Buy a Live Laugh Love Chinese/Japanese Scroll

Choose from many options to create artwork with the Chinese characters / Asian symbols / Japanese Kanji for Live Laugh Love on a wall scroll or portrait.
See also these terms individually: Live, Laugh, Love.


  1. Live Laugh Love

  2. Living / Live Life

  3. Love

  4. Laugh / Smile

  5. 5. Right Living / Right Livelihood / Perfect Livelihood

  6. Optimism / Happy With Your Fate

  7. Adorable / Cute / Lovely

  8. Adoring Love

  9. Adventure Lover

10. Alive

11. Goddess of Love: Aphrodite

12. Passionate Love / Ardent Love and Devotion

13. The Art of Love

14. Beautiful Life / Life in Perfect Harmony

15. You are always a beauty in your lover’s eyes

16. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder

17. Kindness / Benevolence

18. Benevolent Heart

19. Best Love / Most Sincere Love

20. Birth / Life

21. The Tree of Enlightenment / The Bodhi Tree

22. Body and Earth in Unity

23. Love Binds Us Together

24. Broken Hearted

25. Brotherly and Sisterly Love

26. Triple Truth of Japanese Buddhism

27. Carpe Diem / Seize the Day

28. Choose Life

29. Clever / Superb / Wonderful

30. Mercy / Compassion / Love

31. Corinthians 13:4

32. Crazy Love

33. Cry in the Dojo - Laugh on the Battlefield

34. Predestined Love / Love by Fate

35. Die Without Regret

36. Divine Love

37. Family Love / Domestic Bliss

38. Eat Drink and Be Merry

39. Embrace Life / Embrace Living

40. Embrace Life

41. Enjoy Life

42. Eternal Love

43. Eternal Life / Everlasting Life / Immortality

44. Eternal Life / Future Life

45. Everyday Life

46. Faith Hope Love

47. Faith Love Peace

48. Family Love

49. A Father’s Love

50. First Love

51. Rise and Fall / Ups and Downs

52. Forbidden Love

53. Forever Love

54. Forever Young / Long Life

55. God is Love

56. God Loves You

57. Venus / Amor / God of Love

58. The Good Life / Beautiful Life

59. Greatest Love

60. Greatest Infinite Love

61. Guan Shi Yin: Protector Of Life

62. Happy / Laughter / Cheerful Bliss

63. Love and Happiness

64. Happy Laughter

65. Healthy Living

66. Holding Flowers with Subtle Smile

67. Soul Mates at Heart

68. Love for Humanity / Brotherly Love

69. I Adore You

70. Ikiru / To Live

71. I Love You

72. I Love You / Aishiteru

73. Immortal / Immortality

74. The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering

75. Infinite Love

76. A Life of Serenity Yields Understanding

77. Jesus Christ is Love

78. Jesus is My Life

79. Through the Ups and Downs of Life

80. The Karma/Fate/Destiny that Brings Lovers Together

81. Life-Saving Sword

82. Kindness / Caring

83. Love and Respect / Kindness and Respect

84. Live Together and Help Each Other

85. Life in Harmony / Balanced Life

86. Life in Balance / Balancing Life

87. Life in Harmony / Balanced Life

88. Life Energy / Spiritual Energy

89. Life Force

90. Life Full of Love

91. Life Goes On

92. A Life of Happiness and Prosperity

93. Life in Every Breath

94. Life Is But A Dream

95. Life is a Journey

96. Life is Good / Life is Beautiful

97. Life is Good

98. Life is Short

99. Life is What You Make It

100. Life is What You Make of It

101. Journey of Life

102. Life Full of Love

103. Life of Love

104. Life of Serenity

105. Life with Love

106. Life is Fun

107. Life is Good

108. Live For The Day

109. Live For The Day / Seize The Day

110. Live Love Die

111. Live for What You Love

112. Live In The Moment / Live In The Now

113. Live in Peace and Contentment

114. Live in Prosperity

115. Live Without Regret

116. Live and Let Die

117. Live Free or Die

118. Live Strong

119. Longing for Lover

120. Longevity / Long Life Wishes

121. Longevity / Long Life

122. Lost Love

123. Love and Affection

124. Love and Hate

125. Hoes Before Bros

126. Love Your Children, But Discipline Them Too

127. Love Conquers All

128. Love and Devotion

129. Eternal Love / Love Eternally

130. Universal Love

131. Love the Flower, Love the Pot also

132. Love Forever / Love Eternal

133. Love and Honor

134. Love the House and Its Crow

135. Live Laugh Love

136. Love Life

137. Love and Protect

138. Love and Respect

139. Love Will Find A Way

140. Love Without Reason

141. Love Gems / Fruit of Love / Children

142. Love Faith Strength

143. Pledge of Lifelong Love

144. Lover / Beloved

145. Lover / Spouse / Sweetheart

146. Lover / Sweetheart

147. Loving Heart / Compassion

148. Loving Heart / One’s Love

149. Madly in Love

150. Misery Loves Company

151. Love for Parents

152. A Mother’s Love / Motherly Love

153. Music is Life

154. My True Love

155. My Life, My Rules

156. New Beginning

157. New Life

158. Freedom from Anger and Worry Yields Longevity

159. No Regrets

160. One Love

161. The Pain of Love / Love Troubles

162. The Pain of Separation from Your Loves

163. Love Between Child and Parents

164. Appreciation and Love for Your Parents

165. Peace and Love

166. Peace, Love, Happiness

167. Better to sacrifice your life than your principles

168. Principles of Life

169. The Red String

170. Strength and Love in Unity

171. Sacrifice

172. Self-Love / Love Yourself / Love Oneself

173. If you love your child, send them out into the world

174. Sincere / True Sincerity

175. The Single Life

176. Sisters at Heart

177. Sisterhood / Sisterly Love

178. Soul Mates

179. Spiritual Soul Mates

180. Strength and Love

181. With all the strength of your heart

182. Such is Life

183. Such is Life / Such is Destiny

184. This is Life

185. Thug Life

186. Together Forever in Love

187. Traveler / To Live Abroad

188. True Love

189. Unconditional Love

190. Goddess of Love: Venus

191. Vitality

192. Way of Life / Art of Life

193. Eternal Wheel of Life

194. You Only Live Once

195. Shinken Shobu

196. Prosperous Life

197. Love Loyalty Respect

198. Pure Love

199. The two most important days in your life...

200. Reincarnation / Life in Flux

201. Brought Together from 1000 Miles Away by Fate

202. I Am Worthy of Being Loved

203. My life is complete because of you

204. Live Long and Prosper

205. Breath of Life

206. True Love

207. Strength Love Honor

208. Benevolent Love

209. Moral Principles Of Life

210. Life is a Dew Drop

211. Live By The Sword Die By The Sword

212. Live Well

213. Love Myself First

214. Love Yourself First

215. Lovezolack

216. Lovee

217. Lovelle


Live Laugh Love

 xiào ài shēng huó
Live Laugh Love Scroll

In English, the word order shown in the title is the most natural or popular. In Chinese, the natural order is a little different:

The first character means laugh (sometimes means smile).

The second character means love.

The last two characters mean “live” as in “to be alive” or “pursue life.”

Please note: 笑愛生活 is not a normal phrase in that it does not have a subject, verb, or object. It is a word list. Word lists are not common in Asian languages/grammar (at least not as normal as in English). We only added this entry because so many people requested it.

We put the characters in the order shown above, as it almost makes a single word with the meaning “A life of laughter and love.” It's a made-up word, but it sounds good in Chinese.


We removed the Japanese pronunciation guide from this entry, as the professional Japanese translator deemed it "near nonsense" from a Japanese perspective. Choose this only if your audience is Chinese and you want the fewest-possible characters to express this idea.

In Korean, this would be 소애생활 or "so ae saeng hwar" but I have not confirmed that this makes sense in Korean.

Living / Live Life

 shēng huó
 sei katsu
Living / Live Life Scroll

生活 means life, living, to live, or the state of being alive. It can also refer to your daily existence or livelihood. It can also be a suggestion to just “Live life.”

生活 is also the term used in other titles such as “healthy living” or Lance Armstrong's “Livestrong” campaign (Chinese title for Livestrong only).

If you need a reminder that you are alive and to take a breath, this might be the perfect wall scroll for you.

 ài
 ai
 
Love Scroll

愛 universally means love in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, old Korean Hanja, and old Vietnamese.

愛 is one of the most recognized Asian symbols in the West and is often seen on tee shirts, coffee mugs, tattoos, and more.

愛 can also be defined as affection, to be fond of, to like, or to be keen on. It often refers to romantic love, and is found in phrases like, “I love you.” But in Chinese, one can say, “I love that movie” using this character as well.

This can also be a pet name or part of a pet name in the way we say “dear” or “honey” in English.

This can be a girl’s name “Ai” in both Chinese and Japanese.


More about this character:

This may be hard to imagine as a westerner but the strokes at the top of this love character symbolize family & marriage.

心The symbol in the middle is a little easier to identify. It is the character for "heart" (it can also mean "mind" or "soul"). I guess you can say that no matter if you are from the East or the West, you must put your heart into your love.

友The strokes at the bottom create a modified character that means "friend" or "friendship."

I suppose you could say that the full meaning of this love character is to love your family, spouse, and friends with all of your heart, since all three elements exist in this character.


See Also:  I Love You | Caring | Benevolence | Friendliness | Double Happiness Happy Marriage Wall Scroll

Laugh / Smile

 xiào
 e / shou / wa
 
Laugh / Smile Scroll

笑 simply means to laugh or smile.

Notes: In some contexts, it can mean “ridicule” in Korean Hanja. 笑 is not often seen alone in Japanese, though it is understood.

5. Right Living / Right Livelihood / Perfect Livelihood

Samyag Ajiva / Samma Ajiva

 zhèng mìng
 sei myou
5. Right Living / Right Livelihood / Perfect Livelihood Scroll

正命 (right living) is one of the Noble Eightfold Paths of Buddhism.

Right Living, along with Right Speech and Right Action, constitute the path to Virtue.

Right Living means that a Buddhist should only take a job or pursue a career in a field that does no harm. Buddhists should not work in the arms trade, as pimps or in the field of prostitution, as a butcher or in a shop that kills or sells meat, in a laboratory that does animal research, or in any other business that involves scheming or unethical behavior.

Another definition: Avoidance of professions that are harmful to sentient beings, such as slaughterer, hunter, dealer in weaponry or narcotics, etc.


This term is exclusively used by devout Buddhists. It is not a common term, and is remains an unknown concept to most Japanese and Chinese people.


See Also:  Buddhism | Enlightenment | Noble Eightfold Path

Optimism / Happy With Your Fate

 lè tiān
 raku ten
Optimism / Happy With Your Fate Scroll

樂天 is about being optimistic and also making the best of whatever life throws at you.

This is hard to define. One dictionary defines this as “acceptance of fate and happy about it.” There is one English word equivalent, which is sanguinity or sanguinary.

You can also say that this means “Be happy with whatever Heaven provides,” or “Find happiness in whatever fate Heaven bestows upon you.” 樂天 suggests being an optimist in life.

Note: This is sometimes a given name in China.


楽 Please note that Japanese tend to write the first character in a slightly-different form (as seen to the right). Let us know if you have a preference when you place your order.

Adorable / Cute / Lovely

 kě ài
 ka wai
Adorable / Cute / Lovely Scroll

可愛 is a Chinese word that means adorable, cute, and lovely.

It also has a similar meaning in Japanese, but it's more often used as the given name Kawai.

In the Buddhist context, it can mean agreeable.

Adorable / Cute / Lovely

 ka wai i
Adorable / Cute / Lovely Scroll

可愛い is a Japanese word that means cute, adorable, charming, lovely, or pretty.

Depending on the context, it can also mean dear, precious, darling, pet, cute little, or tiny.

Adoring Love

 ài mù
 ai bou
Adoring Love Scroll

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.

Adventure Lover

 bou ken ya rou
Adventure Lover Scroll

冒険野郎 is a Japanese title that means “adventure lover.”

This literally means something like “adventure wild man.”

This is a funny choice for a wall scroll, but it's a legitimate word in Japanese.

 huó zhe
Alive Scroll

活著 is the word that means alive, as in the state of living or being alive (Chinese only).

Goddess of Love: Aphrodite

 à fú luò dí té
Goddess of Love: Aphrodite Scroll

艾福洛迪特 is one of a couple of ways the name Aphrodite, Goddess of Love is written in Chinese characters.

