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The name Do Nothing in Chinese / Japanese...

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Personalize your custom “Do Nothing” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “Do Nothing” title below...


  1. Asian Pride / Oriental Pride / AZN Pryde

  2. August

  3. Banzai / Wansui

  4. Banzai

  5. Bee

  6. No Trouble / Freedom from Problems

  7. Commitment

  8. Daodejing / Tao Te Ching - Chapter 81

  9. Contentment

10. Spare No Effort

11. Strong / Powerful / Force

12. Tiger Rumor

13. To a Willing Heart, All Things Are Possible


Asian Pride / Oriental Pride / AZN Pryde

 dōng fāng zì zūn
 dung fong chi juen
 tou hou zi son
Asian Pride / Oriental Pride / AZN Pryde Scroll

東方自尊 is the universal way to write “Asian Pride.”

We worked on this one for a long time. The effort involved both Chinese and Japanese translators and lengthy discussions. If you have been searching for this term, there is a reason that it's hard to find the way to write “Asian Pride” in Chinese and Japanese - it's because of the inherent difficulties in figuring out a universal combination of characters that can be read in all languages that use forms of Chinese characters.

This final solution that you see to the left creates a reasonable title in Chinese and an exotic (perhaps unusual) title in Japanese (This could be read as “Eastern Self-Respect” in Japanese”).
Although not as natural, it does have the same meaning as Korean Hanja, and the older generation of Vietnamese people will be able to read it.

The first two characters literally mean “Oriental” and the second two mean “pride,” “self-esteem,” or “self-respect” (we chose the most non-arrogant way to say “pride”). If you have “Asian Pride” (sometimes spelled Asian Pryde) these are the characters for you.

Note: For those who wonder, there is nothing technically wrong with the word “Oriental.” It is a correct word, and any bad meanings were created by so-called “Asian Americans” and Caucasians in the United States. To say “Asian” would not completely correct the intended meaning since that would include people from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, India, and portions of Russia.

For further proof, if you were of East Asian ancestry and born in England, you would be known as a “British Oriental” (The “Oriental stigma” is basically an American creation and, therefore, applies mainly to the American English language - where they get a bit overzealous with political correctness).

Further, since the Chinese and Japanese word for Oriental is not English, they can not be construed as having ill meaning. On one trip to China or Japan, you will find many things titled with these two characters, such as malls, buildings, and business names. These places also use “Oriental” as their English title (much as we do since our Chinese business name starts with these same two characters).

In short, the first two characters have the meaning that Americans attach to “Asian” but is more technically correct.

 ào gǔ sī tè
August Scroll

奧古斯特 is a common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name August.

This sounds like “August” but has nothing to do with the month of August in Chinese.

Banzai / Wansui

Old Japanese / Traditional Chinese & Korean

 wàn suì
 banzai / manzai
Banzai / Wansui Scroll

萬歲 is the traditional Chinese, Korean Hanja, and ancient Japanese way of writing banzai.

In modern times, the first character was simplified in Japan and China. So you might want to select the other entry for universal readability.

While it has become a popular, if not an odd, thing to scream as you jump out of an airplane (preferably with a parachute attached), banzai is actually a very old Asian way to say “hooray.” The Japanese word “banzai” comes from the Chinese word “wan sui,” which means “The age of 10,000 years.” It is actually a wish that the Emperor or the Empire live that long.

Imagine long ago when the Emperor made a rare public appearance. 萬歲 is what all people would yell to their leader in respect.

So if you like it as a hooray, or you want to wish someone that they live for 10,000 years, this is the calligraphy for you.

Other translations include Cheers! (not the drinking kind), hurrah!, long live [name]!, and congratulations!

To other things with banzai in their names, I am still waiting for the promised sequel to Buckaroo Banzai.

Notes: Sometimes people confuse banzai with bonsai. A bonsai is a miniature tree. They have nothing to do with each other.

Banzai

Modern Japanese Version

 wàn suì
 banzai
Banzai Scroll

万歲 is the modern Japanese way to write banzai.

