Honor in Chinese / Japanese...

名譽 is a version of honor that is about having or earning the respect of others and about your reputation.

It is the status of being worthy of honor (not to be confused with doing honorable things or specific actions - see our other “honor” listing for that).

Both modern Japanese and modern mainland Chinese use the same simplified version of the second character of honor. You can make a special request for the traditional second character as shown to the right (just click on that character to the right of you want to order that version). Before WWII, both Japan and China used the traditional form but modern Japanese and Chinese use this simplified form. Koreans still use the traditional form when they are not writing in their modern Hangul glyphs.

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

操守 is the Chinese and Japanese Kanji for personal integrity, constancy, fidelity, and honor/honour.

The original meaning of the first character is chastity, fidelity, honor, and/or faith.

The second character means to defend, guard, keep watch, and be observant.

So, this is about being observant of and guarding your integrity and honor.

尊嚴 is a form of honor that means showing great respect for yourself, other people, and the rules you live by.

When you are honorable, you keep your word. You do the right thing regardless of what others are doing.

尊嚴 is the kind of personal honor or dignity that is of great value. If you lose this, you have lost yourself and perhaps the reputation of your family as well.

While this is not directly the same thing as “face” or “saving face” in Asian culture, it is associated with the same concept in China.

In Japan, they currently use a more simplified second character for this word. The ancient Japanese form is the same as China but after WWII some Kanji were changed. If you want the modern Japanese version, just click on the Kanji image shown to the right, instead of the button above.

榮 relates to giving someone a tribute or praise.

It's a little odd as a gift, so this may not be the best selection for a wall scroll.

I've made this entry because this character is often misused as “honorable” or “keeping your honor.” It's not quite the same meaning, as this usually refers to a tribute or giving an honor to someone.

榮 is often found in tattoo books incorrectly listed as the western idea of personal honor or being honorable. Check with us before you get a tattoo that does not match the meaning you are really looking for. As a tattoo, this suggests that you either have a lot of pride in yourself or that you have a wish for prosperity for yourself and/or your family.

In modern Japanese Kanji, glory and honor look like the image to the right.

There is a lot of confusion about this character, so here are some alternate translations for this character: prosperous, flourishing, blooming (like a flower), glorious beauty, proud, praise, rich, or it can be the family name “Rong.” The context in which the character is used can change the meaning between these various ideas.

In the old days, this could be an honor paid to someone by the Emperor (basically a designation by the Emperor that a person has high standing).

To sum it up: 榮 has a positive meaning; however, it's a different flavor than the idea of being honorable and having integrity.

尊敬 is how to express the ideas of respect, honor, reverence, esteem, nobility, and sometimes the state of being noble, all in one word. Most of the time, this is used as “giving respect,” but depending on the context, it can suggest that you should try to be “worthy of respect.”

Although pronounced differently, the Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja are the same across these languages. This is an indication that this word is very old and crosses many barriers and cultures in the Orient (East Asia).

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

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

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

節操 means honorable, integrity of principle, constancy, honor, and in a certain context, chastity.

Please note that there are a few ways to relay the idea of integrity in Asian languages and more than one way to define honor in English. 節操 is far from the only way to express “honor and integrity.”

尊嚴勇氣 is a word list that means “Honor [and] Courage.”

Word lists are not common in Chinese, but we've put this one in the best order/context to make it as natural as possible.

We used the “honor” that leans toward the definition of dignity and integrity since that seemed like the best match for courage.

力と名譽 is “strength and honor” in Japanese Kanji (with one Hiragana).

The first Kanji is understood as strength, power, or force.

The second character is a connecting particle-like, “and” or “with.”

The last two Kanji mean honor/honour, credit, or prestige. This last word is also used in the Bushido code to mean honor.

This means “Respect, Honor, Truth” 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).

尊重, 榮譽, 真實 means “Respect, Honor, Truth” in Chinese.

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

力量與榮譽 is “strength and honor” in Chinese.

The first two characters are usually understood as (physical) strength but can also mean power or force.

The middle character is a connecting particle similar to “and.”

The last two characters are a way to say honor but can also be understood as honorable reputation, honorary, or glory.

祖先崇拜 means “Appreciation and honor of your ancestors.”

This can refer to anyone from your grandparents and beyond.

The first two characters mean ancestors or forefathers.

The last two characters mean worship, adore/adoration, or admiration.

This is the kind of wall scroll that a filial son or daughter in China or Japan would hang to honor their ancestors who paved the way for the new generation.

Japanese use a slight variation on the last Kanji. If you want this specifically Japanese version, just click on the Kanji image to the right (instead of the button above). Note that Japanese people would easily be able to identify the original Chinese form of that Kanji anyway.

They also have a similar phrase in old Korean but the first two characters are reversed - just let me know if you want that version when you place your order.

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.

This means “Honor, Courage, Commitment” in Japanese.

名譽勇気決意 is a common military phrase in English used in the Navy and Marines.

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).

信義尊嚴勇氣 means fidelity, honor, and courage in Chinese.

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

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

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

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.

榮譽勇氣責任 is a word list that reads, “榮譽 勇氣 責任” or “honor courage commitment.”

If you are looking for this, it is likely that you are in the military (probably Navy or Marines).

We worked on this for a long time to find the right combination of words in Chinese. However, it should still be noted that word lists are not very natural in Chinese. Most of the time, there would be a subject, verb, and object for a phrase with this many words.

廉恥 simultaneously means “sense of honor” and “sense of shame” in Korean.

This term is often used as a tenet of Taekwondo, where the English terms “integrity” and “modesty” are applied.

廉恥 is also a Chinese word, though it is usually read with the “sense of shame” meaning, and is a poor choice for a wall scroll if your audience is Chinese.

義無反顧 is a Chinese proverb that can be translated in a few different ways. Here are some examples:

Honor does not allow one to glance back.
Duty-bound not to turn back.
No surrender.
To pursue justice with no second thoughts.
Never surrender your principles.

This proverb is about the courage to do what is right without questioning your decision to take the right and just course.