Passionate Love / Ardent Love and Devotion

 rè ài
 netsu ai
Passionate Love / Ardent Love and Devotion Scroll

熱愛 means love passionately, ardent love, devotion, adoration.

The literal meaning is “hot love,” as the first character means heat, fervent, hot, and warm. Sometimes it can mean fever, restlessness, or zeal. The second character is, of course, love. If you adore and are devoted to someone with all your love, this is the title for you.

The Art of Love

 ài de yì shù
The Art of Love Scroll

愛的藝術 means “art of love” or “art of loving” in Chinese.

This is also the Chinese title of the book “Art of Loving” by Erich Fromm.

Beautiful Life / Life in Perfect Harmony

 hé měi
 wa mi
Beautiful Life / Life in Perfect Harmony Scroll

和美 is a word that means “harmonious” or, “in perfect harmony.”

The deeper meaning or more natural translation would be something like, “beautiful life.”

The first character means peace and harmony.

The second character means beautiful. But in this case, when combined with the first character, beautiful refers to being satisfied with what you have in your life. This can be having good relations, good feelings, comfort, and having enough (with no feeling of wanting).


Note: In Japanese, this is often used as the name "Wami." This title is probably more appropriate if your audience is Chinese.

You are always a beauty in your lover’s eyes

 qíng rén yǎn lǐ chū xī shī
You are always a beauty in your lover’s eyes Scroll

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.

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder

 utsukushi-sa wa miru hito no me no naka ni aru
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder Scroll

美しさは見る人の目の中にある means “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder” in Japanese.

Japanese grammar and word order are different than English, but I will partially break this down for you:
美しさ = Beauty
は = is/relates
見る = to look/see
人の = person's
目の = eye's
中にあ = inside
る = !


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

Kindness / Benevolence

 rén cí
 jin ji
Kindness / Benevolence Scroll

仁慈 word is used in Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Asian Buddhism to relay the important idea of loving kindness.

仁慈 can also be defined as: benevolent; charitable; kind; merciful; kind-hearted; benevolence; kindness; humanity; mercy.

In Japanese, this can also be the given name Hitoji. This would also be a good Mandarin Chinese given name romanized as Jentzu (in Taiwan) or Renci (which sounds like ren-tsuh).


See Also:  Altruism | Kindness | Charity

Benevolent Heart

 ji hi no kokoro
Benevolent Heart Scroll

慈悲の心 means benevolent heart, compassionate heart, or merciful heart in Japanese.

This is a Japanese-only phrase and should be ordered from our Japanese master calligrapher. This is because the third character is unique Hiragana.

Chances are you are into Inuyasha and are seeking the title of chapter 471 which is often translated as “Merciful Heart.”


See Also:  Altruism

Best Love / Most Sincere Love

 zhì ài
Best Love / Most Sincere Love Scroll

至愛 can mean the best love or most sincere love of your life.

This could be a romantic love such as your love for your spouse or a boyfriend/girlfriend.

It can also apply to the extreme love you have for your children or a parent and maybe a really good friend.


See Also:  I Love You

Best Love / Most Sincere Love

 moai
Best Love / Most Sincere Love Scroll

最愛 is a Japanese word that means the best love, beloved, or most sincere love of your life.

This could be a romantic love such as your love for your spouse or a boyfriend/girlfriend.

It can also apply to the extreme love you have for your children or a parent and maybe a really good friend.

Birth / Life

 shēng
 shou / iku
 
Birth / Life Scroll

生 is a Chinese word that means “to be born” and “to give birth.”

Also, it's often used to refer to life itself, and sometimes “to grow.”

生 is used in a lot of compound words such as “yi sheng,” which means “doctor” (literally “healer of life”), “sheng ri” which means “birthday” (literally “birth-day”), and “xue sheng” which means student (literally “studying life” or “learner [about] life”). Few Chinese people will think of the literal meaning when this uses words like doctor and student - but it is interesting to note.

生 has the same root meaning in Korean Hanja and Japanese. However, in Japanese, there are many possible pronunciations, and this can be used to mean “raw” or “unprocessed” (as in draft beer). Therefore, not be the best if your audience is Japanese.


See Also:  Vitality

The Tree of Enlightenment / The Bodhi Tree

 pú tí shù
 bodaiju
The Tree of Enlightenment / The Bodhi Tree Scroll

菩提樹 is the full title of the Bodhi tree (a fig tree) under which Siddhartha Gautama (the legendary man who established the Buddhist religion), achieved enlightenment.

Sometimes this is referred to as “the tree of enlightenment.” If you don't have a Bodhi tree to sit under, maybe you can achieve enlightenment under a wall scroll with this title.

Body and Earth in Unity

 shindofuni / shindofuji
Body and Earth in Unity Scroll

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

Love Binds Us Together

 ai ha subete o kanzen ni musubu obi de aru
Love Binds Us Together Scroll

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.

Broken Hearted

 shī liàn
 shitsuren
Broken Hearted Scroll

In Chinese, this can mean losing one's love; to breaking up (in a romantic relationship); to feel jilted.

In Japanese Kanji, this means disappointing love, broken heart, unrequited love, or being lovelorn.

失戀 is also valid in old Korean Hanja, which means unrequited love, unreturned love, a disappointment in love, or a broken heart.

Note: In modern Japan, they will tend to write the more simple 失恋 form instead of 失戀. If you order this from the Japanese master calligrapher, expect the more simple modern version to be written (unless you give us instructions to use the older or more traditional version).

Brotherly and Sisterly Love

 shǒu zú qíng
Brotherly and Sisterly Love Scroll

手足情 is the love between siblings.

When you love, protect, care for, and have a deep bond that only brothers or sisters can.

The actual translation is “Hand and Foot,” but the relationship between brothers or sisters is like that of hands and feet. They belong together and complete the body. Even though this says “hand and foot,” it will always be read with the brotherly and sisterly love meaning in Chinese.

Note: During the past 20 years, the “One child policy” in China is slowly making this term obsolete.

Triple Truth of Japanese Buddhism

 ningensei o saisei suruno wa kanyou na kokoro shinsetsu na kotoba houshi to omoi yari no seishin
Triple Truth of Japanese Buddhism Scroll

人間性を再生するのは寛容な心親切な言葉奉仕と思いやりの精神 is known as the Triple Truth of Buddhism in Japanese.

The Buddha ordered that all should know this triple truth...
A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things that renew humanity.

That is the English translation most commonly used for this Japanese Buddhist phrase. You might have seen this on a coffee cup or tee shirt.


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

Carpe Diem / Seize the Day

 bǎ wò jīn rì
Carpe Diem / Seize the Day Scroll

把握今日 is the closest and most natural way to express this proverb in Chinese.

The first two characters mean “to seize” but can also be translated as “take control of.”

The last two characters mean “today.”

 xuǎn zé shēng huó
Choose Life Scroll

選擇生活 can mean to choose life instead of death (or suicide) or to choose to live life to the fullest.

I think of it as the key phrase used by Renton (Ewan McGregor) in the movie Trainspotting. While Chinese people will not think of Trainspotting when they see this phrase, for me, it will always be what comes near the end of this colorful rant:

Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television. Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players, and electrical tin can openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed-interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suite on-hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked-up brats you have spawned to replace yourself. Choose your future. Choose life.

Clever / Superb / Wonderful

 miào
 myou
 
Clever / Superb / Wonderful Scroll

The meanings for 妙 include: clever; wonderful; strange; unusual; superb; excellent; beautiful; mystic; supernatural; profound; mysterious; good; surpassing; fine, lovely, charming; special; outstanding; incomparable.

As you can see, this single character can mean a lot of things (a bit ambiguous).

Mercy / Compassion / Love

 cí
 ji
 
Mercy / Compassion / Love Scroll

慈 is the simplest way to express the idea of compassion.

This can also mean love for your fellow humans, humanity, or living creatures. Sometimes this is extended to mean charity.

This term is often used in a Buddhist or Christian context. The concept was also spoken of by Laozi (Lao Tzu) in the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching).

慈 is considered the direct translation of the Sanskrit word मैत्री (maitrī) Pali word मेत्ता (mettā). In this context, it means benevolence, loving kindness, and goodwill.

This Chinese character is understood in Japanese but is usually used in compound words (not seen alone). Also used in old Korean Hanja, so it's very universal.


See Also:  Mercy | Benevolence | Forgiveness | Kindness

Corinthians 13:4

All you need to know about LOVE

 ài shì héng jiǔ rěn nài yòu yǒu én cí ài shì bú jì dù ài shì bú zì kuā bù zhāng kuáng
Corinthians 13:4 Scroll

愛是恆久忍耐又有恩慈愛是不嫉妒愛是不自誇不張狂 is 1st Corinthians 13:4 in Chinese.

Chinese Corinthians 13:4 Love

With large “love” character added.

In English, this reads:

1st Corinthians 13:4 (KJV) Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up...

1st Corinthians 13:4 (NIV) Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

1st Corinthians 13:4 (Basic English) Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride.

The Chinese translation follows the love meaning, rather than the King James' use of “charity.” I was a little confused when writing this description with the significant differences between the NIV vs. KJV translations. After speaking to a Greek scholar about this, it would seem that the KJV has an almost errant translation with the use of “charity” in place of “love.”

We used the most popular Christian Chinese Bible, which is the Chinese Union Version (CUV). The CUV was first published in 1919. We use this so that the Chinese translation would be as accurate and standard as possible. Any Chinese Christian worth their salt will easily be able to identify this verse when they see these characters.

If you want a big “love” character written above the verse on your artwork, just make a note in the “special instructions” tab when you are customizing your artwork. There is no extra charge for that service on this special verse.

Corinthians 13:4

 ai ha nintai tsuyoi. ai ha nasakebukai. netama nai. ai ha jiman se zu, takabura nai.
Corinthians 13:4 Scroll

愛は忍耐強い。愛は情け深い。ねたまない。愛は自慢せず、高ぶらない。is 1st Corinthians 13:4 in Japanese.

In English, this reads:

1st Corinthians 13:4 (KJV) Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up...

1st Corinthians 13:4 (NIV) Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

1st Corinthians 13:4 (Basic English) Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride.

If you want a big “love” character written above the verse on your artwork, just make a note in the “special instructions” tab when you are customizing your artwork. There is no extra charge for that service on this special verse.


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

 kubittake
Crazy Love Scroll

首っ丈 is a Japanese word that means “deeply in love with,” “madly in love with,” “heads over heels in love with,” or “to be crazy about.”

Cry in the Dojo - Laugh on the Battlefield

 doujou de naki senjou de warau
Cry in the Dojo - Laugh on the Battlefield Scroll

道場で泣き戦場で笑う is a Japanese phrase that means “Cry in the dojo, laugh on the battlefield.”

You'll see this phrase in a lot of dojos as a kind of philosophical joke.


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


See Also:  The More We Sweat in Training the Less We Bleed in Battle

Predestined Love / Love by Fate

 qíng yuán
Predestined Love / Love by Fate Scroll

This Chinese word means predestined love or love affinity.

This can be fate, karma, or the bond that brings two lovers together.

Die Without Regret

 sǐ ér wú huǐ
Die Without Regret Scroll

死而無悔 is how to say “die with no regrets” in Mandarin Chinese.

This proverb comes from the Analects of Confucius.


See Also:  No Regrets

 kami no ai
Divine Love Scroll

神の愛 is “divine love” in Japanese.

You could also translate it as “God's Love.”

Family Love / Domestic Bliss

 tiān lún zhī lè
Family Love / Domestic Bliss Scroll

天倫之樂 means family love and joy, or domestic bliss.

The first two characters mean “the bonds of the family.”
The third character connects this to the fourth character which means happiness, joy, and cheerfulness.

Eat Drink and Be Merry

 chī hē wán lè jí shí xíng lè
Eat Drink and Be Merry Scroll

喫喝玩樂及時行樂 is just about the closest proverb to match the western idea of “Eat, drink, and be merry.”

This is a Chinese proverb that more literally means “Eat, drink, play, be merry, enjoy everything as long as you can.”

It's basically a suggestion that you try to enjoy everything in life, as long as you live, or as long as you are able.

Embrace Life / Embrace Living

 yōng bào shēng huó
Embrace Life / Embrace Living Scroll

擁抱生活 is a Chinese title that means to embrace or to hug life, or embrace what it is to live.

