Buy a Custom Faithful Chinese or Japanese Calligraphy Wall Scroll

This is the Japanese version of integrity which can also be defined as a combination of "sincere, honest and faithful".

Some may also define this as "loyal" or "loyalty". In some context, it can mean "genuine". Yes, all of this meaning in just one Japanese word!

This is a Japanese way to write "Loyalty" - it also contains the ideas of being faithful, devoted, true, and obedient.

The second character is a modified form only used in the Japanese lexicon, however, Chinese speakers can easily guess the meaning.

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

This is the clearest and most natural way to translate "Semper Fidelis" or "Always Faithful" into Mandarin Chinese. This is specifically meant for U.S. Marines who often use the shortened term "Semper Fi".

The first two characters are a word that means always, forever, and/or eternally.
The last two characters are a word that means fidelity, loyal, and/or devoted.

I spent 10 years in the Marines, so it was a no-brainer to add this to our calligraphy database.

This word means sincere, solid, and faithful.

This single character is often part of other words with similar meanings. Alone, this character can mean to believe, truth, faith, fidelity, sincerity, trust and confidence in Chinese, old Korean Hanja and Japanese Kanji.

It is one of the five basic tenets of Confucius.

In Chinese, it sometimes has the secondary meaning of a letter (as in the mail) depending on context, but it will not be read that way when seen on a wall scroll.

See Also...  Trust | Confucius

These characters express the idea of "having a belief", or "trusting in the unseen".

This word could also be translated as beliefs or convictions.

Note: Also considered to be one of the Seven Heavenly Virtues.

See Also...  Devotion | Dedication | Trust

Characters shown
above are read
vertically, starting
from the right

This is a philosophical poem/quote from Indian Poet and Philosopher, Rabindranath Tagore.

Rabindranath Tagore, 1915

This quote is not sourced, and therefore several variations exist in English. Some suggest the original was in the Bengali language.

This of course is the Chinese translation which has the meaning of, "Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark".

This is the more religious form of "faith". It has this same meaning in Chinese, Korean Hanja and Japanese Kanji. This is often used to refer to a person of faith or a religious person. Can be directly translated as "firm belief", "creed", "conviction" or simply as "religious" depending on context.

See Also...  Devotion | Trust

This is a custom word list scroll created at the special request of a customer.
This is a word list (not a normal Chinese or Japanese phrase).
Please contact me before deciding to purchase this phrase.

In Chinese, this is a word that is used to describe a person with an honest and loyal reputation. Or basically, somebody you can trust.

In Korean, this word means fidelity, truthfulness, or faithfulness.
In Japanese: faith, fidelity and loyalty.

This is the simplest way to write the word loyalty in Chinese and Japanese. A single character like this leaves the meaning open. But alone, a Chinese or Japanese person would think of loyalty to duty or loyalty to one's master (in ancient times). I suppose that it could be loyalty to your boss or company in this day in age. This character can also mean fidelity or faithfulness.

Loyalty is staying true to someone. It is standing up for something you believe in without wavering. It is being faithful to your family, country, school, friends or ideals, when the going gets tough as well as when things are good. With loyalty, you build relationships that last forever.

Notes:
1. This written form of loyalty is universal in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

2. There is also a Japanese version that is part of the Bushido Code which may be more desirable depending on whether your intended audience is Japanese or Chinese.

3. This version of loyalty is sometimes translated as devotion, sincerity, fidelity, or allegiance.

See Also...  Honor | Trust | Integrity | Sincerity

This is another form of loyalty or devotion.

In Chinese, this is more specifically about being loyal and devoted to your friends.

In Japanese, this is more often used to mean loyalty to your country or nation.

Except for the slight difference noted above between Japanese and Chinese, this word is understood universally in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. It can also be used to describe devotion or fidelity.

It should be noted that this Kanji combination is being used less and less in modern Japan (this is a better choice if your audience is Chinese, though any Japanese person will clearly understand it).

This is the tattoo worn on the back of Yue Fei, a famous Chinese warrior who lived until 1142 A.D.

The tattoo can be translated as "Serve the country with the utmost loyalty". More literally, it means, "[The] Ultimate Loyalty [is too] Duty [of] Country".

Legend has it that this tattoo once saved his life when he was accused of treason.

The first two characters have come to create a word that means "serve the country faithfully" or "die for the country". Note: It's more a willingness to die for one's country than the actual act of dying.

The last two characters have come to mean, "Dedicate oneself to the service of one's country".

Both of these words are probably only in the Chinese lexicon because of this famous tattoo.

If you break it down, character-by-character, here is what you get:
1. To the utmost, to the limit of something, the ultimate.
2. Loyalty or duty (a sense of duty to one's master, lord, country, job).
3. Report, recompense, give back to (in this case, you are giving yourself to your country as payback).
4. Country, state, nation, kingdom.

More about the famous warrior and army general, Yue Fei

This means love passionately, ardent love, devotion. The literal meaning is "hot love", as the first character means heat, fervent, hot and warm. Sometimes it can mean fever, restless, or zeal. The second character is, of course, love.

