金 in Chinese / Japanese...

金 is the name Gin in Chinese (Mandarin).

金 is the name Jinn in Chinese (Mandarin).

金 is the name Kim in Chinese (Mandarin).

金 is how the name King is transliterated into Mandarin Chinese.

The meaning of this character is metal or gold, and it only vaguely sounds like “king”. But it was used in many articles for famous people like Larry King. If my last name was “King”, I would rather use the character 王 which means king, and romanizes as “wang” or “wong.”

金 is the symbol for metal (often means gold or money) in Chinese, Korean and Japanese.

In an interesting twist, in Japanese, this Kanji can also mean “Friday.” I guess Friday is “the golden day” in Japan.

Gold / Metal is one of the five elements that ancient Chinese believed all things were composed of. These elements are also part of the cycle of Chinese astrology. Every person has both an animal sign, and one of the five elements according to the date of their birth. See also Five Elements and Chinese 12 Animals / Zodiac.

金龍 is Golden/Metal Dragon in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1880, 1940, 2000, and 2060.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 庚辰.

金蛇 is Golden/Metal Snake in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1881, 1941, 2001, and 2061.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 辛巳.

金虎 is Golden/Metal Tiger in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1890, 1950, 2010, and 2070.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 庚寅.

金兔 is Golden/Metal Rabbit in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1891, 1951, 2011, and 2071.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 辛卯.

金鼠 is Golden/Metal Rat in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1900, 1960, 2020, and 2080.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 庚子.

金牛 is Golden/Metal Ox/Bull in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1901, 1961, 2021, and 2081.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 辛丑.

金狗 is Golden/Metal Dog in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1910, 1970, 2030, and 2090.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 庚戌.

金豬 is Golden/Metal Pig/Boar in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1911, 1971, 2031, and 2091.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 辛亥.

金猴 is Golden/Metal Monkey in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1920, 1980, 2040, and 2100.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 庚申.

金雞 is Golden/Metal Rooster in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1921, 1981, 2041, and 2101.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 辛酉.

金馬 is Golden/Metal Horse in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1870, 1930, 1990, and 2050.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 庚午.

金羊 is Golden/Metal Goat/Sheep in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1871, 1931, 1991, and 2051.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 辛未.

金剛 can translate as adamantine from Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean.

Other meanings and translations can include diamond, thunderbolt, Indra's indestructible weapon, a Buddhist symbol of the indestructible truth, Vajra (a mythical weapon), guardian deity, hardness, indestructibility, power, the least frangible of minerals.

The Chinese pronunciation of “Jīn Gāng” became the loanword used in English as “King Kong.” You can see King Kong as the indestructible ape guardian deity depending on how you read the story.

阿金 is the name Akin in Chinese (Mandarin).

金剛 is a common way to call diamonds in Chinese and Japanese.

Traditionally, there were not that many diamonds that made their way to Asia, so this word does not have the deep cultural significance that it does in the west (thanks mostly to De Beers' marketing). Therefore, this word was kind of borrowed from other uses.

This title can also refer to vajra (a Sanskrit word meaning both thunderbolt and diamond that originally refers to an indestructible substance); hard metal; pupa of certain insects; Vajrapani, Buddha's warrior attendant; King Kong; adamantine; Buddhist symbol of the indestructible truth.

尤金 is the name Eugene in Chinese (Mandarin).

金妮 is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Ginny.

This means “golden girl,” or “girl of gold” in Chinese.

金龍 is the Chinese title for Golden Dragon.

The first character means gold, golden, or metal.

The second character is dragon.

This title has the same meaning in Japanese but is used mainly as a given name, Kinryu, or in reference to a certain kind of noodle soup in Japan.

金魚 is the title for goldfish in Chinese and Japanese.

There was a time in ancient China when only the Emperor could possess the actual yellow-gold colored fish. This is why alternate coloration such as orange, black, red, and white was bred. Many believe this is why colors other than yellow-gold are more common for “goldfish” in pet shops today.

哈金 is the name Hakkim in Chinese (Mandarin).

金姆 is the name Jem in Chinese (Mandarin).

金基 is the name Jinkee in Chinese (Mandarin).

金馬 is the name Jinma in Chinese (Mandarin).

金妮 is a transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Jinni.

This means “golden girl” or “girl of gold” in Chinese.

This is the special name I made up and chose for my third daughter. There is also another, more common way to transliterate this name which is 吉尼 instead of 金妮.

華金 is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Joaquín.

基金 is the name Keegin in Chinese (Mandarin).

金伯 is the name Kimber in Chinese (Mandarin).

This is a common Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the female Polish name Kinga.