Embrace Life

 jinsei o kyouju suru
Embrace Life Scroll

人生を享受する means “embrace life,” in Japanese.

This can also be translated as “enjoy life.”


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

 xiǎng shòu shēng huó
Enjoy Life Scroll

享受生活 is a Chinese proverb that means “Enjoy Life.”

The first two characters mean “to enjoy” and the last two mean “life” or “living.”

 jin sei o tano shi mi ni shi te i ru
Enjoy Life Scroll

人生を楽しみにしている is one way to write “enjoy life” in Japanese.

The character breakdown:
人生 (jinsei) life (i.e. conception to death) human lifetime, living.
を (o) connecting particle.
楽しみ (tanoshimi) enjoyment; pleasure; anticipation; looking forward to.
に (ni) connecting particle.
し (shi) to do; to cause; to become; to make (into).
て (te) connecting particle.
いる (iru) indicates continuing action or resulting state.


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

Eternal Love

 yǒng héng de ài
Eternal Love Scroll

永恆的愛 is the best way to write “Eternal Love” in Chinese.

The first two characters mean eternal, eternally, everlasting, and/or perpetual.

The third character is a possessive article which sort of makes this selection mean “Love of the eternal kind.”

The last character is “love.”

This version is best if your audience is Chinese. We also have a Japanese version of eternal love.


See Also:  Forever Love | Eternal Love (Japanese)

Eternal Love

 ei en no ai
Eternal Love Scroll

永遠の愛 is a great way to write “Eternal Love” in Japanese.

The first two characters mean eternal, eternity, perpetuity, forever, immortality, and permanence.

The third character is a possessive article which sort of makes this selection mean “Love, of the eternal kind.”

The last character is “love.”

Cultural note: Most of the time, it is taboo to use the word “love” in Japanese. For instance, a Japanese man will say, “I like you,” rather than, “I love you,” to his spouse/girlfriend. However, this entry for eternal love is acceptable because of the way it is composed.

This entry is only appropriate if your audience is Japanese. We also have a Chinese version of this eternal love.

Eternal Life / Everlasting Life / Immortality

 yǒng shēng
 eisei
Eternal Life / Everlasting Life / Immortality Scroll

永生 are the last two words from John 3:16 in the Chinese Union Bible.

Although not specifically Christian, this is the way to express ever-lasting life or eternal life in Chinese.

In Japanese, this can either mean eternal life or immortality.


See Also:  Eternity | Rebirth | Reincarnation | Immortality

Eternal Life / Future Life

 lái shì
 rai-se
Eternal Life / Future Life Scroll

來世 is a word that can be used in many different ways.

It is often used to express the next life (life in heaven or wherever your soul is bound for). So it does have a religious overtone. However, it can also be used to express your life in the future - perhaps during your present lifetime.

It can also be translated as “the next world,” “the next generation,” “the time that is to come,” “otherworld,” or simply “posterity.”


See Also:  Eternity | Rebirth | Reincarnation | Immortality

Everyday Life

 rì cháng shēng huó
 nichi jou sei katsu
Everyday Life Scroll

日常生活 simply means everyday life or regular life.

You can also translate it as “Living day to day.”

Faith Hope Love

 xìn wàng ài
Faith Hope Love Scroll

信望愛 is a Chinese list of words meaning faith, hope, and love.

This is not a typical phrase in Chinese but rather just random words strung together. There's no bad meaning, it's just not typical Chinese grammar.

Faith Hope Love

 shinkou to kibou to ai
Faith Hope Love Scroll

信仰と希望と愛 is a Japanese list of words (not really a phrase) meaning faith, hope, and love.

Some have associated this word list with Corinthians 13:13, though there are no specific religious connotations in this word list, and it's not directly from that Japanese Bible verse.


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

Faith Love Peace

 xìn ài hé
 shin ai wa
Faith Love Peace Scroll

信愛和 is a word list that reads, “Faith Love Peace.”

This is not a natural phrase in Chinese or Japanese, as it lacks a subject, verb, or object. But if this is what you want, here it is.

 qīn qíng
Family Love Scroll

親情 means affection, especially for family members.

This can also be translated as “family love” or “love, especially within a married couple or between parents and children.”

 kazokuai
Family Love Scroll

家族愛 is a Japanese title that means love of (one's) family, family love, or familial love.

A Father’s Love

 fù ài
A Father’s Love Scroll

父愛 means “father's love” in Chinese.

A Father’s Love

 chichi no ai
A Father’s Love Scroll

父の愛 means “father's love” in Japanese.

 chū liàn
 hatsukohi / hatsukoi
First Love Scroll

初戀 means “first love” in Chinese and Japanese.

You could also say that it means “first crush,” “first affection,” or “puppy love.”


First LoveIn Japanese and Simplified Chinese, they write the second character as shown to the right. If you want this version, click on the characters to the right instead of the Select and Customize button above.

Rise and Fall / Ups and Downs

Eiko-Seisui

 ei ko sei sui
Rise and Fall / Ups and Downs Scroll

This Japanese proverb can be translated as “flourish and wither, prosper and perish,” “life is full of fortune and misfortune,” or simply “vicissitudes of life.”

栄枯盛衰 / 榮枯盛衰 is about the rise and fall of human affairs or the ups and downs of life. Prosperity comes and goes, everything is fleeting and temporary, but like waves, another swell of prosperity may come.

Here's how the Kanji break down in this proverb:

栄 = prosper; thrive; flourish; boom.
枯 = wither; die.
盛 = prosperous; flourishing; thriving; successful; energetic; vigorous; enthusiastic.
衰 = become weaker; decline; get weak; die down; subside; abate; fail.


榮 Notes: The original version of the first character looks like the image to the right. In modern Japan, they simplified that Kanji a bit into the version shown above. If you have a preference for which style is used for your calligraphy, please let me know when you place your order.

Apparently, with that original version of the first character, this is also used in Korean Hanja. However, I have not confirmed that it’s used in the same way or is widely-known in Korean.

Forbidden Love

 jīn jì zhī ài
Forbidden Love Scroll

禁忌之愛 means “forbidden love” in Chinese.

The first two characters are a word that means forbidden, taboo, or “[something] to be avoided.”

The third character is a particle that connects forbidden to love.

The last character means love.

Forbidden Love

 kindan no ai
Forbidden Love Scroll

禁断の愛 means “forbidden love,” in Japanese.

Forever Love

 yǒng yuǎn de ài
Forever Love Scroll

永遠的愛 refers to love that will last forever.

The first two characters mean forever, eternal, eternity, perpetuity, immortality, and/or permanence.

The third character is a possessive article which sort of makes this selection mean “The forever kind of love.”

The last character is “love.”


See Also:  Eternal Love Always

Forever Young / Long Life

 fu rou chou ju
Forever Young / Long Life Scroll

This Japanese phrase means “perpetual youth and longevity.”

It contains the ideas of never getting old and eternal life.

 shàng dì jiù shì ài
God is Love Scroll

上帝就是愛 is a common way to express “God is Love” in Chinese.

 kami wa ai na ri
God is Love Scroll

神は愛なり is a common way to express “God is Love” in Japanese.


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

God Loves You

 shàng dì ài nǐ
God Loves You Scroll

上帝愛你 means “God loves you,” in Chinese.

Venus / Amor / God of Love

 ainokami
Venus / Amor / God of Love Scroll

愛の神 is the Japanese title for Amor, Eros, Venus, or God of Love.

The Good Life / Beautiful Life

 měi hǎo de shēng huó
The Good Life / Beautiful Life Scroll

In Chinese, 美好的生活 means “Beautiful Life,” or “The Good Life.”

Greatest Love

 zuì wěi dà de ài
Greatest Love Scroll

最偉大的愛 means “the greatest love” in Chinese.

Keeping in mind that Chinese is different than English, the first character is like “-est” or adding “the most” as a modifier to the next word.
The 2nd and 3rd characters mean great, mighty, and/or large.
The 4th is a possessive article.
The last is the character for love.

When you put it all together, you get a phrase that means the greatest love, enormous love, or the mightiest love.

Greatest Infinite Love

 bu gen dai no ai
Greatest Infinite Love Scroll

無限大の愛 is a Japanese title meaning infinite great love, unlimited great love, or eternal love.

無 means never, not, or like a prefix “un-.”

限 means limited, restricted, or bound.
大 means great or big.
の is a possessive article.
愛 means love or affection.

Guan Shi Yin: Protector Of Life

 guān shì yīn
 kanzeon
Guan Shi Yin: Protector Of Life Scroll

觀世音 is an alternate title for Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion or Goddess of Mercy.

觀世音 is the Buddhist bestower of children, the protector of life and all in distress (especially of those at sea).

Happy / Laughter / Cheerful Bliss

 lè
 raku
Happy / Laughter / Cheerful Bliss Scroll

樂 is a single-character form of happiness or bliss that holds the ideas of laughing and having a good time.

This can also be translated as happy, glad, enjoyable, fun, and sometimes, music.

This a really good character if your audience is Chinese.

This is not a word seen alone very often in Korean.

楽In Japanese, this character is written like the image shown to the right. If you order this from the Japanese master calligrapher, it will look like this instead of the character shown above.
Note: In Japanese, this has a meaning of comfort, ease, and enjoyment.


See Also:  Joyfulness

Love and Happiness

 xìng fú yǔ ài
Love and Happiness Scroll

幸福與愛 is “happiness and love” in Chinese.

There is a suggestion of “good fortune” in the version of happiness used here.

Happy Laughter

 huān xiào
Happy Laughter Scroll

歡笑 translates as “happy laughter.”

The first character means happy or happiness.
The second character means to laugh, laughter or smile.

Healthy Living

 jiàn kāng shēng huó
 kenkou seikatsu
Healthy Living Scroll

If you are into healthy living, 健康生活 might be an excellent selection for a wall scroll to hang in your home.

The first two characters speak of health, vitality, vigor, and being of sound body. The second two characters mean living or life (daily existence).


See Also:  Strength | Vitality | Health

Holding Flowers with Subtle Smile

An idiom for heart-to-heart communication

 niān huá wēi xiào
 nenge misho
Holding Flowers with Subtle Smile Scroll

拈華微笑 is a Chinese, Korean, and Japanese Buddhist title that relays the idea of “heart-to-heart communication,” or “thought transference.”

The literal translation is, “holding a flower and subtly smiling,” or “the holding of a flower with a subtle smile.” It is the visual act and emotion that communicates more volume than words can say.

Soul Mates at Heart

 kokoro no han ryo
Soul Mates at Heart Scroll

心の伴侶 is a Japanese-only title for soulmates.

心 means heart, soul, mind, core, or center. In ancient times, the heart was believed to be the mind or center of your soul and being.

の is a possessive article that connects everything here.

伴侶 means mates, companions, partners, and spouses.

This Japanese version of soulmates is about two partners, coupled or joined by their hearts.

Love for Humanity / Brotherly Love

benevolence, love

 bó ài
 hakuai
Love for Humanity / Brotherly Love Scroll

In Chinese and Korean, 博愛 means a universal fraternity, brotherhood, or universal love.

In Japanese, this means charity, benevolence, philanthropy, or love for humanity.

Please note these subtle differences and take that into account depending on your intended audience (Chinese, Korean or Japanese).


See Also:  Benevolence | Altruism

 wǒ chóng bài nǐ
I Adore You Scroll

我崇拜你 is how to write, “I adore you” or “I worship you” in Chinese.

Ikiru / To Live

 ikiru
Ikiru / To Live Scroll

生きる is a Japanese title that means to live, to exist, to make a living, to subsist, to come to life, or to be enlivened.

生きる is also the title of a 1952 Japanese movie that uses the translated English title of “To Live.”

This term, when used in the context of baseball, and some Japanese games such as “go,” can mean “safe.”


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

 wǒ ài nǐ
I Love You Scroll

我愛你 directly translates as “I love you” from English to Chinese characters.

This “I love you” phrase is very commonly used between lovers in China.

I Love You / Aishiteru

 ai shi te ru
I Love You / Aishiteru Scroll

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.

Immortal / Immortality

 bù xiǔ
 fukyuu
Immortal / Immortality Scroll

不朽 means immortal or immortality in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

The literal translation is “without decay” or “never rotting.” This title speaks of something or someone who never dies and thus never rots or decays.

This can also be translated as everlasting, eternal, or imperishable.