This can be translated as "to dedicate oneself to...", "self-devotion" or "dedication". Some would also translate this as "commit ones energy to", "devote to", or "self-sacrifice" (especially in Korean).

While the form shown to the left is considered an ancient Japanese version, in modern Japan, they use the simplified version of the first Kanji (shown to the right).
Click on this Kanji instead of the button above if you want this modern Japanese version.

If you are looking for a more religious meaning, see faith.

See Also...  Confidence | Dedication

This is a Chinese word, which means "paying attention".

The first character means "for a particular person, occasion, or purpose", "focused on one thing", "concentrated" and sometimes, "special".

The second character means "heart" by itself.

Together, these two characters make a word that means, "paying attention with your heart". It's often translated as, "dedication", as in "be absorbed in" or "concentrate one's efforts". It's also used to mean, "concentration (-ed)" and "engrossed", "devotionally (listening/watching)", "attentive".

My favorite translation, which comes from the Oxford Advanced Chinese/English Dictionary is, "wholehearted devotion".

If it seems like the meaning of this word is quite open, you are correct. The context in which the word is used matters a lot. It can mean different things depending on how you use it. This makes it kind of nice as you can decide what this means to you (within some limits). This word is always positive in meaning, so even if a Chinese person reads it differently than you, it will still have a good meaning.

See Also...  Devotion

This is a wide-ranging word that is used in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. It can mean aggressive, enterprising, vigorous, energetic, devotion, diligence, concentration of mind, purification, pushing, or assiduity. Used in the context of Buddhism, it means making earnest efforts to cultivate virtue and get rid of evil.

This word is universal in Chinese, Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja.

It can mean earnestness, enthusiasm, ardor, zeal, devotion, spirit, or fervor.

This word is often used to describe the devotion someone has to their profession - However, it can just mean career, depending on context. We don't highly-recommend this selection for a wall scroll.

In more simple terms, this word also means undertake / to deal with / to handle / to do. It does not have to refer to a career issue, as it could be used to encourage someone that is beginning their university studies etc.

This kind of makes sense in Japanese, however, there is a slight deviation in the way they write the first Kanji in Japanese.

This means firm belief, faith, persuasion, conviction, and sometimes religion or creed in Chinese, Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja.

This word clearly fits religious connotation of the English word "devotion".

See Also...  Trust

This is the idea that you enter into something with the utmost sincerity and fidelity. Ideas such as devotion, honesty, and "one's true heart" are also contained in this word.

This is a universal word as the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja are all identical.

This is the Chinese way to say believe. This specifically means to be convinced that something is true or to accept something as true or real. This can also be translated as "convinced of", "have trust in", "have faith in"

In Chinese, this would be defined as "The state of being sexually pure" or "chaste". Culturally, this especially applies to young women. This is not actually far off from our western view on this subject. In Japanese and Korean, this could also be used to express virtue, faithfulness and fidelity.

See Also...  Modesty

This would be associated with "chastity" but with the direct meaning of clean, innocent, and pure. If you were expressing the idea of a "pure heart" in Chinese, while not literal, this would be the word you would use.

In Japanese, this word is sometimes used to express purity.

In Korean, it describes purity, chastity, virginity, and innocence (basically the same as the Chinese definition).

These are the core of Confucius philosophy. Simply stated they are:
benevolence / charity
justice / rectitude
politeness / tact
wisdom / knowledge
fidelity / trust

Many of these concepts can be found in various religious teachings. Though it should be clearly understood that Confucianism is not a religion, but should instead be considered a moral code for a proper and civilized society.

See Also...  Confucius Teachings | Ethics

This is the kind of dedication you might have to your job, or a person.

Trivia: It is the same word used as an adjective in front of the word for "network" to say "dedicated network" in Chinese.

Please note: While this is a word in Korean, the meaning is private or "exclusive use". So this is best if your audience is Chinese.

See Also...  Devotion | Passion | Tenacious | Commitment

This is the Japanese word for dedication. It means "give undivided attention" or "devote oneself to (something)".

Note: This can be pronounced in Korean, but it's not a commonly-used term.

See Also...  Devotion | Passion | Tenacious | Commitment

The first two characters mean resolute with firm determination.
The second two characters mean reliable.

Together, this creates a 4-character expression that clearly means dependable.

You focus your energy and efforts on a task and stick with it until it is finished. Determination is using your will power to do something when it isn't easy. You are determined to meet your goals even when it is hard or you are being tested. With determination we make our dreams come true.

The first characters means "to determine" or "determined". The second character means "heart" or "soul", so you can imagine that this form of "determination" partially means to put your heart into something. It can also be translated as resolve, resolution, or decision (as in a decision made and followed).

See Also...  Devotion | Tenacious | Passion | Dedication | Will-Power

This Chinese, Japanese, and old Korean word can also be defined as "moral principles". The first character is the same that is associated with Daoism / Taoism. This word is also used to express morality, virtue, or simply morals.