We've made two almost identical entries for this word, with just a variation on the first character. In the last century, 萬 was simplified to 万 in Japan and China. The new generation will expect it to be written as 万 but the old generation can still read the more traditional 萬 form. You must make your determination as to what version is best for you. If your audience is mostly Japanese, I suggest 万歲.

While it has become a popular, if not an odd, thing to scream as you jump out of an airplane (preferably with a parachute attached), banzai is actually a very old Asian way to say “hooray.” The Japanese word “banzai” comes from the Chinese word “wan sui” which means “The age of 10,000 years.” It is actually a wish that the Emperor or the Empire live that long.

Imagine long ago when the Emperor made a rare public appearance. This is what all of the people would yell to their leader in respect.

So if you like it as a hooray, or you want to wish someone that they live for 10,000 years, this is the calligraphy for you.

To other things with banzai in their names, I am still waiting for the promised sequel to Buckaroo Banzai.

Other translations: hurrah, long life, congratulations, cheers, live long.

Notes: Sometimes people confuse banzai with bonsai. A bonsai is a miniature tree. They have nothing to do with each other. Further, Bonzai is not a word at all - although it would make a great name for a calcium supplement for older people.

 bii
Bee Scroll

ビー is the name Bee in Japanese.

This has nothing to do with the insect bee.


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

 bì
Bee Scroll

碧 is a common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Bee.

This has nothing to do with the insect bee. The meaning of the character is actually “fresh and green.”

No Trouble / Freedom from Problems

 wú shì
 buji
No Trouble / Freedom from Problems Scroll

無事 is a Zen Buddhist term meaning no problem and no trouble.

無事 is the Zen state of perfect freedom from troubles and leaving secular affairs behind.

Sometimes this is used to describe the state of satori and complete tranquility of mind.

Written as 無事に with an extra Hiragana at the end, this becomes an adverb to describe something in the condition of safety, peace, quietness, and without troubles.

無事 (Buji) can also be a given name in Japan.

This has more meaning in the Japanese Zen Buddhist community than in China or Korea, where it can mean “be free” or “nothing to do or worry about.”

 chéng nuò
 shoudaku
Commitment Scroll

承諾 embodies the idea of commitment but also means to make a big effort or to undertake a great task.

Commitment is caring deeply about something or someone. It is deciding carefully what you want to do and then giving it 100%, holding nothing back. You give your all to a friendship, a task, or something you believe in. You finish what you start. You keep your promises.

In Chinese, this word directly means to undertake something or to make a promise to do something.

Outside of the commitment idea, this particular word can also mean approval, acceptance, consent, assent, acquiescence, or agreement, depending on context (especially in Japanese and Korean). Therefore, this word is probably best if your audience is Chinese.


See Also:  Partnership | Hard Work | Dedication

Daodejing / Tao Te Ching - Chapter 81

Daodejing / Tao Te Ching - Chapter 81 Scroll

信言不美美言不信知者不博博者不知善者不多多者不善聖人無積既以為人己癒有既以予人矣已癒多故天之道利而不害聖人之道為而不爭 is the Mawangdui version of Daodejing chapter 81.

It can be translated this way:
Credible words are not eloquent;
Eloquent words are not credible.

The wise are not erudite;
The erudite are not wise.

The adept are not all-around;
The all-around are not adept.
The sages do not accumulate things.
Yet the more they have done for others,
The more they have gained themselves;
The more they have given to others,
The more they have gotten themselves.

Thus, the way of tian (heaven) is to benefit without harming;
The way of sages is to do without contending.
Another translation:
Sincere words are not showy;
showy words are not sincere.
Those who know are not “widely learned";
those “widely learned” do not know.
The good do not have a lot;
Those with a lot are not good.
The Sage accumulates nothing.
Having used what he had for others,
he has even more.
Having given what he had to others,
what he has is even greater.
Therefore, the Way of Heaven is to benefit and not cause any harm,
The Way of Man is to act on behalf of others and not to compete with them.
And a third translation:
True words aren't charming,
charming words aren't true.
Good people aren't contentious,
contentious people aren't good.
People who know aren't learned,
learned people don't know.
Wise souls don't hoard;
the more they do for others the more they have,
the more they give the richer they are.
The Way of heaven provides without destroying.
Doing without outdoing
is the Way of the wise.

 zhī zú
 chisoku
Contentment Scroll

知足 means content with one's situation or to know contentment (hence happiness).