金吉 is the name Kingi in Chinese (Mandarin).

金曼 is the name Kingman in Chinese (Mandarin).

金斯 is the name Kinse in Chinese (Mandarin).

莫金 is the name Morgin in Chinese (Mandarin).

金邊 is the Chinese title for Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.

In Japanese, this is the personal name, Kanabe.

This is a common Mandarin Chinese transliteration for the female French name Régine or Regine.

羅金 is the name Rojin in Chinese (Mandarin).

魯金 is the name Rugin in Chinese (Mandarin).

圖金 is the name Tuikim in Chinese (Mandarin).

圖金 is the name Tukim in Chinese (Mandarin).

金星 literally means gold star. Most of the time, in the context of the sky, this refers to the planet Venus.

Away from the sky, this can refer to a dazzling victory (e.g. win of a rank-and-file wrestler over the grand champion) or be the Japanese surname Kinboshi.

In the Buddhist context, this is Śukra, from Sanskrit for the planet Venus.

阿德金 is the name Adkin in Chinese (Mandarin).

阿金托 is the name Argento in Chinese (Mandarin).

迪金森 is the name Dickinson in Chinese (Mandarin).

金格爾 is the name Gingell in Chinese (Mandarin).

金蔗爾 is the name Ginger in Chinese (Mandarin).

黄金律 is “The Golden Rule” in Japanese.

It's understood to mean “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

哈金斯 is the name Huggins in Chinese (Mandarin).

伊莫金 is the name Imogen in Chinese (Mandarin).

伊莫金 is the name Imogene in Chinese (Mandarin).

This is the a common way to transliterate the surname Jenkins into Mandarin Chinese.

金克斯 is the name Jinx in Chinese (Mandarin).

若阿金 is the transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the Latin / Spanish name Joaquim.

金伯利 is the name Kimberley in Chinese (Mandarin).

金伯利 is the name Kimberlie in Chinese (Mandarin).

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

This is the second most common way to transliterate the name Kimberly into Mandarin Chinese.

This is the third most common way to transliterate the name Kimberly into Mandarin Chinese.

金枚莉 is the name Kimerly in Chinese (Mandarin).

金士頓 is the name Kingston in Chinese (Mandarin).

金斯利 is the name Kinslee in Chinese (Mandarin).

金繕い is kintsukuroi or kinzukuroi, the Japanese art of repairing pottery with a lacquer mixed with gold, silver, etc.

I added this because many people searched for this title. Not sure how appropriate this is for a calligraphy wall scroll.

麥金利 is the name McGinily in Chinese (Mandarin).

In Mandarin, you cannot distinguish between McKinley, McGinley, and McGinily. All three are written as 麥金利.

麥金利 is the name Mcginley in Chinese (Mandarin).

麥金利 is the name Mckinley in Chinese (Mandarin).

珀金斯 is the name Perkins in Chinese (Mandarin).

薩金塔 is the name Sajintha in Chinese (Mandarin).

斯科金 is the name Scoggin in Chinese (Mandarin).

謝金娜 is the name Shekina in Chinese (Mandarin).

鬱金香 is how to write tulip [flower] in Chinese and Japanese.

In some ancient contexts, this title can refer to saffron.

泰金德 is the name Tyekinder in Chinese (Mandarin).

This is the title for Vajrayāna Buddhism in Chinese and Japanese.

Vajrayāna is the diamond vehicle or adamantine vehicle.

Sometimes referred to as 密教 or esoteric Buddhism.

金牛座 is the Chinese way to write Taurus (bull) from western astrology.

Please note this version is only used in Chinese (see the other version if Japanese is your audience).

金錢/金銭 means money, cash, currency, or wealth in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

Literally, it means “gold coins” but has come to be used to mean money in general, as well as the idea of wealth.

The second character of this word is written in a variant form in Japan. The more common version in Japan is shown to the right. Click on the Kanji to the right instead of the button above if you want this Japanese variant in your calligraphy.

阿特金斯 is the name Atkins in Chinese (Mandarin).

This proverb can be translated as “Cherish Time as if it was Gold” or “Time is as Valuable as Gold.”

This basically suggests that time is gold, and you should value the time you have (and use it well).

希金波坦 is the name Higginbotham in Chinese (Mandarin).

霍普金斯 is the name Hopkins in Chinese (Mandarin).

霍斯金斯 is the name Hoskins in Chinese (Mandarin).

金雞獨立 or “Jin Ji Du Li,” means “golden rooster stands on one leg.”

This is also called “crane stance” in English. This is used in wushu, karate, and other forms of martial arts.

This can be pronounced, “kinkei dokuritsu” in Japanese but it's rarely a title used in Japanese.

