See also: Soul Mates
We have many options to create artwork with the Chinese characters / Asian symbols / Japanese Kanji for True Love on a wall scroll or portrait.
If you want to create a cool True Love wall scroll, this is the place. Below you will find a few Asian symbols that express the idea of True Love.
1. True Love
2. My True Love
3. Eternal Friendship / Friends Forever
5. Eternity / Always and Forever
7. Forever Love
9. Forever Young / Eternal Youth
11. Forever Family
12. Forever Sisters
13. Eternal Friendship / Friends Forever
14. Love Forever / Love Eternal
15. Miss You Forever
16. Together Forever
18. Adoring Love
19. Goddess of Love: Aphrodite
20. Passionate Love / Ardent Love and Devotion
21. The Art of Love
22. Best Love / Most Sincere Love
24. Brotherly and Sisterly Love
26. Crazy Love
27. Predestined Love / Love by Fate
28. Divine Love
29. Family Love / Domestic Bliss
30. Eternal Love
31. Faith Hope Love
32. Faith Love Peace
33. Family Love
34. A Father’s Love
35. First Love
36. Forbidden Love
37. God is Love
38. Venus / Amor / God of Love
39. Greatest Love
42. Love for Humanity / Brotherly Love
43. I Love You
45. Infinite Love
47. The Karma/Fate/Destiny that Brings Lovers Together
48. Love and Respect / Kindness and Respect
50. Life of Love
51. Life with Love
52. Live Love Die
54. Live Laugh Love
55. Lost Love
56. Love
58. Love and Hate
59. Love Your Children, But Discipline Them Too
62. Eternal Love / Love Eternally
63. Universal Love
64. Love the Flower, Love the Pot also
65. Love and Honor
66. Love the House and Its Crow
67. Live Laugh Love
68. Love Life
69. Love and Protect
70. Love and Respect
73. Benevolent Love
74. Love Gems / Fruit of Love / Children
79. Lover / Beloved
82. Madly in Love
83. Love for Parents
84. A Mother’s Love / Motherly Love
85. One Love
86. The Pain of Love / Love Troubles
87. Love Between Child and Parents
88. Appreciation and Love for Your Parents
89. Peace and Love
91. Pure Love
92. Strength and Love in Unity
93. Self-Love / Love Yourself / Love Oneself
94. If you love your child, send them out into the world
95. Sisterhood / Sisterly Love
100. ...And this above all to thine own self be true
101. Be True to Yourself
103. Benevolent Heart
104. Best
105. Best / Number One
106. Best Friends / Closest Friend
107. Best Friends
111. Brevity: Fewer Words are Best
112. Broken Hearted
113. The True and Complete Enlightenment
114. Corinthians 13:4
115. Brought Together from 1000 Miles Away by Fate
116. Dream Come True / Enjoy Success
117. Eternal Beauty
118. Learning is Eternal
119. Eternal Life / Everlasting Life / Immortality
120. Eternal / Eternity
121. Fear God
122. Always in My Heart
123. Friend / Friendship
124. Friend
127. Happy Family
128. Soul Mates at Heart
129. Honesty
130. Honesty / Fidelity
131. I Adore You
133. Infinity / Infinite / Endless / Boundless
134. Joshua 1:9
135. Safety and Well-Being of the Family
136. Kindness / Caring
137. Hoes Before Bros
138. Loving Heart / Compassion
139. Makaze / True Wind
140. Never Forget
141. True Emptiness Yields Transcendent Existence
142. Most Sincere Friend / Honest Friend / Real Friend / Best Friend
144. Sisters at Heart
145. Soul Mates
146. Spiritual Soul Mates
147. With all the strength of your heart
148. Simply the Best
149. To thine own self be true
150. True Friend
151. True Heart
152. Shin Buddhism
154. True Religion / Buddha Truth
155. True to Yourself
156. True Victory is Victory Over Oneself
157. True Essence
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!