From the Zen Buddhist context, Chisoku or 知足 (knowing what’s enough) means always to know and be satisfied with one’s lot.

Human pain and suffering are born of greed, and that greed arises because we do not know what’s enough.

The Chinese philosopher, Menzi (372-289 BCE) said, “to nourish the mind, there is nothing better than to make the desires few.” This relays the idea that the best method to cultivate the mind is to have little desire.

Spare No Effort

 bù yí yú lì
Spare No Effort Scroll

不遺餘力 is a Chinese proverb that can be translated in many ways. Here are some of them: go to any lengths; with all one's might; spare no pain; do one's utmost.

If you feel hard work and holding nothing back is your philosophy, this is the phrase for you.

Strong / Powerful / Force

 qiáng
 kyou
 
Strong / Powerful / Force Scroll

強 is a character that means strong, strength, force, powerful, better, stubborn, and stiff (yes, all of this in one character).

This “strong” has less to do with physical strength and more to do with having a winning attitude, or just having the ability to win at something.

Note that most of the time, this character is pronounced “qiang” but when used with the meaning of stubborn, unyielding, or stiff, it is pronounced “jiang” in Chinese.

Also, sometimes “qiang” is used in modern Chinese to describe people that do crazy things (For example: Bicycling from Beijing to Tibet alone). I sometimes can be found outside my Beijing apartment wearing nothing but shorts and a tee-shirt while eating ice cream during a snow storm, just to hear my neighbors call me “qiang.” Maybe they mean “strong” but perhaps they are using the new meaning of “crazy strong.”

強 can also be a Chinese surname that romanizes as Jiang in the mainland or Chiang if from Taiwan.

強 is a valid Korean Hanja character with the same meaning but is mostly used in compound Korean words.

強 is used in Japanese (though normally in compound words). In Japanese, it has the same meaning but in some contexts can mean “a little more than...” or “a little over [some amount].” Most Japanese would read this as tough, strength, stiff, hard, inflexible, obstinate, or stubborn.

The variant 彊 is sometimes seen in older literature.

 sān rén chéng hǔ
Tiger Rumor Scroll

These four characters together relay the meaning that can be expressed in English as “When three people say there's a tiger running in the street, you believe it.”

Of course, there is an ancient story behind this idiom...

三人成虎 is actually a proverb that resulted from a conversation that occurred around 300 B.C.

The conversation was between the king of the Wei kingdom and one of the king's ministers named Pang Cong.

It was near the end of one of many wars, this time with the Zhao kingdom. Pang Cong was to be sent by the king to the Zhao kingdom with the king's son, who was to be held hostage. It was common at the time for a king to make his son a hostage to secure stable peace between warring kingdoms.

Before minister Pang Cong departed, he asked his king, “If one person told you a tiger was running in the street, would you believe it?.”

“No,” the king said.

The minister continued, “What if two people told you?”

The king replied, “Well, I would have my doubts but I might believe it.”

The minister continued, “So, what if three people told you that a tiger is running in the streets?”

The king replied, “Yes, I would believe it. It must be true if three people say it.”

The minister then reminded the king, “Your son and I are now traveling far away to live in the distant Zhao kingdom - much farther from your palace than the street. Rumors may fly about me in my absence, so I hope your majesty will weight such rumors appropriately.”

The king replied, “I have every trust in you, do not worry”

While the minister was gone, the king's enemies gossiped about minister Pang Cong on many occasions. At first, the king thought nothing of these comments and rumors. But slowly, as the rumors mounted, the king began to suspect ill of his minister.

Sometime later, when peace was well-established, the minister and prince were freed and returned to the kingdom of Wei. The king received his son BUT DID NOT EVEN SUMMON MINISTER PANG CONG TO THE PALACE!

Hopefully, this story will help you see how dangerous words can be when used to promote rumors or create ill will. And perhaps will inspire you not to believe everything you hear.

There is also a secondary suggestion in this idiom that gossip is as ferocious as a tiger. Some Chinese people who don't know the ancient story above may believe that this scroll means that rumors are as vicious as three tigers.