The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering

 huò dé yǒng shēng de yào shí shì xiān yào huó dé jīng cǎi
The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering Scroll

獲得永生的鑰匙是先要活得精彩 is a famous quote from Bruce Lee.

However, when quoted, he was speaking in English. So this is a translation of his English quote into Chinese. Since Bruce spoke both Chinese and English, his quotes sometimes go both ways.

Infinite Love

 wú xiàn ài
 mu gen ai
Infinite Love Scroll

無限愛 is the Chinese and Japanese title meaning infinite love, unlimited love, or unbounded love.

The first character means never, not, or like the prefix “un-.”

The second means limited, restricted, or bound.

The third means love or affection.

A Life of Serenity Yields Understanding

 dàn bó yǐ míng zhì, níng jìng ér zhì yuǎn
A Life of Serenity Yields Understanding Scroll

淡泊以明志寧靜而致遠 is a kind of complex ten-character proverb composed by Zhuge Liang about 1800 years ago.

This is a Chinese proverb that means “Leading a simple life will yield a clear mind, and having inner peace will help you see far (into the world).”

What I have translated as “simple life” means NOT being materialistic and NOT competing in the rat race.

The last word means “far” but the deeper meaning is that you will surpass what you can currently see or understand. Perhaps even the idea of opening up vast knowledge and understanding of complex ideas.

The whole phrase has a theme that suggests if you are NOT an aggressive cut-throat person who fights his way to the top no matter how many people he crushes on the way, and instead seek inner peace, you will have a happier existence and be more likely to understand the meaning of life.


See Also:  Serenity

Jesus Christ is Love

 yē sū jī dū shì ài
Jesus Christ is Love Scroll

耶穌基督是愛 means Jesus Christ is Love in Mandarin Chinese.

耶稣 means Jesus, close to the original pronunciation of Yeshua.
基督 is the Chinese word that means Christ.
是 = is.
爱 = love.

Jesus is My Life

 yē sū shì wǒ de shēng mìng
Jesus is My Life Scroll

耶穌是我的生命 means Jesus is my life in Chinese.

The first two characters are a transliteration of the name Jesus into Mandarin Chinese.
The third character means, is.

The fourth and fifth mean my or mine.

The last two characters mean life, as in lifespan, or from birth to death.

This is not a common phrase for Chinese Christians, but this is the best way to translate this idea from English to Mandarin Chinese.

Through the Ups and Downs of Life

 tóng gān gòng kǔ
Through the Ups and Downs of Life Scroll

同甘共苦 is a Chinese proverb that talks of “shared delights and common hardships.”

This can be translated and understood in a few different ways, including...
To share life's joys and sorrows.
For better or for worse.
Through joys and sorrows of life.
Through all life's ups and downs.
To go through thick and thin.
To stick together through thick and thin.
To share the joys and sorrows of life.
To share pleasures and pains.
To partake in each other's joys and sorrows.
To take “for better or for worse.”

The Karma/Fate/Destiny that Brings Lovers Together

 yīn yuán
The Karma/Fate/Destiny that Brings Lovers Together Scroll

姻緣 means “Destiny that brings lovers together.” It can also be translated technically as “Predestined matrimonial affinity” (wow, talk about taking the romance out of this word - that was from the Oxford C-E dictionary).

This speaks to the fate (or karma) that brings a husband and wife together. I would translate this as “Together by fate” or “Joined by destiny” but in the context of marriage. You could use this for non-married lovers, but the first character has a suggestion that this refers to those that are married.

Life-Saving Sword

 katsu jin ken
Life-Saving Sword Scroll

活人剣 is a Japanese title for “life-saving sword” or “katsujinken.”

This title suggests that a sword used for killing can also be used for saving or giving life.


See Also:  Satsujinken

Kindness / Caring

 qīn qiè
 shin setsu
Kindness / Caring Scroll

親切 is a Chinese/Japanese/Korean word that can also mean affectionate, cordial, warm, or close (emotionally).

Kindness shows you care and are doing some good to make life better for others. Be thoughtful about people's needs. Show love and compassion to someone who is sad or needs your help. When you are tempted to be cruel, to criticize or tease, decide to be kind instead.


See Also:   Caring | Benevolence

Love and Respect / Kindness and Respect

 ài jìng
 aikei / aikyou
Love and Respect / Kindness and Respect Scroll

愛敬 is a Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja title that can mean “love and respect,” “kindness and respect,” “to love with reverence,” “charm,” “amiability,” “winsomeness,” “courtesy,” or “ingratiating behavior.”


Note: The wide-ranging definitions show that this word is a bit ambiguous without the context of being used in a sentence.

Live Together and Help Each Other

 kyou son kyou ei
Live Together and Help Each Other Scroll

共存共栄 is a Japanese proverb that means “live together and help each other,” “existing together, thriving together,” or “co-existence and co-prosperity.”

Life in Harmony / Balanced Life

Harmonious Life

 hé xié shēng huó
Life in Harmony / Balanced Life Scroll

This 和諧生活 title suggests that you have, or want to get your life in balance.

The first two characters regard the idea of balance, harmony, and peace.

The second two characters mean “life.” More specifically this refers to your livelihood, career, and the daily activities that comprise your life or living. Some would translate those two characters as “one's daily existence.”


Note: We have a couple of titles for this idea. This version is more of a noun, thus "The Balanced Life" verses a verb form like "Balancing [Your] Life."

Life in Balance / Balancing Life

The art of balancing your life

 píng héng rén shēng
 hei kou jin sei
Life in Balance / Balancing Life Scroll

This 平衡人生 title suggests that you are actively trying to keep your life in balance.

Think of this as the action verb of seeking or having a balanced life.

The first two characters mean balance, equilibrium, or keeping things equal.

The last two characters mean “life.” Literally “human life.”

Life in Harmony / Balanced Life

 cho wa sei katsu
Life in Harmony / Balanced Life Scroll

調和生活 is a Japanese title that suggests that you have, or want to get your life in balance.

The first two Kanji mean harmonious or in harmony.

The second two Kanji mean “life.” More specifically this refers to your livelihood, career, and the daily activities that comprise your life or living.

Life Energy / Spiritual Energy

Chi Energy: Essence of Life / Energy Flow

 qì
 ki
 
Life Energy / Spiritual Energy Scroll

This 氣 energy flow is a fundamental concept of traditional Asian culture.

氣 is romanized as “Qi” or “Chi” in Chinese, “Gi” in Korean, and “Ki” in Japanese.
Chi is believed to be part of everything that exists, as in “life force” or “spiritual energy.” It is most often translated as “energy flow” or literally as “air” or “breath.” Some people will simply translate this as “spirit,” but you must consider the kind of spirit we're talking about. I think this is weighted more toward energy than spirit.

The character itself is a representation of steam (or breath) rising from rice. To clarify, the character for rice looks like this: 米
Steam was apparently seen as visual evidence of the release of “life energy” when this concept was first developed. The Qi / Chi / Ki character is still used in compound words to mean steam or vapor.
The etymology of this character is a bit complicated. It's suggested that the first form of this character from bronze script (about 2500 years ago) looked like these samples: 氣氣
However, it was easy to confuse this with the character for the number three. So the rice radical was added by 221 B.C. (the exact time of this change is debated). This first version with the rice radical looks like this: 氣
The idea of Qi / Chi / Ki is really a philosophical concept. It's often used to refer to the “flow” of metaphysical energy that sustains living beings. Yet there is much debate that has continued for thousands of years as to whether Qi / Chi / Ki is pure energy or consists partially or fully of matter.

You can also see the character for Qi / Chi / Ki in common compound words such as Tai Chi / Tai Qi, Aikido, Reiki, and Qi Gong / Chi Kung.

In the modern Japanese Kanji, the rice radical has been changed into two strokes that form an X.

気 The original and traditional Chinese form is still understood in Japanese, but we can also offer that modern Kanji form in our custom calligraphy. If you want this Japanese Kanji, please click on the character to the right instead of the “Select and Customize” button above.


More language notes: This is pronounced like “chee” in Mandarin Chinese, and like “key” in Japanese.
This is also the same way to write this in Korean Hanja where it is Romanized as “gi” and pronounced like “gee” but with a real G-sound, not a J-sound.
Though Vietnamese no longer use Chinese characters in their daily language, this character is still widely known in Vietnam.


See Also:  Energy | Life Force | Vitality | Life | Birth | Soul

 shēng mìng
 seimei / inochi
Life Force Scroll

This Chinese, Korean and Japanese word means “life force” or simply “life.”

The first character means “life” or “birth.” The second means “life” or “fate.” Together they create the meaning of “life force,” though some will translate this as “existence” and sometimes “vitality.”


See Also:  Vitality | Birth

Life Full of Love

 ai ni afu re ta jin sei
Life Full of Love Scroll

This Japanese proverb means “life full of love” or “life filled with love.”


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

Life Goes On

 shēng huó zài jì xù
Life Goes On Scroll

生活在繼續 means “No matter what happens, life goes on” or “For better or worse, life goes on.”

生活在繼續 is kind of modern Chinese proverb, but the meaning is generational.

生活 = to live; life; livelihood.
在 = (used before a verb to indicate an action in progress).
繼續 = to continue; to proceed with; to go on with.

Life Goes On

 jin sei ha tsudu ku
Life Goes On Scroll

人生は続く is a Japanese phrase that expresses, “Life Goes On.”

The first two characters mean “life” (literally “human life”).
The third character is a particle that connects the ideas in this phrase.
The last two characters mean “to continue,” “to last,” “to go on,” and “to occur again and again.”


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

A Life of Happiness and Prosperity

 xìng fú chéng gōng de yì shēng
A Life of Happiness and Prosperity Scroll

幸福成功的一生 means “A life of happiness and prosperity” or “A life of happiness and success.”

It's a very positive and inspirational wall scroll selection.


See Also:  Prosperity

A Life of Happiness and Prosperity

 kou fuku to ha nei no jin sei
A Life of Happiness and Prosperity Scroll

幸福と繁栄の人生 is a Japanese proverb that means “A life of happiness and prosperity” or “A life of happiness and success.”


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


See Also:  Prosperity

Life in Every Breath

 shēng huó zhōng de měi yī cì hū xī
Life in Every Breath Scroll

生活中的每一次呼吸 means “life in every breath” in Chinese.

This phrase is more like “every breath in life” as if it's a quantity of breaths that makes up your life.


There are many ways to understand this phrase in English, so this is one of a few ways it could be translated into Chinese. If you’re looking for a different meaning, please contact me.

Life in Every Breath

 hakuiki hitotsu nimo seimei ga yadori
Life in Every Breath Scroll

吐く息一つにも生命が宿り means “life in every breath” in Japanese.

This phrase is more like “every single breath as you live and dwell.”

The characters breakdown this way:
吐く息 (hakuiki) to breathe; exhaled air; one's breath; breathing.
一つ (hitotsu) one; only; just.
にも (nimo) also; too; as well; even.
生命 (seimei) life; existence; living.
が (ga) particle.
宿り (yadori) to lodge; to dwell; lodging; abode; shelter.


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

Life Is But A Dream

 rén shēng rú mèng
Life Is But A Dream Scroll

人生如夢 is an old Chinese proverb that suggests, “life is but a dream.”

This kind of follows the Buddhist idea that the world is a temporal place, where reality may not be as real as you think.

Life is a Journey

 rén shēng shì yí duàn lǚ chéng
Life is a Journey Scroll

人生是一段旅程 is a proverb that means “Life is a Journey.”

If this matches your philosophy, this might be the perfect Chinese calligraphy for you.

Life is Good / Life is Beautiful

 jinsei wa subarashii
Life is Good / Life is Beautiful Scroll

人生は素晴らしい means “life is good,” “life is great,” or “life is beautiful” in Japanese.

The first two characters mean “life” (as in your or a human lifespan).

The third character kind of means “is.”

The last five characters are a long adjective that means wonderful, splendid, and/or magnificent. In the context of life, it reads more like good or beautiful.


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

Life is Good / Life is Beautiful

 shēng huó měi hǎo
Life is Good / Life is Beautiful Scroll

生活美好 means “life is good” in Chinese.

The first two characters mean “life” or “living.”

The last two characters mean “good” or “beautiful.”

Life is Good

 rén shēng liáng hǎo
 jin sei ryou kou
Life is Good Scroll

人生良好 means “life is good” in Japanese.

The first two characters mean “life” (as in your or a human lifespan).

The last two characters mean “good.”