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.
永遠の友 is a Japanese phrase about eternal friendship.
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 “friend” or “Friendship.”
See Also: Best Friends
永 is the simplest form of eternity or “always and forever.”
永 can sometimes mean forever, always, perpetual, infinite, or “without end,” depending on context.
Note: Not often seen as a single Kanji in Japanese. Best if your audience is Chinese.
See Also: Forever | Ever Lasting
永遠 is the Chinese, Korean and Japanese word for forever.
If we take this word apart, the first character means always, forever, or perpetual. While the second character means far or distant.
See Also: Immortality
永遠に私の心の中に means “forever in my heart” or “always in my heart” in Japanese.
The character breakdown:
永遠 (eien) eternity; perpetuity; immortality; permanence.
に (ni) indicates the location of a person or thing.
私の (watashi no) my; mine.
心の中 (kokoro no naka) the middle of one's mind; the midst of one's heart.
に (ni) indicates the location of a person or thing (makes this “in” the middle of one's heart).
Note: There’s more than one way to say "Forever in My Heart" in Japanese, so you’ll find another version in our database. This is the very verbose version.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
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
永遠的家 is a special phrase that we composed for a “family by adoption” or “adoptive family.”
It's the dream of every orphan and foster child to be formally adopted and find their “forever family.”
The first two characters mean forever, eternal, eternity, perpetuity, immortality, and/or permanence. The third character connects this idea with the last character which means “family” and/or “home.”
See Also: Family
永遠的朋友 means friends that are eternal or a friendship that will last forever - you will remain the best of friends as long as you live.
The first two characters mean forever, eternal, eternity, perpetuity, immortality, and/or permanence.
The middle character links the words (it's a possessive article).
The last two characters represent friendship, or simply “friends.”
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
永遠想念你 is how to write “missing you forever” in Chinese.
The first two characters mean “forever” or “eternally.”
The third and fourth characters mean “missing” or “longing for.”
The last character means “you.”
This might suggest that you are missing someone whom you will never see again (depending on how you read it, or in what context it is used).
ずっと一緒 is “together forever” in Japanese.
The first three characters mean “continuously,” “throughout,” “all along,” “the whole time,” or “all the way.”
The last two Kanji mean “together.”
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
永遠に一緒に is a Japanese phrase that means “together forever,” or in the actual character order it's actually “forever together” (more natural word order in Japanese).
The first two characters mean forever, eternally, or always. After a particle of speech, the last three characters mean together, or “with at the same time.”
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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)
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.
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.
家族愛 is a Japanese title that means love of (one's) family, family love, or familial love.
初戀 means “first love” in Chinese and Japanese.
You could also say that it means “first crush,” “first affection,” or “puppy love.”
In 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.
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.
benevolence, love
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
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Love Me, Love My Dog
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.
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
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
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
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.
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 each other and show mutual respect
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.”
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 each other
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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).
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
A line from Shakespeare's Hamlet
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).
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
至 is a little strange as calligraphy, but 至 would be the character that means “best” or “extreme” in Chinese and Korean.
The problem is, this is seldom used alone. It's mostly used in combination with other characters to make words like “best friend,” “best food,” and “best love.”
I do not recommend this character for a wall scroll. It's better if you find a more specific term that fits your circumstances.
Note: This can be pronounced in Japanese and has a similar meaning but it is rarely if ever used in modern Japanese.
至友 is one way to say best friend in Chinese.
The first character can mean “most,” “extreme,” or “best.”
The second character means “friend” or “friends” (plural forms work differently in China).
Can also be translated as “close friend” or “most intimate friend.”
See Also: Friendship | Soulmates
至交 is an alternate way to say best friend in Chinese.
The first character can mean “most,” “extreme” or “best.” The second character means “making friends” or “building friendship.” There's sort of a suggestion with the second character that fate caused you to intersect in life and become friends (that character can mean intersection in some context).