Note: This proverb appears in my Korean dictionary but is not well-known in Korea.

To a Willing Heart, All Things Are Possible

Where there is a will, there is a way

 yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng
To a Willing Heart, All Things Are Possible Scroll

有志者事竟成 is an old Chinese proverb that has been translated many different ways into English. As you read the translations below, keep in mind that in Chinese, heart=mind.

Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.
Nothing is impossible to a willing mind.
Nothing is difficult to a willing heart.
Where there is a will, there is a way.
Nothing in the world is impossible if you set your mind to doing it.
A willful man will have his way.
If you wish it, you will do it.
A determined heart can accomplish anything.
All things are possible with a strong mind.





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The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...

Title CharactersRomaji (Romanized Japanese)Various forms of Romanized Chinese
Asian Pride
Oriental Pride
AZN Pryde
東方自尊
东方自尊
tou hou zi son
touhouzison
to ho zi son
dōng fāng zì zūn
dong1 fang1 zi4 zun1
dong fang zi zun
dongfangzizun
tung fang tzu tsun
tungfangtzutsun
August奧古斯特
奥古斯特
ào gǔ sī tè
ao4 gu3 si1 te4
ao gu si te
aogusite
ao ku ssu t`e
aokussute
ao ku ssu te
Banzai
Wansui
萬歲
万岁
banzai / manzaiwàn suì / wan4 sui4 / wan sui / wansui
Banzai万歲 / 萬歲
万岁
banzaiwàn suì / wan4 sui4 / wan sui / wansui
Beeビーbii / bi
Beebì / bi4 / bipi
No Trouble
Freedom from Problems
無事
无事
bujiwú shì / wu2 shi4 / wu shi / wushiwu shih / wushih
Commitment承諾
承诺
shoudaku / shodakuchéng nuò
cheng2 nuo4
cheng nuo
chengnuo
ch`eng no
chengno
cheng no
Daodejing
Tao Te Ching - Chapter 81
信言不美美言不信知者不博博者不知善者不多多者不善聖人無積既以為人己癒有既以予人矣已癒多故天之道利而不害聖人之道為而不爭
信言不美美言不信知者不博博者不知善者不多多者不善圣人无积既以为人己愈有既以予人矣已愈多故天之道利而不害圣人之道为而不争
Contentment知足chisokuzhī zú / zhi1 zu2 / zhi zu / zhizuchih tsu / chihtsu
Spare No Effort不遺餘力 / 不遺余力
不遗余力
bù yí yú lì
bu4 yi2 yu2 li4
bu yi yu li
buyiyuli
pu i yü li
puiyüli
Strong
Powerful
Force

kyou / kyoqiáng / qiang2 / qiangch`iang / chiang
Tiger Rumor三人成虎sān rén chéng hǔ
san1 ren2 cheng2 hu3
san ren cheng hu
sanrenchenghu
san jen ch`eng hu
sanjenchenghu
san jen cheng hu
To a Willing Heart, All Things Are Possible有志者事竟成 / 有誌者事竟成
有志者事竟成
yǒu zhì zhě shì jìng chéng
you3 zhi4 zhe3 shi4 jing4 cheng2
you zhi zhe shi jing cheng
youzhizheshijingcheng
yu chih che shih ching ch`eng
yuchihcheshihchingcheng
yu chih che shih ching cheng
In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line.
In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese.


Dictionary

Lookup Do Nothing in my Japanese & Chinese Dictionary


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Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!

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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.


Check out my lists of Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls and Old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scrolls.

Some people may refer to this entry as Do Nothing Kanji, Do Nothing Characters, Do Nothing in Mandarin Chinese, Do Nothing Characters, Do Nothing in Chinese Writing, Do Nothing in Japanese Writing, Do Nothing in Asian Writing, Do Nothing Ideograms, Chinese Do Nothing symbols, Do Nothing Hieroglyphics, Do Nothing Glyphs, Do Nothing in Chinese Letters, Do Nothing Hanzi, Do Nothing in Japanese Kanji, Do Nothing Pictograms, Do Nothing in the Chinese Written-Language, or Do Nothing in the Japanese Written-Language.

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