This also makes sense in Chinese but it reads more like, “life is all right.”

Life is Short

A 100-year-old is but a traveler passing through this life

 bǎi suì guāng yīn rú guò kè
Life is Short Scroll

百歲光陰如過客 directly translates as: [Even a] hundred-year-old [person] is [just a] traveler passing by.

The simple message is, “Human life is short.” Of course, there is an unspoken suggestion that you should make the best of your time here on earth.

Life is Short

 jinsei ha mijikai
Life is Short Scroll

人生は短い is “life is short” in Japanese.

The character breakdown:
人生 (jinsei) life (i.e., conception to death); human life, living, lifetime.
は (ha/wa) particle (means “is” in this case).
短い (mijikai) short.


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

Life is What You Make It

 shēng huó shì zì jǐ chuàng zào de
Life is What You Make It Scroll

生活是自己創造的 is a Chinese phrase meaning “Life is what you make of it,” or “Life is your own creation.”

Life is What You Make of It

 jinsei wa tsukuru mono
Life is What You Make of It Scroll

人生は作るもの means “life is what you make of it,” in Japanese.


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

Journey of Life

 jinseikouro
Journey of Life Scroll

If you believe that life is a journey, this is a nice Japanese title for your wall.

人生行路 means “journey of life” in Japanese Kanji. The actual word order is more like “life (人生) journey (行路)” as Japanese grammar is a bit different than English.

Note: The “journey” part can also be translated as “road,” so this is also how to say “the road of life.”

Life Full of Love

 chōng mǎn ài de shēng huó
Life Full of Love Scroll

充滿沖愛的生活 is the Chinese way to say “life full of love,” “life brimming with love,” or “life overflowing with love.”

Life of Love

 ài qíng shēng huó
 aijyou seikatsu
Life of Love Scroll

愛情生活 is the Chinese proverb for “Loving Life.” Some also translate this as “[your] Loving Life” or “Life full of Love.”

This is about being a loving person (to your spouse and/or family) during your life. This is not the same as loving the state of being alive - not “love of living” but rather “being a loving person during your life.”


Note: Korean pronunciation is included above, though use of this proverb in Korean has not been verified.

This proverb can be understood in Japanese but it’s primarily a Chinese proverb (it will "feel" Chinese to a Japanese person).

Life of Love

 aini michita seikatsu
Life of Love Scroll

愛に満ちた生活 is a Japanese phrase that means “a loving life” or “life filled with love.”


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

Life of Serenity

 yuu yuu kan kan
Life of Serenity Scroll

悠悠閑閑 means “life of serenity” in Japanese.

However, it can also have these meanings depending on how it's read: “composed and unhurried,” “easygoing and leisurely,” “in indolence,” or “life of idleness.”

Life with Love

 ai no a ru jin sei
Life with Love Scroll

愛のある人生 is a Japanese phrase that means “Life with Love.”


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

 lè zài shēng huó
Life is Fun Scroll

This means “life is fun” in Chinese.

樂 means fun, happy, or in some contexts, joyful music.

在 means at/is.

生活 means life or living.

Life is Good

 shēng huó shì měi hǎo de
Life is Good Scroll

生活是美好的 is “Life is Good” in Mandarin Chinese.

Live For The Day

 huó zài jīn tiān
Live For The Day Scroll

活在今天 is not an eastern concept, so it does not translate into a phrase that seems natural on a wall scroll.

However, if this is your philosophy, the characters shown here do capture your idea of living for today or living in the moment. 活在今天 says “Live in today,” and they are grammatically correct in Chinese.


Note: This kind of makes sense in Korean Hanja but the grammar is Chinese, so it’s not that natural in Korean.

Live For The Day / Seize The Day

 ima wo i ki ru
Live For The Day / Seize The Day Scroll

今を生きる is a Japanese phrase that can be translated as “live for the day,” “live for the moment,” “seize the day,” or “make the most of the present.”

You can think of this as the Japanese version of “Carpe Diem.”


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

Live Love Die

 shēng ài sǐ
 sei ai shi
Live Love Die Scroll

This came from a customer's request, but it's not too bad.

These three simple characters suggest that you are born, you learn to love, and then exit the world.

Live for What You Love

 jin sei ou ka
Live for What You Love Scroll

人生謳歌 means “live for what you love” in Japanese.

The first two characters mean “human life” or simply “living.” The last two characters mean “merit,” “prosperity,” or “what you enjoy.” This phrase can suggest working or staying busy for your own goals (in your career).


See Also:  Prosperity

Live In The Moment / Live In The Now

 xiàn shì
 gen sei
Live In The Moment / Live In The Now Scroll

現世 is a very short way to write “live in the moment” or “live in the now” in Japanese.

This short word is open to interpretation. It's used in Japanese Buddhism to mean “the current epoch” or “the current age” (the current age is but a brief moment in the greater scope of existence). In that context, this is pronounced “utsushiyo” or “ustusiyo” in Japanese. Otherwise, it's pronounced “gensei” in Japanese.

Other translation possibilities include:

Live for now
Earthly world
This world
This life
Earthly life
Present life
Present generation
Present incarnation
Current age
This existence
This (momentary) reality


Note: This is also a word in Chinese and old Korean Hanja. While the meaning is more or less the same, this is not recommended for a wall scroll if your audience is Chinese or Korean. This selection is best if your audience is Japanese.

Live in Peace and Contentment

 ān jū lè yè
 an kyo raku gyou
Live in Peace and Contentment Scroll

安居樂業 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja proverb for “living in peace and working happily,” or “to live in peace and be content with one's occupation.”

Live in Prosperity

 shēng huó yú fán róng zhōng
Live in Prosperity Scroll

生活于繁榮中 means “live in prosperity.” It's kind of a suggestion to be prosperity the center of your world.

This is the way some people want to live (and you should always live for what you love). However, this phrase does not suggest a peaceful life - rather one that is always busy. It's not for everyone, but it might be for you.


See Also:  Prosperity

Live Without Regret

 shēng ér wú huǐ
Live Without Regret Scroll

生而無悔 is how to say “live without regrets” in Mandarin Chinese.


Note: There is some debate about whether this makes sense in Japanese. It would be read, "nama ji mu ke," and be understood in Japanese. But, a Japanese person will probably think it’s Chinese (not Japanese).


See Also:  Live for Today

Live Without Regret

 jinsei kui nashi
Live Without Regret Scroll

人生悔い無し is how to say “live without regrets” in Japanese.


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


See Also:  Live for Today

Live and Let Die

 huó yě ràng bié rén sǐ
Live and Let Die Scroll

活也讓別人死 means “live and let die” in Chinese.

This is the Chinese translation of the song lyric by Guns 'n Roses for the James Bond 007 movie of the same name.

Live and Let Die

 shinu no wa yatsuradesu
Live and Let Die Scroll

死ぬのは奴らだ means “live and let die,” in Japanese.

死ぬのは奴らだ is the Japanese title of the James Bond 007 movie of the same name.


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

Live Free or Die

Give me liberty or give me death

 bú zì yóu wú nìng sǐ
Live Free or Die Scroll

不自由毋寧死 means “Give me liberty or give me death” in Chinese.

This is also the best way to say, “Live free or die.”

The characters break down this way:
不 = Not; none; without.
自由 = Freedom; liberty; freewill; self-determination.
毋寧 = Rather; would rather; rather be.
死 = Dead; death.

This will go nicely next to your “Don't tread on me” flag. This phrase is known well enough in China that it's listed in a few dictionaries. Though I doubt you will find too many Chinese citizens willing to yell this on the steps of the capital in Beijing.


See Also:  Death Before Dishonor

 jiān qiáng shēng huó
Live Strong Scroll

While hard to translate directly, 堅強生活 is the best way to write “Live Strong” in Chinese. If you are a cancer survivor or support Lance Armstrong's ideas, this is a nice selection for a wall scroll.

The first two characters mean strong or staunch. The last two mean living or life (daily existence). While the Chinese version is the reverse order of “Live Strong” it is the only way to write it in a natural form that is grammatically correct.

Note that we are in no way affiliated or connected to Lance or his foundation. This translation is offered because of multiple requests from customers whose philosophies or ideas match those of the Live Strong idea.

 tsuyoku ikiru
Live Strong Scroll

強く生きる is “Live Strong” in Japanese.

If you are a cancer survivor, or simply support Lance Armstrong's ideas, this is a nice selection for a wall scroll.


Note that we are in no way affiliated or connected to Lance, nor his foundation.


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

Longing for Lover

 sī liàn
Longing for Lover Scroll

思戀 is a term used for when you miss a lover.

It suggests that you are separated (not by choice) and have longed for each other. It's a strong feeling of missing your lover.

Longevity / Long Life Wishes

A wish for a long and prosperous life

 fú rú dōng hǎi shòu bǐ nán shān
Longevity / Long Life Wishes Scroll

福如東海壽比南山 is a phrase that means “May you have good fortune as great as the eastern oceans, and may your life last as long as the southern mountains.”

In ancient Chinese mythology, the eastern oceans and southern mountains are where God resides (basically it is the same as saying “heaven”). So it's like saying, “May your good fortune and life be as vast as the heavens.”

There is also a longer, 14-character version of this phrase. Also, this can be cut into two scrolls (with half the phrase on each side - great for hanging on either side of a doorway). Just let me know if you'd like a special version (there is an additional cost).

Longevity / Long Life Wishes

 nan zan no jyu
Longevity / Long Life Wishes Scroll

南山之壽 is a wish for long life for someone. The first part of this Japanese phrase is “Nan Zan,” which means “south mountain.” This mountain is one of the good wishes, good fortune, and prosperity. The title is often used as a salutation of good wishes.

The third Kanji is just a connector, and the last Kanji means long life or longevity.

I guess you could translate this phrase as “May your life be as long as Nan Zan is tall.”

Longevity / Long Life

 cháng shòu
 chouju
Longevity / Long Life Scroll

Used as a noun, this word means “longevity” or “the ability to live long.”

It can also be an adjective meaning “long-lived.”


Japanese LongevityPlease note that Japanese use a simplified version of the second character of longevity - it also happens to be the same simplification used in mainland China. Click on the character to the right if you want the Japanese/Simplified version of this two-character longevity calligraphy.

Longevity / Long Life

 shòu
 ju / kotobuki
 
Longevity / Long Life Scroll

壽 can be defined as “long life” or “longevity” in the simplest form.


Japanese LongevityPlease note that Japanese use a simplified version of this character - it also happens to be the same simplification used in mainland China. Click on the character to the right if you want the Japanese/Simplified version.

 ai mei
Lost Love Scroll

荷花 is a Japanese title that can mean straying from love, falling out of love, or losing love.

Love and Affection

 ài qíng
 aijou
Love and Affection Scroll

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.

Love and Hate

 ài yǔ hèn
Love and Hate Scroll

Whether you want to make a joke about what marriage really is or just feel that the world is full of love and hate, this selection is for you.

愛與恨 happens to literally translate. So the first character is love. The middle character is a connecting particle-like “and” in English. The last character is hate.

Upon request, we can omit the “and” character and just put a dot to separate love and hate if you prefer.

Love and Hate

 ài zèng
 ai zou
Love and Hate Scroll

愛憎 is a weird selection for a calligraphy wall scroll. But if you really want it, we'll do it.

This version is most appropriate if your audience is Japanese or Korean (for Koreans who can read the ancient Korean Hanja).

The first character means love or affection.
The second character means hate, dislike, detest, or loathe.

Hoes Before Bros

 jiàn sè wàng yì
Hoes Before Bros Scroll

見色忘義 is a modern Chinese idiom that means to put love before loyalty or to forget loyalty when in love.

This would be roughly equivalent to the English, “Hoes before bros.”

Love Your Children, But Discipline Them Too

 ài zài xīn lǐ hèn zài miàn pì
Love Your Children, But Discipline Them Too Scroll

爱在心里狠在面皮 literally translates as “Love [your] children in [your] heart, [but] be stern [with them] in [your] manner.”

This is a little like saying “Love your child but don't spare the switch.”

Love Conquers All

 ài qíng zhēng fú yī qiè
Love Conquers All Scroll

愛情征服一切 is the Chinese phrase for “love conquers all,” or from Latin, “omnia vincit amor.”

Love and Devotion

 cí ài
 jiai
Love and Devotion Scroll

慈愛 refers to the kind of love and devotion you might have to your children or any loved one.

This especially applied to your children but could also be any member of your family - spouse, etc.