麥金太爾 is the name Macintyre in Chinese (Mandarin).

麥金尼斯 is the name McGinnis in Chinese (Mandarin).

麥金尼斯 is the name McInnis in Chinese (Mandarin).

金屬制品 is the name Metallica in Chinese.

This literally means “Made from Metal” or “Metallic Product” in Chinese.

拉金德拉 is the name Rajendra in Chinese (Mandarin).

雷金納德 is the name Reginald in Chinese (Mandarin).

一刻千金 is a Chinese and Japanese proverb that can be translated as “time is gold,” “every minute counts,” “every moment is precious,” “time is money,” or “precious time.”

金木水火土 is a list of the Chinese characters for the five elements in a comfortable order (meaning that they “feel right” to a Chinese person who views this arrangement).

The order is metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

Note that sometimes the metal element is translated as gold. And earth refers to soil versus the whole planet earth.

時は金なり is the Japanese phrase meaning “Time is Money.”

It matches the use and meaning of the same idiom as used in English.

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

This 金瑞祥龍之家 or “home golden auspicious dragon” title was added by special request of a customer.

The first character means gold or golden.
The second and third characters hold the meaning of auspiciousness and good luck.
The fourth character is dragon.
The fifth is a possessive modifier (like making “dragon” into “dragon's”).
The last character means home (but in some context can mean “family” - however, here it would generally be understood as “home”).

Note: The word order is different than the English title because of grammar differences between English and Chinese. This phrase sounds very natural in Chinese in this character order. If written in the English word order, it would sound very strange and lose its impact in Chinese.

Note: Korean pronunciation is included above, but this has not been reviewed by a Korean translator.

金剛不壞 is originally a Buddhist term for “The diamond indestructible.”

Sometimes, it's written 金剛不壞身, The diamond-indestructible body.

Outside that context, it still means firm and solid, sturdy and indestructible, unshakable, or adamantine (a mythological indestructible material).

Note: If you order this from the Japanese master calligrapher, the last Kanji will look like the one shown to the right.

幸福金婚 means “Happy Golden Anniversary” and is a great gift for a couple who is celebrating 50 years together.

The first two characters mean happy, blessed, or happiness.

The last two characters mean “couple's golden anniversary.” It means “golden wedding” or “golden marriage,” but this is only used for the 50-year-mark of a marriage (the same way we use gold to represent 50 years in the west).

幸福金婚 is a nice title to use with an inscription. You could request something like, “Happy 50th Anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” to be written down the side of this title in smaller Chinese characters.

Please note: This can be pronounced and understood in Japanese but not as commonly used in Japan. Japanese people who read this will understand it but might tend to feel it’s of Chinese origin.

金似金挨玉似玉 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: [One who is] close to gold [is] like gold [and one who is] close to jade [is] like jade.

Figuratively, this means:
A good environment produces good people.
People are influenced by the company they keep.

Basically, if you hang out with good people, you are likely to become or stay good yourself. The opposite also is true. 挨This is like the moral version of “You are what you eat.”

Note: In Japanese, they have a similar phrase, 類は友を呼ぶ (rui wa tomo o yobu) Birds of a feather flock together. However, this is not a good meaning, so we’re not offering it for wall scrolls.

白酒紅人面黃金黑世心 literally says: [Just as] white liquor makes people's faces turn red, [So] yellow gold makes people's hearts turn black.

This is a warning about the nature of greed. The suggestion is that one who lusts for gold and riches will eventually have a black heart (or become a heartless greedy bastard). As a wall scroll, this is a reminder and warning to keep yourself from following the greedy path.

金窝银窝不如自己的狗窝 is a Chinese slang proverb that means “Golden house, [or a] silver house, not as good as my own dog house.”

It's basically saying that even a house made of gold or silver is not as good as my own home (which may only be suitable for a dog but at least it's mine).

武士の一言金鉄の如し is an old Japanese proverb about the value of the word of a warrior.

Here are a couple of versions of how this can be translated:

A warrior's single word is as unchanging and reliable as gold and steel.
A warrior's promise is as dependable as gold, and his [scabbard contains] untarnished steel (a sword).

Note: Sometimes this phrase is written as 男子の一言、金鉄の如し (danshi no ichigon kintetsu no gotoshi)

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

This text is the ninth chapter of the Daodejing / Tao Te Ching.

The text reads:
持而盈之、不如其已。揣而梲之、不可長保。 金玉滿堂、莫之能守。 富貴而驕、自遺其咎。 功遂身退、天之道。

This classical Chinese passage comes from the Mawangdui (馬王堆帛書) text.