There is a slight deviation in the Japanese Kanji form. If you want the modern Japanese version, please click on the special Kanji shown to the right instead of the button above. Note that the traditional Chinese form is still readable and understood by Japanese people.

See Also...  Chastity | Prudence

This is a word list that was requested by a customer. Word lists are not that common in Chinese, but we've put this one on the best order/context to make it as natural as possible.

We used the "honor" that leans toward the definition of "dignity" since that seemed like the best match for the other two words.

Please note: These are three two-character words. You should choose the single-column format when you get to the options when you order this selection. The two-column option would split one word or it would be arranged with four characters on one side and two on the other.

Used to refer to someone who puts forth maximum effort and achieves much. We might call this kind of person a "go-getter" in English.

See Also...  Dedication | Tenacious | Devotion

This is another character that expresses the idea of honesty. It can also mean truth, faith, believe in, fidelity, sincerity, trust and/or confidence.

Some have included this in the list for the Bushido, although "makoto" is probably more common/popular.

Note: In some context, this character can mean letter; news or envoy. However, alone, it will generally be read with the honesty-meaning.

See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here

See Also...  Loyalty Trustworthiness Trustworthy

Besides "to hope" this also means "to wish for" or "to desire". It can also mean expectation or aspiration depending on context.

Note: Also considered to be one of the Seven Heavenly Virtues.

See Also...  Desire

We have also used this word as "Humility" in another listing. Depending on context, it can be translated as modesty, humbleness or humility. The first character means "modesty" while the second means "yielding". Together it could be stated as "yielding modesty".

See Also...  Chastity | Prudence | Moderation

This is the simple way to express the ideas of having virtue, morals, kindness, benevolence, goodness etc. This character also happens to be the first character of the Chinese word for Germany.

There is a slight deviation in the Japanese Kanji form. If you want the modern Japanese version, please click on the special Kanji shown to the right instead of the button above. Note that the traditional Chinese form is still readable and understood by Japanese people.

See Also...  Ethics | Chastity | Prudence | Benevolence | Morality

Beyond "morality" this can also mean ethics, ethical, morals or virtue.

There is a slight deviation in the Japanese Kanji form. If you want the modern Japanese version, please click on the special Kanji shown to the right instead of the button above. Note that the traditional Chinese form is still readable and understood by Japanese people.

See Also...  Chastity | Prudence

Depending on context, this word can mean "cordial", "enthusiastic", "passionate" or "passionately".

This version is sometimes used in Japanese, but the character order is more common in Chinese and Korean Hanja. The meaning in Japanese for this Kanji order is "ardour" or "zeal", but rarely used in modern Japan. I suggest you choose a different version of "passion" if your audience is Japanese.

See Also...  Persistence | Devotion | Tenacity | Commitment | Motivation

A reversal of the characters between Chinese and Japanese/Korean languages yields this "passion" meaning. While many characters and even multi-character words have the same meaning in both languages, often some conventions are different or may have changed over time.

Note: This character order is not natural in Chinese. However, a typical Chinese person can guess that this is a Japanese or Korean word and also understand the intended the meaning. This selection is best if your audience is Japanese or old-school Korean.

See Also...  Persistence | Devotion | Tenacity | Commitment | Motivation

Perseverance is being steadfast and persistent. You commit to your goals and overcome obstacles, no matter how long it takes. When you persevere, you don't give up...you keep going. Like a strong ship in a storm, you don't become battered or blown off course. You just ride the waves.



This translation literally means, "something so persistent or steadfast, that it is not uprootable / movable / surpassable".

See Also...  Tenacious | Devotion | Persistence | Indomitable

Can also mean "cautious" or "careful".

Note: The Chinese and Japanese form is shown here. In Korean Hanja, the first character has a variant in one of the strokes - just let me know when you place your order if you want that Korean version (A Korean who can read Hanja, will know the meaning anyway).

Note: If you order this selection from our Japanese calligrapher, the first Kanji will vary slightly. It is technically the same character, but Japanese tend to leave a space between the upper and lower portions of this particular Kanji (see image to the right).

Note: Also considered to be one of the Seven Heavenly Virtues.

See Also...  Moderation | Modesty | Chastity

These two characters together mean "Tenacious", "Hard to Defeat", or "Dogged".

Alone, the first character means mischievous, obstinate or stubborn. But it loses some of the mischievous meaning when the second character is added.

The second character means strength, force, powerful or better.

See Also...  Determination | Dedication | Devotion | Never Give Up

Trust is having faith in someone or something. It is a positive attitude about life. You are confident that the right thing will happen without trying to control it or make it happen. Even when difficult things happen, trust helps us to find the gift or lesson in it.

This word can also be translated as confidence, reliance, or dependence; thus it can also mean "to rely on" or "to depend on".

There is a slight deviation in the Japanese Kanji form of the second character. If you want the modern Japanese version, please click on the special Kanji shown to the right instead of the button above. Note that the traditional Chinese form is still readable and understood by Japanese people.

See Also...  Confidence | Truth | Honor

This means "Trust in God", "Faith in God", "Rely upon God" and/or "Believe in God".

This 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).

This is 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".