This can also be translated as affection, kindness, love, to love affectionately.

慈愛 is also used in a Buddhist context with the same meaning.

In Japanese, this can also be a female given name romanized as Yasue.

Eternal Love / Love Eternally

 ài yǒng héng
Eternal Love / Love Eternally Scroll

愛永恆 is the shortest way to express the idea of “love eternally” in Chinese.

The first character here means “love”

The last two mean eternal, eternally, everlasting, and/or perpetual.


See Also:  Love Forever

Universal Love

 jiān ài
Universal Love Scroll

兼愛 is a Chinese word that means “universal love,” a principle advocated by philosopher Mozi (墨子), stressing that people should care for everyone equally.

Love the Flower, Love the Pot also

Love Me, Love My Dog

 ài huā lián pén ài ài nǚ téng nǚ xù
Love the Flower, Love the Pot also Scroll

This proverb, 爱花连盆爱爱女疼女婿, literally translates as “If one loves a flower, [one will] love its pot; [if one really] loves [one's] daughter, [one will also] love [one's] son-in-law.”

Figuratively, is similar to the English proverbs:
Love me, love my dog.
Love for a person extends even to the crows on his roof.

Love Forever / Love Eternal

 ài yǒng yuǎn
 ai ei en
Love Forever / Love Eternal Scroll

The first character here means “love.”

The last two mean forever, eternity, eternal, perpetuity, immortality, and/or permanence.

愛永遠 is the shortest and most universal way to express this idea in Chinese and Japanese.

Japanese note: This sound more like a title than a phrase in Japanese (if that makes any sense). 愛永遠 is a great title for a romantic book, the title of a movie, the name of a perfume, or even a name for a store.


See Also:  Eternal Love | Forever Love

Love and Honor

 qíng yì
Love and Honor Scroll

情義 means to love and honor in Chinese. 情義 is more or less the kind of thing you'd find in marriage vows.

The first character suggests emotions, passion, heart, humanity, sympathy, and feelings.

In this context, the second character means to honor your lover's wishes and treat them justly and righteously (fairly). That second character can also be translated as “obligation,” as in the obligation a husband and wife have to love each other even through difficult times.

In the context outside of a couple's relationship, this word can mean “comradeship.”

Japanese may see this more as “humanity and justice” than “love and honor.” It's probably best if your target is Chinese.


This is the short and sweet form, there is also a longer poetic form (you can find it here: Love and Honor if it’s not on the page you are currently viewing).


See Also:  Love and Honor

Love and Honor

 shēn qíng hòu yì
Love and Honor Scroll

深情厚義 means to love and honor.

This is more or less the kind of thing you'd find in marriage vows.

The first two characters suggest deep love or deep emotions, passion, and feelings.
The last two characters mean generous justice or thick honor (the third character is an adjective that means generous or thick). It just means that you will honor your lover's wishes and treat them justly and righteously (fairly).


This is the longer four-character version, there is also a short and sweet two character version.


See Also:  Love and Honor

Love and Honor

 ai to homa re
Love and Honor Scroll

愛と譽れ means to love and honor in Japanese.

The first Kanji is literally “love.”
The second character just acts to connect the ideas like “and” or “with.”
The last two Kanji mean “honor” or “honour.” This is the kind of honor that suggests you are praising or admiring someone.


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


See Also:  Love and Honor

Love and Honor

 ai to keii
Love and Honor Scroll

愛と敬意 is a Japanese phrase that means “Love and Honor” or “Love and Respect.”

There are a few ways to express this idea in Japanese, so you may see other versions used.

Love the House and Its Crow

 ài wū jí wū
Love the House and Its Crow Scroll

愛屋及烏 is the Chinese idiom, “Love the house and its crow.”

It speaks to the fact that if you are involved in a relationship with somebody, you are also in a relationship with everyone connected to that person. In English, we say, “Love me, love my dog.”

Live Laugh Love

 ai to warai no seikatsu
Live Laugh Love Scroll

Because a word list of “Live Laugh Love” is not natural in Japanese, this takes the concept and incorporates it into a proper phrase.

愛と笑いの生活 can be translated as “A life of love and laughter” or “Live life with love and laughter.”


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

 rè ài shēng mìng
Love Life Scroll

熱愛生命 is the Chinese phrase for “Love Life” or “Love of Life.”

If you love your life or want a reminder on your wall to keep you loving your life each day, this is the selection for you.

To clarify, this is different than “A life full of love,” or “love while you live.” With this phrase, you are loving the state of being alive.


Note: Korean pronunciation is included above, though use of this phrase in Korean has not been verified.

Love and Protect

 ài hù
 ai go
Love and Protect Scroll

愛護 is the Chinese and Japanese Kanji for cherish, to treasure, to take care of, to love and protect, to provide loving protection, or tender care.

Love and Respect

Love each other and show mutual respect

 xiāng ài hù jìng
Love and Respect Scroll

相愛互敬 is a nice way to say “Love and Respect” in Chinese.

This proverb is about the mutual exchange of love and respect within a good relationship.

The first two characters create a word that means “to love each other” or “mutual love.”

The third character means mutual, interlocking, or in some contexts, “to dovetail” (as in how joints are made in fine furniture).

The last character means “to respect,” “to venerate,” “to salute,” “reverence,” or simply “respect.”

Love and Respect

 jìng ài
 kei ai
Love and Respect Scroll

敬愛 is the short and sweet way to say “love and respect” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

Besides “respect and love,” this could be translated as “respect and affection,” “Reverence and love,” or “reverent love.”

In Japanese, this can also be the personal name Yoshinari.

Love and Respect

Love and respect each other

 xiāng jìng xiāng ài
Love and Respect Scroll

相敬相愛 is an old Chinese proverb that suggests love and respect go together and are to be exchanged between people (especially couples).

The first two characters mean “exchanging respect” or “mutual respect.”

The last two characters create a word that means “to love each other” or “mutual love.”

You'll notice that the first and third characters are the same. So you can read this literally as something like “Exchange respect, exchange love” or “Mutual respect, mutual love.” In English, we'd probably just say, “Mutual love and respect.” Grammar differs in every language - So while the literal translation might sound a bit awkward in English, this phrase is very natural in Chinese.

Love Will Find A Way

 zhōng chéng juàn shǔ
Love Will Find A Way Scroll

終成眷屬 is a Chinese proverb that translates roughly as “Love will find a way to come together.”

Love Will Find A Way

 yǒu qíng rén zhōng chéng juàn shǔ
Love Will Find A Way Scroll

有情人終成眷屬 is the long version of the Chinese proverb that translates as “Where there are lovers, love will find a way (to come together).”

Love Without Reason

 ài ér wú yóu
Love Without Reason Scroll

愛而無由 is how to write “love without reason” in Mandarin Chinese (using proper grammar, etc).

This is not a commonly used or ancient phrase in Chinese.

Love Without Reason

 ai ni ri yuu wa na i
Love Without Reason Scroll

愛に理由は無い is a Japanese phrase that means “love without reason,” or “love doesn't need a reason.” It's a pretty cool phrase in Japanese


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

Love Gems / Fruit of Love / Children

 ainokesshou
Love Gems / Fruit of Love / Children Scroll

愛の結晶 is a Japanese word that means the crystals or gems of love.

Figuratively, it means the treasures you create with your love (namely, your children). Some will translate this as “fruit of love.”
It's also kind of a nickname for your beloved children.

Love Faith Strength

 ài xìn qiáng
Love Faith Strength Scroll

愛信強 is the shortest way to write the word list, “love faith strength.”

The first character is love, the second is faith or believe, and the third means strong or strength.


It should be noted that word lists like this are not as natural sounding in Chinese as word lists can be in English. it’s more common to have a full phrase (with subject, verb, and object) or single words on calligraphy wall scrolls in Asia.

Love Faith Strength

 bó ài xìn niàn lì liàng
Love Faith Strength Scroll

博愛信念力量 is the verbose way to write the word list, “love faith strength.”


It should be noted that word lists like this are not as natural sounding in Chinese as word lists can be in English. it’s more common to have a full phrase (with subject, verb, and object) or single words on calligraphy wall scrolls in Asia.

Pledge of Lifelong Love

 qíng dìng zhōng shēn
Pledge of Lifelong Love Scroll

情定終身 is a pledge of eternal love in Chinese.

This can also be a colloquial way to refer to the act of exchanging marriage vows.

If you and your mate want to express how committed you are to your life-long love, this will be a great piece of calligraphy for your wall. Also, a nice phrase to celebrate an anniversary.

Lover / Beloved

 liàn rén
 koi bito
Lover / Beloved Scroll

戀人 means lover, sweetheart, or beloved in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

This term is gender-neutral, so that anyone can use it.


恋In modern Japan and China, the first character has been simplified. We suggest the traditional version, as shown above if your audience is Chinese or Korean. However, this generation of Japanese are more likely to recognize the simplified version. If you want this simple (modern Japanese) version, please click on the image shown to the right, instead of the button above.

Lover / Spouse / Sweetheart

 ài ren
 ai jin
Lover / Spouse / Sweetheart Scroll

愛人 means lover, sweetheart, spouse, husband, wife, or beloved in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

The first character means “love,” and the second means “person.”

This title can be used in many different ways, depending on the context. Husbands and wives may use this term for each other. But, if you change the context, this title could be used to mean “mistress.” It's pretty similar to the way we can use “lover” in many different ways in English.

In modern Japan, this lover title has slipped into the definition of mistress and is not good for a wall scroll.

Lover / Sweetheart

 qíng rén
 jou nin / jou jin
Lover / Sweetheart Scroll

情人 means lover, sweetheart, or beloved in Chinese and Japanese Kanji.

This term is gender-neutral so anyone can use it.

Please note that this term can easily be read or used to mean “mistress” or the kind of lover you have an affair with (especially in Japanese). The context in which this word is used affects the actual meaning. Husbands and wives or boyfriends and girlfriends can also use this term for each other with no ill meaning.

Loving Heart / Compassion

 ài xīn
Loving Heart / Compassion Scroll

愛心 literally means “loving heart.” It can also be translated as “compassion.”

In Chinese, it carries more of a compassionate meaning.

愛心 is rarely used in Japanese anymore, so best if your audience is Chinese.


See Also:  Compassion

Loving Heart / One’s Love

 koi gokoro
Loving Heart / One’s Love Scroll

戀心 literally means “loving heart.” It can also be translated as “one's love” or “awakening of love.”

戀心 is used exclusively for love between boyfriends and girlfriends or husband and wife.

Breaking down the meaning of each Kanji, the first means love, affection, or tender passion. The second Kanji means heart, mind, or soul (most will read it as the heart).


See Also:  Compassion

Madly in Love

 ài de sǐ qù huó lái
Madly in Love Scroll

爱得死去活来 is a Chinese phrase that means “to be madly in love.”

It almost literally means “Love as if your life depended on it,” or “Love you to death, just to live.”

Misery Loves Company

 tóng bìng xiāng lián
 doubyou shou awaremu
Misery Loves Company Scroll

同病相憐 is a Chinese proverb that means “fellow sufferers empathize with each other” or to match it with a western idiom, “misery loves company.” This is also somewhat known in Korean Hanja.

This could be two people who were just dumped by a girlfriend/boyfriend or just divorced. They're drawn together either by their misery or because of the need to share their miserable experience with someone else.

同病相憐 is probably the saddest proverb in our collection.

Literally, the characters mean:
同 together with
病 illness, sickness, disease (in this case, just the mental anguish after some kind of event or life issue)
相 mutual, reciprocal, each other
憐 pity, sympathize


In Japanese, this is written with two extra Hiragana on the end like this: 同病相憐れむ
If you want the Japanese version, don’t use the button above but click here instead: Misery Loves Company in Japanese

Love for Parents

 oya omoi
Love for Parents Scroll

親思い is “love or affection for one's parents” in Japanese.

A Mother’s Love / Motherly Love

 mǔ ài
A Mother’s Love / Motherly Love Scroll

母愛 is a way to write a mother's love or motherly love in Chinese.

Breaking down the characters:
母 means mother.
愛 means love.

Music is Life

 ongaku wa jinseidesu
Music is Life Scroll

This means “music is life” in Japanese.


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

Music is Life

 yīn yuè jiù shì shēng mìng
Music is Life Scroll

音樂就是生命 means “Music is Life,” in Chinese.

This is a title that we composed after so many people searched for it on our website.