This can also mean “most intimate friend,” “very good friend of long-standing,” or “closest friend.”
See Also: Friendship | Soulmates
親友 is the Japanese way to say “best friend.”
The first character can mean “relative” or sometimes “parents.” The second character means “friend.” Think about the close relationship that Japanese people have with their parents and relatives, and this starts to mean “close friends.”
Some Japanese-English dictionaries also translate this as “bosom friend,” “old friend,” “intimate friend,” “buddy,” “crony” or “chum.”
Note that in Chinese, this means “relatives and friends.” It's a good meaning in Chinese, but it's not quite the same as “best friends.”
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
Getting to the point quickly with the fewest words possible is the suggestion of this 少說為佳 Chinese proverb.
But taking it more profound, there is a warning that using too many words may act to “tip your hat” or “show your hand” (to use two American idioms).
It can also be said that using many words does not make the message have more value.
This is really about the art of brevity.
My only hope is that I did not use too many words to explain this proverb.
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).
All you need to know about LOVE
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.
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.
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.
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
This Chinese philosophy tells of how we continue to learn throughout our lives.
This proverb can be translated in a few ways such as “Study has no end,” “Knowledge is infinite,” “No end to learning,” “There's always something new to study,” or “You live and learn.”
The deeper meaning: Even when we finish school we are still students of the world gaining more knowledge from our surroundings with each passing day.
See Also: An Open Book Benefits Your Mind | Wisdom | Learn From Wisdom
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
永恆 is the Chinese word for eternity.
The first character means always, forever, and perpetual. The second character holds the meaning of permanent. Together, they create a word that means eternal, eternally, or infinite time.
See Also: Immortality
永駐我心 is one of a few ways to write “always in my heart” or “forever in my heart” in Chinese.
The first character means eternal, forever, or always.
The second character means resides, in, or stationed (in the case of troops).
The third character means me, my, or mine.
The last character means heart (but can also mean mind or soul).
友 is the simplest way to express the idea of friends or friendship in Chinese.
It can mean friend, companion, or pal in Japanese. In Korean, it can mean friend, companion, or associate.
This single character is open to interpretation, so it can mean different things to different people (not necessarily a bad thing, as you can decide what it means to you). If you want a more concisely-defined word, you should probably pick one of our multi-character friendship-related words.
See Also: Best Friends | Friendly | Friendship
友達 is the most common way to say “friend” in Japanese.
See Also: Best Friends | Friendly | Friendship
God is With Me Always
The direct translation of the Chinese characters, 上帝与你常在, is “God Together [with] You Always Exist.”
Keep in mind that Chinese grammar is sometimes very different from English. This makes perfect sense in Chinese.
Note: The title for God is the first two characters - the other words in the direct translation represent one character each.
I was going to write this phrase as “God is with me always” but as a wall scroll, hanging in your room, it is talking to you (you're not talking), so it works better with you.
上帝總是與你同在 is a nice phrase that any Chinese Christian would enjoy on his/her wall.
If I annotate this, it sounds a little strange in English but it's perfectly natural in Chinese:
上帝 God | 总是 always | 与 and | 你 you | 同 together | 在 existing
和諧之家 means “harmonious family” or “happy family” in Chinese.
The first two characters relay the idea of happiness and harmony.
The third character is a connecting or possessive article (connects harmony/happiness to family).
The last character means family but can also mean home or household.
和やかな家庭 means “happy family” or “harmonious family” in Japanese.
The first three Kanji create a word that means mild, calm, gentle, quiet, or harmonious. After that is a connecting article. The last two Kanji mean family, home, or household.
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
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.
信 is another character that expresses the idea of honesty.
It can also mean truth, faith, belief in, fidelity, sincerity, trust, and/or confidence.
Some have included this in the list for the Bushido, although “makoto” is probably more common/popular.
Note: In some contexts, this character can mean a letter (mail), news, or envoy. However, alone, it will generally be read with the honesty-meaning.
