta, correct deed, or conduct, getting rid of all improper action so as to dwell in purity. (5) 正命 Smnyag-ājīva, correct livelihood or occupation, avoiding the five immoral occupations. (6) 正精進 Samyag-vyāyāma, correct zeal, or energy in uninterrupted progress in the way of nirvāṇa. (7) 正念 Samyak-smṛti, correct remembrance, or memory, which retains the true and excludes the false. (8) 正定 Samyak-samadhi, correct meditation, absorption, or abstraction. The 正 means of course Buddhist orthodoxy, anything contrary to this being 邪 or heterodox, and wrong. |
八聖道 八圣道 see styles |
bā shèng dào ba1 sheng4 dao4 pa sheng tao hasshōdō はっしょうどう |
More info & calligraphy: Noble Eightfold Pathnoble eightfold path |
七転八起 see styles |
nanakorobiyaoki ななころびやおき shichitenhakki しちてんはっき |
More info & calligraphy: Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight |
十八羅漢 十八罗汉 see styles |
shí bā luó hàn shi2 ba1 luo2 han4 shih pa lo han juuhachirakan / juhachirakan じゅうはちらかん |
More info & calligraphy: The Eighteen Arhatseighteen arhats |
お八 see styles |
oyatsu おやつ |
(1) (kana only) between-meal snack; (2) mid-afternoon (around 3 o'clock) snack; afternoon refreshment; afternoon tea |
丈八 see styles |
jouhachi / johachi じょうはち |
(given name) Jōhachi |
三八 see styles |
sān bā san1 ba1 san pa sanpachi さんぱち |
International Women's Day 婦女節|妇女节[Fu4 nu:3 jie2], 8th March; foolish; stupid (1) three and eight; (2) (abbreviation) (See 三八式歩兵銃) Arisaka Type 38 rifle; (personal name) Miya (days ending with the number) 3 and 8 |
上八 see styles |
koujou / kojo こうじょう |
(place-name) Kōjō |
下八 see styles |
shimoha しもはっ |
(place-name) Shimoha |
与八 see styles |
yohachi よはち |
(given name) Yohachi |
丘八 see styles |
qiū bā qiu1 ba1 ch`iu pa chiu pa |
soldier (from the two components of the 兵 character) (derog.) |
中八 see styles |
nakabachi なかばち |
(place-name) Nakabachi |
丸八 see styles |
maruhachi; maruhachi まるはち; マルハチ |
(kana only) Cyathea mertensiana (species of tree fern); (surname) Maruhachi |
久八 see styles |
kuwa くわ |
(surname) Kuwa |
亀八 see styles |
kihachi きはち |
(personal name) Kihachi |
二八 see styles |
èr bā er4 ba1 erh pa nihachi にはち |
16; sixteen (archaism) sixteen The sixteen meditations. V. 十六觀. |
五八 see styles |
wǔ bā wu3 ba1 wu pa gohachi ごはち |
(g,p) Gohachi Five eights, i. e. forty. |
亘八 see styles |
kouhachi / kohachi こうはち |
(personal name) Kōhachi |
亡八 see styles |
wáng bā wang2 ba1 wang pa bouhachi / bohachi ぼうはち |
variant of 王八[wang2 ba1] (1) customer at a brothel; john; someone who has forgotten the eight virtues; (2) brothel; owner of a brothel |
京八 see styles |
keihachi / kehachi けいはち |
(personal name) Keihachi |
亮八 see styles |
ryouhachi / ryohachi りょうはち |
(personal name) Ryōhachi |
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Eight | 八 | hachi | bā / ba1 / ba | pa |
August | 八月 | hachigatsu / yatsuki | bā yuè / ba1 yue4 / ba yue / bayue | pa yüeh / payüeh |
Ba Gua | 八卦 | bā guà / ba1 gua4 / ba gua / bagua | pa kua / pakua | |
Eight Immortals | 八仙 | hassen / hasen | bā xiān / ba1 xian1 / ba xian / baxian | pa hsien / pahsien |
Eighteen 18 | 十八 | sei pai / to ya seipai / toya | shí bā / shi2 ba1 / shi ba / shiba | shih pa / shihpa |
Kazuya | 一八 | kazuya | ||
Laiba | 來八 来八 | lái bā / lai2 ba1 / lai ba / laiba | lai pa / laipa | |
Eight Black Horses | 黑八馬 黑八马 | hēi bā mǎ hei1 ba1 ma3 hei ba ma heibama | hei pa ma heipama |
|
Ba Gua Zhang | 八卦掌 | hakkeshou / hakesho | bā guà zhǎng ba1 gua4 zhang3 ba gua zhang baguazhang | pa kua chang pakuachang |
Ba Ji Quan | 八極拳 八极拳 | hakkyo ku ken hakkyokuken hakyo ku ken | bā jí quán ba1 ji2 quan2 ba ji quan bajiquan | pa chi ch`üan pachichüan pa chi chüan |
Batangas | 八打雁 | bā dǎ yàn ba1 da3 yan4 ba da yan badayan | pa ta yen patayen |
|
Hachiman: God of War | 八幡神 | hachi man jin hachimanjin | ||
Hakko-Ryu | 八光流 | hakkou ryuu hakkouryuu hako ryu | ||
Noble Eightfold Path | 八聖道 八圣道 | hasshoudou / hashodo | bā shèng dào ba1 sheng4 dao4 ba sheng dao bashengdao | pa sheng tao pashengtao |
The Noble Eightfold Path | 八正道 | hasshoudou / hashodo | bā zhèng dào ba1 zheng4 dao4 ba zheng dao bazhengdao | pa cheng tao pachengtao |
The Eighteen Arhats | 十八羅漢 十八罗汉 | shí bā luó hàn shi2 ba1 luo2 han4 shi ba luo han shibaluohan | shih pa lo han shihpalohan |
|
Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight | 七転八起 | shichi ten hakki / nana korobi ya oki shichi ten haki / nana korobi ya oki | ||
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. |
Successful Chinese Character and Japanese Kanji calligraphy searches within the last few hours...
All of our calligraphy wall scrolls are handmade.
When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to my art mounting workshop in Beijing where a wall scroll is made by hand from a combination of silk, rice paper, and wood.
After we create your wall scroll, it takes at least two weeks for air mail delivery from Beijing to you.
Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!
When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.
The wall scroll that Sandy is holding in this picture is a "large size"
single-character wall scroll.
We also offer custom wall scrolls in small, medium, and an even-larger jumbo size.
Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.
There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form
of art alive.
Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.
The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.
Check out my lists of Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls and Old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scrolls.