My True Love

 wǒ xīn zhēn ài
My True Love Scroll

我心真愛 is a slightly poetic way to express this sentiment to someone.

The meaning is “My True Love,” but the characters directly translate as “I/Me/My Heart/Mind True/Real Love.”

Note that Chinese grammar and construction are different, so this sounds very eloquent and artsy in Chinese.
In Korean Hanja, the third character should be written differently. Just let me know when you place your order if you want that version - it will still make sense in Chinese. This phrase makes sense in Korean but is not commonly used.

My True Love

 shin jitsu no ai
My True Love Scroll

真実の愛 means “true love” or “genuine affection” in Japanese.

The first two Kanji mean true, real, genuine, or authentic.
The third Kanji is a connecting possessive article.
The last character is love or affection.

My Life, My Rules

My life, I call the shots

 wǒ de shēng huó wǒ zuò zhǔ
My Life, My Rules Scroll

我的生活我做主 is a Chinese phrase that can be translated as “My life, my rules,” or “My life, I call the shots.”

The first four characters say, “my life.”

The fifth character is I, me, and/or my.

The last two characters can be interpreted in a variety of ways, just as to make the decision, to take charge of, to call the shot, or to make the rule.

New Beginning

 xīn de kāi shǐ
New Beginning Scroll

新的開始 literally means “new beginning” in Chinese characters.

The character means “new.”

The second is a possessive article connecting the ideas of new & beginning.

The last two characters can mean “to begin,” “beginning,” “to start,” “initial,” “commencement,” or “initiation.”

New Beginning

 yī shǐ
New Beginning Scroll

伊始 is a short version of “new beginning” or simply “beginning” in Chinese characters.

You can also translate this as “from this moment on,” “starting now,” or “henceforth.”

In the day-to-day speech, this word can apply to starting a new job, beginning a new career, entering a new chapter of your life, or taking a new position (in politics, scholarship, etc.).

New Beginning

 arata na hajimari
New Beginning Scroll

新たな始まり is a Japanese word that means “new beginning” or “new start.”

Here's the character breakdown:
新た (arata) = new; fresh; novel; newly; freshly; or this can be like the prefix “re-” like “re-start” or “reset.”
な (na) is kind of a connecting article. This glues “new” to “beginning.”
始まり (hajimari) = origin; beginning.


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

 xīn shēng
 waka ki
New Life Scroll

新生 literally means “new life” or “new birth” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

Depending on the context, this word can also mean newborn, new student, rebirth, new birth, or nascent.
In Japanese, this can be the given name Wakaki.


Note: This is not the most common word selection for a calligraphy wall scroll. But if you’re a westerner, you can bend the rules a bit.

 shin sei katsu
New Life Scroll

This literally means “new life” or “new livelihood” in Japanese Kanji.

新生活 is most appropriate if you are starting a new career or otherwise are starting a new chapter in your life or a new beginning.


Note: This is not the most common word selection for a calligraphy wall scroll. But if you’re a westerner, you can bend the rules a bit.

Freedom from Anger and Worry Yields Longevity

 bù qì bù chóu huó dào bái tóu
Freedom from Anger and Worry Yields Longevity Scroll

不气不愁活到白头 is a Chinese proverb that means “Without anger or worry, you will have a long life, until after all your hair is white.”

It more literally reads, “Don't get angry or worried [and you will] live [long] till [all your] hair [becomes] white.”

 wú huǐ
 mu ke
No Regrets Scroll

無悔 is how to say “no regrets” in Mandarin Chinese.

This also makes sense in Japanese, though not the most common way to express “no regrets” in Japanese.


See Also:  Live for Today

 kou kai na shi
No Regrets Scroll

後悔無し is how to say “no regrets” in Japanese.


See Also:  Live for Today

 yí fèn ài
One Love Scroll

一份愛 means “one love.”

一份愛 is not referring to a person but the emotion of love.

It's like saying, “A piece of love” or “One unit of love.” There's not a perfect way to express a singular love, which is probably what you were searching for.

 hito tsu no ai
One Love Scroll

一つの愛 is how to write “One Love” in Japanese.


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

The Pain of Love / Love Troubles

 koinonayami
The Pain of Love / Love Troubles Scroll

恋の悩み is a Japanese title that refers to anyone having love troubles (experiencing the pain of love).


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

The Pain of Separation from Your Loves

 ài bié lí kǔ
 ai betsu ri ku
The Pain of Separation from Your Loves Scroll

愛別離苦 is a Buddhist term that refers to “the pain of separation from loved ones,” or “the suffering of being separated from those whom one loves.”

If you translate each character separately, you get, “love(s) separated [and] departed [yields] pain.”

The pain character can also be defined as anguish; suffering; distress; anxiety; worry; trouble; difficulty; hardship; bitterness; to suffer; anguish; distress; anxiety; worry; trouble; difficulty; bitterness; unhappiness; or misery.

Love Between Child and Parents

 fù cí zǐ xiào
Love Between Child and Parents Scroll

父慈子孝 is a Chinese proverb that means “benevolent father, filial son.”

Figuratively, this is the natural love between parents and children.

Appreciation and Love for Your Parents

 shuí yán cùn cǎo xīn bào dé sān chūn huī
Appreciation and Love for Your Parents Scroll

誰言寸草心報得三春暉 is the last line of a famous poem. It is perceived as a tribute or ode to your parents or mother from a child or children that have left home.

The poem was written by Meng Jiao during the Tang Dynasty (about 1200 years ago). The Chinese title is “You Zi Yin” which means “The Traveler's Recite.”

The last line as shown here speaks of the generous and warm spring sunlight which gives the grass far beyond what the little grass can could ever give back (except perhaps by showing its lovely green leaves and flourishing). The metaphor is that the sun is your mother or parents, and you are the grass. Your parents raise you and give you all the love and care you need to prepare you for the world. A debt that you can never repay, nor is repayment expected.

The first part of the poem (not written in the characters to the left) suggests that the thread in a loving mother's hands is the shirt of her traveling offspring. Vigorously sewing while wishing them to come back sooner than they left.
...This part is really hard to translate into English that makes any sense but maybe you get the idea. We are talking about a poem that is so old that many Chinese people would have trouble reading it (as if it was the King James Version of Chinese).

Peace and Love

 hé píng bó ài
 wahei hakuai
Peace and Love Scroll

和平博愛 is the Chinese and Japanese way to express “Peace and Love.”

These are two separate words, so the calligrapher will put a slight space between the first two characters, which mean peace, and the last two, which represent universal love. This space is not shown on the sample character images for this phrase.

A special note: Word lists may seem okay in English but feel strange in Chinese and Japanese. We don't offer too many of them but this one is often-requested and feels okay in Chinese and Japanese, though a bit uncommon in Korean.


See Also:  Peace

Peace, Love, Happiness

 hé píng bó ài xìng fú
Peace, Love, Happiness Scroll

和平博愛幸福 is a word-list that means “peace, love, happiness,” in Chinese.


Word lists like this are not commonly-seen in China. Phrases with subject, verb, and object, or just single words are more natural for calligraphy artwork.

Peace, Love, Happiness

 heiwa ai koufuku
Peace, Love, Happiness Scroll

平和, 愛, 幸福 means “peace, love, happiness” in Japanese.


This is a word list, which is not the most natural kind of composition in Japanese (usually there is a subject, object, and verb - or a single word).

Better to sacrifice your life than your principles

 shě shēng qǔ yì
Better to sacrifice your life than your principles Scroll

捨生取義 is a Chinese proverb that comes from the philosopher Mencius.

It can be translated in a few different ways:
To give up life for righteousness.
To choose honor over life
Better to sacrifice one's life than one's principles.

Principles of Life

 shēng huó xìn tiáo
Principles of Life Scroll

生活信條 is a Chinese proverb that means “principles of life” or “The personal obligations and rules that you live by.”

For instance, if you were a vegetarian, the act of not eating meat fits into this category.
This could also be translated as a “Way of living.”

The Red String

Thread of Lover's Destiny / Fate

 akai ito
The Red String Scroll

This literally translates as “the red string” or “the red thread” in Japanese, but the real meaning is much deeper...

In Japanese culture, it's believed that fate, destiny, or karma joins lovers by an unseen string, tied around one little finger of each. 赤い糸 is how soul mates find and are drawn to each other.

The Japanese concept of the red thread of fate, by most estimations, comes from Chinese folklore, where it's known as 姻緣紅線. The only difference is that in China, the celestial red thread is tied around the ankles of the lovers (versus what is usually represented as the pinky finger in Japan).

Strength and Love in Unity

 riki ai fu ni
Strength and Love in Unity Scroll

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.

 xī shēng
 gi sei
Sacrifice Scroll

犧牲 means sacrifice in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

There is a suggestion in this word that this regards sacrificing your life.

Note: Depending on the context, this can also mean victim or scapegoat in Japanese.

In original and ancient Chinese, this word referred to sacrificial animals. It can still have this meaning in a Buddhist context.


犠The version of the first character used in modern Japan looks like the image to the right. If you order this from the Japanese master calligrapher, it will be written in this Japanese version.

Self-Love / Love Yourself / Love Oneself

 zì ài
 ji ai
Self-Love / Love Yourself / Love Oneself Scroll

自愛 means self-love, self-regard, regard for oneself, cherishing one's good name, taking care of oneself, or love myself.

In the Buddhist context, this is the cause of all pursuit or seeking, which in turn causes all suffering. All Buddhas discharge themselves from self-love and all pursuits of personal gratification. Such elimination of self-love is a step towards nirvāṇa.

This title can be taken as positive or negative, depending on how you read it. Some will see it as arrogant, and others will read it as a token of self-respect. Because of this ambiguity, I do not recommend this title for a wall scroll.

If you love your child, send them out into the world

 kawaii ko ni wa tabi o sa seyo
If you love your child, send them out into the world Scroll

可愛い子には旅をさせよ is a Japanese proverb that means “If you love your children, send them out on a journey into the world.”

This is kind of similar to the western phrase, “Spare the rod and spoil the child.”

More literally, this reads, “Cute child, a journey granted.”
That “granted” could also be understood as “should be initiated.”


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

Sincere / True Sincerity

 zhēn chéng
Sincere / True Sincerity Scroll

真誠 is the true essence of sincerity.

It takes strength of personality to be truly sincere without overdoing it. Speaking of strength, this is probably the strongest way to convey the idea of sincerity in the Chinese language.

The first character literally means true, real, and genuine. While the second character means sincere and honest.


See Also:  Honor

The Single Life

Dokushin-Kizoku

 do kushin ki zoku
The Single Life Scroll

独身贵族 is a Japanese proverb that means “Single Aristocrat” or “Single Noble.”

The understood meaning is that single people can live freely without a spouse or kids to support them. To put it in an old cliché, they are footloose and fancy-free.

If you are a bachelor or bachelorette with few responsibilities and just a thirst for freedom and a worry-free life, this could be your title.

Sisters at Heart

The love between sisters

 kokoro no shi mai
Sisters at Heart Scroll

心の姉妹 is “heart of sisters,” “soul sisters,” or “sisters of the heart.”

This can be used for actual sisters to celebrate the heartfelt love they feel.

It can even be used by two women who feel a connection as if they are sisters.

Sisterhood / Sisterly Love

 shi mai ai
Sisterhood / Sisterly Love Scroll

This Japanese term means “Sisterhood,” “Sisterly Love,” or “Sister Love.”

 líng hún bàn lǚ
 reikon hanryo
Soul Mates Scroll

靈魂伴侶 is the literal translation of “Soul Mates.”

This is kind of the western way to express “soul mates” but translated into Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
The first two characters mean “soul” or “spirit.”
The second two characters mean “mate,” “companion” or “partner.”

Although not the most common title, these characters have good meaning and will be received well in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. It's a universal title!

Spiritual Soul Mates

 jīng shén bàn lǚ
 sei shin han ryo
Spiritual Soul Mates Scroll

精神伴侶 means “Spiritual Soul Mates.” The first two characters mean “spiritual” or “soul.” The second two characters mean “mates,” “companions,” or “partners.”

This is more about the spiritual connection between partners rather than a “fate-brought-us-together” kind of soul mates.

Both halves of this title have meaning in Japanese but I've not yet confirmed that this is a commonly used title in Japan.

Spiritual Soul Mates

 tamashii no han ryo
Spiritual Soul Mates Scroll

魂の伴侶 is a Japanese-only title for soulmates.