See our page with just Code of the Samurai / Bushido here
See Also: Loyalty Trustworthiness Trustworthy
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.
(Chinese / Korean)
無窮 is the Chinese and Korean word meaning infinity, eternity, infinitude, infinite or endless.
無窮 literally translates as “without [ever becoming] exhausted/poor,” and in that context, can mean “inexhaustible” or “boundless” but this is usually read as “without end.” Some extended definitions include eternity, infinitude, or immortality.
In certain contexts, it can mean “immortality.”
The first character means “never” or “not.” The second means “exhausted,” “finished,” or “ending.”
Note: 無窮 is a Japanese word but rarely used in modern Japan.
Do not be afraid, God is always with you
あなたがどこへ行くにもあなたの神主が共におられるゆえ恐れてはならないおののいてはならない is a Japanese translation of a large portion of Joshua 1:9.
The Japanese passage includes, “The Lord God is with you wherever you are; Therefore do not fear or be discouraged.”
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
Kanai Anzen
家內安全 is the Japanese way of saying “Family First.”
It's a Japanese proverb about the safety and well-being of your family and/or peace and prosperity in the household.
Some Japanese will hang an amulet in their home with these Kanji. The purpose is to keep your family safe from harm.
According to Shinto followers, hanging this in your home is seen as an invocation to God to always keep family members free from harm.
We were looking for a way to say “family first” in Japanese when this proverb came up in the conversation and research. While it doesn't say “family first,” it shows that the safety and well-being of your family is your first or most important priority. So, this proverb is the most natural way to express the idea that you put your family first.
See Also: Peace and Prosperity
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
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
According to Soothill 眞空妙有 means:
The true void is the mysteriously existing, truly void, or immaterial, yet transcendentally existing.
眞空妙有 is the state of being nonexistent after removing all errant worldly influences. 眞空妙有 is achieved when all forms of existence are seen for their real nature.
摯友 is one way to say best friend in Chinese.
The first character can mean “honest” or “most sincere.” The second character means “friend” or “friends” (plural forms work differently in Chinese).
See Also: Friendship | Soulmates
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 love between sisters
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!
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.
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.
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.
Supreme / Highest
最高 means the highest level, supreme, top, the most, or the best.
Depending on the context, it can mean the most expensive or highest quality.
While 真心 literally reads as “true heart” or “genuine heart,” the understood meaning is sincerity, devotion, sincere, or heartfelt. Some will extend the meaning to be like “true love.” It's the idea of doing something or treating someone with genuine feelings.
真心 is valid and has the same meaning in both Chinese characters and Japanese Kanji.
Note: While not too common, this can be the female given name “Mami” in Japanese.
True Pure Land Buddhism
浄土真宗 is known in the west as “Shin Buddhism.”
This is a school of Japanese “Pure Land Buddhism.” This form is also known as “True Pure Land Buddhism” or “Jodoshinshu” (jōdoshinshū).
If you are looking for this title, you probably already know the rest of the story.
See Also: Pure Land Buddhism
真 is a simple way to express the idea that something is real, true, truth, or genuine.
Occasionally, this character refers to a Buddhist sect that originated in the 13th century.
真 is commonly used as a compound with other characters to create ideas like “true love.” It's also used similarly to the English words “really” or “truly” to say “really good” or “He is really knowledgeable.” Those phrases start with “他真的是... (note the second character is 真).
There are two ways to write this character, shown here is the most common way in China; however, a slight stroke variation is used in Korean Hanja. If you want that version, just let us know when you place your order.
See Also: Honesty
The way of the truth
正勝吾勝 is a proverb that is often translated as “True victory is victory over oneself.”
However, literally, Kanji by Kanji, means “True victory [is] my/self victory.”
My Japanese friends rate this very highly for a wall scroll.
See Also: Know Thy Enemy Know Thyself
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.