魂 means soul, spirit, immortal soul (the part of you that lives beyond your physical body), or the conscious mind. In the Buddhist context, this is vijñāna or viññāṇa (consciousness, life force, or mind).

の is a possessive article that connects everything here.

伴侶 means mates, companions, partners, and spouses.

Strength and Love

 lì yǔ ài
Strength and Love Scroll

While not a common title for a wall scroll in China, 力與愛 means “strength and love” or “power and love” in Chinese characters.

With all the strength of your heart

 omoi kiri
With all the strength of your heart Scroll

思い切り can be translated as “with all one's strength,” “with all one's heart,” “to the limits of your heart,” or “to the end of your heart/emotions.”

The character breakdown:
思い (omoi) thought; mind; heart; feelings; emotion; sentiment; love; affection; desire; wish; hope; expectation; imagination; experience
切り (kiri) bounds; limits.


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

Such is Life

 shēng huó jiù shì zhè yàng
Such is Life Scroll

生活就是這樣 is probably the best way to say, “Such is life,” or “C'est la vie” in Chinese.

Such is Life / Such is Destiny

 zhè jiù shì mìng
Such is Life / Such is Destiny Scroll

這就是命 means “Such is life,” or “Such is destiny.”

This can also be translated as “This is life,” “This is [our] lot in life,” or “This is [our] destiny.” It is perhaps a fatalistic phrase. It can be compared with the French, “Ceci est la vie” or “C'est la vie.”

This is Life

 zhè jiù shì shēng huó
This is Life Scroll

這就是生活 is a Chinese phrase that means “This is life,” or “Such is life.”

If you are looking for the French, “C'est la vie,” this is a close match.

 bào tú shēng huó
 bou to sei katsu
Thug Life Scroll

暴徒生活 is probably the best way to say “Thug Life” in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

It's a strange title, to be sure, so expect native Asian people to be confused when they see your Thug Life calligraphy.

The first two characters mean bandit, thug, ruffian, insurgent, rioter, or mob.

The last two characters mean life, live, or living.

Together Forever in Love

 yǒng yuǎn ài zài yī qǐ
Together Forever in Love Scroll

永遠愛在一起 is “together forever in love” in Chinese.

It's a nice phrase if you're a couple who plans to stay together and make your love last as long as you live.

Traveler / To Live Abroad

 jī lǚ
 kiryo
Traveler / To Live Abroad Scroll

羈旅 is a Chinese and Japanese title for traveler/traveller, to live abroad, to be traveling, or just travel.

 zhēn ài
 shinai
True Love Scroll

真愛 is literally “True Love” in Chinese.

The first character means “real,” “true,” and “genuine.” The second character means “love” and “affection.”

During the customization of your calligraphy wall scroll, there is a place to add an inscription. You might want that inscription to be your names in Chinese down the side of your wall scroll or perhaps just below these two main characters (just $9 extra). A nice gift to celebrate an anniversary or marriage!

Unconditional Love

 wú tiáo jiàn de ài
Unconditional Love Scroll

無條件的愛 is a common way to write “unconditional love” in Chinese.

Unconditional Love

 mu jou ken no ai
Unconditional Love Scroll

無條件の愛 is a common way to write “unconditional love” in Japanese.

Goddess of Love: Venus

 wēi nà sī
Goddess of Love: Venus Scroll

維納斯 is how the name for Venus, Goddess of Love, is written in Chinese characters.

 shēng mìng lì
 seimeiryoku
Vitality Scroll

生命力 can mean “vitality” or “libido.”

The first two characters mean “life” or “life force.” The last character is a common word that means “strength.” So together, you get the meaning of “life strength” which is the essence of vitality.

Some will also translate this word as “good health.”


See Also:  Life Force | Health

Way of Life / Art of Life

 shēng huó fǎ
 seikatsuhou
Way of Life / Art of Life Scroll

生活法 is a Japanese and Chinese title meaning “art of living” or “way of life.”

This can also be translated in a few other ways, such as “rule of life” and “the act of living.”

The “art” title kind of comes from the fact that the last character is the same as the book, “The Art of War.” So when you write your book, this is the title for “The Art of Life,” in Chinese and Japanese.

Eternal Wheel of Life

 fǎ lún
 hourin / horin
Eternal Wheel of Life Scroll

法輪 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja title, “The Eternal Wheel of Life,” in Buddhism.

Also known as the wheel of the law, or Buddha-truth, which can crush all evil and all opposition. It is likened to Indra's wheel, which rolls on from man-to-man, place-to-place, age-to-age.

Colloquially used in some sects to mean preaching or spreading Buddha-truth.

You Only Live Once

 shēng mìng zhǐ yǒu yí cì
You Only Live Once Scroll

生命隻有一次 is the translation to Chinese of the popular English phrase, “You only live once.”

This is a more modern idea for Chinese people. The reason is, most Chinese people were taught quite the opposite idea from Buddhism.

You Only Live Once

 ichi do da ke i ki ru
You Only Live Once Scroll

一度だけ生きる is the simplest Japanese phrase that means “[you] only live once” or “only one [life] to live.”

The first four characters create a word that means “only once.”
The last three characters create a word that means “to live” or “to exist.”


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

Shinken Shobu

Death Match

 shinken shoubu
Shinken Shobu Scroll

In modern Japanese, 真剣勝負 means to take something very seriously.

The literal and historical meaning is “real sword battle.” In old times, a Samurai apprentice would practice with a wooden practice sword. Once trained and qualified, they would wield a real steel sword made for battle and killing. They were ready for a “death match” or Shinken Shobu.

真剣 is an adjective that has come to mean serious/earnest. The literal translation is “real sword.”

勝負 in the simplest terms, means match, contest, game, or bout. Depending on the context, it could also mean victory or defeat, winning and losing, or the outcome of a battle.

There is a suggestion in Shinken Shobu that you train with serious and real intent, as we should train with the same fervor and dedication as if the battle was real. “Train as we fight.”


See Also:  The More We Sweat in Training the Less We Bleed in Battle | Cry in the Dojo - Laugh on the Battlefield

Prosperous Life

 xiǎng fú
Prosperous Life Scroll

享福 is a Chinese word that means to live comfortably and/or have a happy and prosperous life.

Love Loyalty Respect

 zhēn ài zhōng chéng zū jìng
Love Loyalty Respect Scroll

真愛忠誠尊敬 is a Chinese word list that means love, loyalty, and respect.

Love Loyalty Respect

 ài zhōng jìng
Love Loyalty Respect Scroll

愛忠敬 is a Chinese word list that means love, loyalty, and respect.

愛忠敬 is the shortest way to express these words/ideas. Word lists are not as natural in Chinese as they are in English - phrases or proverbs are more common.

 jun ai
Pure Love Scroll

純愛 means pure love.

純 means pure, simple, unmixed, genuine, innocent, chaste, and/or naive.
愛 means love.

純愛 is also a variety of given names in Japan with these romanizations: Pyua, Hiroe, Sumie, Junai, Ayame, Ayane, or Yasushi.

The two most important days in your life...

 Jinsei de ichiban daijina hi wa futsuka aru. Umaretahi to, naze umareta ka o wakatta hi
The two most important days in your life... Scroll

人生で一番大事な日は二日ある。生まれた日と、なぜ生まれたかを分かった日 is Mark Twain's quote, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why” in Japanese.


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

Reincarnation / Life in Flux

 rinne tenshou
Reincarnation / Life in Flux Scroll

輪廻転生 is a Japanese Zen quote or proverb that expresses the idea of all things being in flux through the endless circle of birth, death, and rebirth or the circle of transmigration.

Brought Together from 1000 Miles Away by Fate

 yǒu yuán qiān lǐ lái xiāng huì
Brought Together from 1000 Miles Away by Fate Scroll

有緣千里來相會 means that fate or destiny has caused us to meet from a thousand miles away.

The 有緣 part suggests something that is connected as if by a thread due to fate, destiny, or karma.

This romantic phrase is seen in Chinese greeting cards. It relays the idea that your love was meant to be and that you were destined to meet (regardless of what distance or obstacles might have made such a meeting unlikely).


See Also:  Red Thread

I Am Worthy of Being Loved

 wǒ zhí dé bèi ài
I Am Worthy of Being Loved Scroll

我值得被愛 means “I am worthy of being loved” in Chinese.

My life is complete because of you

 wǒ de shēng mìng yīn wèi yǒu nǐ jiù wán zhěng
My life is complete because of you Scroll

我的生命因为有你就完整 means “My life is complete because of you” in Chinese.

Live Long and Prosper

 Jiàn kāng cháng shòu fán róng chāng shèng
Live Long and Prosper Scroll

This means “Live Long And Prosper” in Chinese.

A phrase and greeting made famous by Leonard Nimoy in the role of Spock on the original Star Trek TV series.

Breath of Life

 qì xī
 kisoku
Breath of Life Scroll

氣息 can mean breath of life or panting for want of breath in the Buddhist context.

In other contexts, it can mean breath, smell, odor, or flavor.

 okuunoai
True Love Scroll

屋烏の愛 is a Japanese way to express true love or deep love.

The phrase literally suggests that this is a love for someone so strong that it can reach a crow perched on that person's roof.

Strength Love Honor

 lì liàng bó ài róng yù
Strength Love Honor Scroll

力量 博愛 榮譽 is the verbose way to write the word list, “strength love honor.”


It should be noted that word lists like this are not as natural sounding in Chinese as word lists can be in English. it’s more common to have a full phrase (with subject, verb, and object) or single words on calligraphy wall scrolls in Asia.

Benevolent Love

 rén ài
 jinai
Benevolent Love Scroll

仁愛 is a word that means benevolence, charity, compassion, and/or love.

This can also be a Japanese female name that romanizes as Megumi.

Moral Principles Of Life

 hitonomichi
Moral Principles Of Life Scroll

人の道 is the Japanese way to express the “moral way of life,” “correct path,” or “moral principles.”

Life is a Dew Drop

 rén shēng zhāo lù
 jin sei chou ro
Life is a Dew Drop Scroll

人生朝露 is a proverb that means “human life is like morning dew.”

Figuratively, this suggests the ephemeral and precarious nature of human existence.

Also translated as:
Man's life vanishes like a drop of dew.
A person's life is as fleeting as morning dew.
Life is as transient as morning due.

Live By The Sword Die By The Sword

Matthew 26:52

 fán dòng dāo de bì sǐ zài dāo xià
Live By The Sword Die By The Sword Scroll

凡动刀的,必死在刀下 is the second part of Matthew 26:52 from the Chinese Union Bible where Jesus suggests that one who uses a sword will also die by it.

 chī xiāng hē là
Live Well Scroll

This Chinese proverb means “to eat delicious food and drink liquor.”

It is taken or understood to suggest living well.

Love Myself First

 xiān ài wǒ zì jǐ
Love Myself First Scroll

This directly translates as, “First, love myself.”

While you might be looking for “Love yourself first,” there's the problem with yourself versus myself. If this is on your wall or tattooed on your arm, should it not say “myself” since it's directed at you, and not others?


See Also:  Love Yourself First

Love Yourself First

 xiān ài nǐ zì jǐ
Love Yourself First Scroll

This directly translates as, “First, love yourself.”

Because this uses “yourself” instead of “myself,” this is a direction for those reading it. It could be the owner of the art or those who view it.

This would be weird as a tattoo, so please avoid it since for whom the tattoo is directed would be confusing.


See Also:  Love Myself First

 luò fú zuǒ lā kè
Lovezolack Scroll

洛夫佐拉克 is the name Lovezolack in Chinese (Mandarin).

 rabuzorakku
Lovezolack Scroll

ラブゾラック is the name Lovezolack in Japanese Katakana.


Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

 luò wéi
Lovee Scroll

洛維 is the name Lovee in Chinese (Mandarin).

 rabii
Lovee Scroll

ラビー is the name Lovee in Japanese Katakana.


Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

 raveru
Lovelle Scroll

ラヴェル is the name Lovelle in Japanese Katakana.


Note: Because this title is entirely Japanese Katakana, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

 luò wéi ěr
Lovelle Scroll

洛維爾 is the name Lovelle in Chinese (Mandarin).


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.


A nice Chinese calligraphy wall scroll

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.

A professional Chinese Calligrapher

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.

Trying to learn Chinese calligrapher - a futile effort

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.

A high-ranked Chinese master calligrapher that I met in Zhongwei

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.