Wood Horse in Chinese / Japanese...

木馬 is Wood Horse in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1894, 1954, 2014, and 2074.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 甲午.

See Also:  Horse

馬 is the character for a horse in Chinese, old Korean, and Japanese.

If you were born in the year of the horse, you . . .


Are outgoing and active.
Don't give up easily.
Are known to have a bad temper.

See also our Chinese Zodiac page.

木 is the symbol for wood in Japanese, Korean and Chinese.

This can sometimes mean “tree” depending on context. In fact, the character comes from a pictogram that is supposed to resemble a tree.

Wood is one of the five elements that ancient Chinese believed all things were composed of. These elements are also part of the cycle of Chinese astrology. Every person has both an animal sign, and one of the five elements according to the date of their birth. See also Five Elements and Chinese 12 Animals / Zodiac.

水馬 is Water Horse in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1882, 1942, 2002, and 2062.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 壬午.

See Also:  Horse

火馬 is Fire Horse in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1906, 1966, 2026, and 2086.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 丙午.

See Also:  Horse

土馬 is Earth Horse in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1918, 1978, 2038, and 2098.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 戊午.

See Also:  Horse

金馬 is Golden/Metal Horse in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1870, 1930, 1990, and 2050.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 庚午.

See Also:  Horse

火馬 is the title, “Fire Horse.”

火馬 is not a common title for calligraphy. You might be looking for 丙午, the 43rd year of the sexagenary cycle (the year of the Fire Horse, renowned for disasters and the birth of women destined to kill their husbands).

飛龍馬 is the title for a “flying dragon-horse.”

This can refer to a mythical beast or, more realistically, a very fast horse at the track.

龍馬精神 is an old proverb that is used to wish someone good health and success combined as a great compliment.

The meaning is “The vigor and spirit of the legendary dragon-horse.” These four characters are often accompanied by four more which mean “...and the power and prestige of the tiger.” Here we are just offering the first part which is considered the short version.

By giving a wall scroll like this to someone, you were either wishing or telling them that they have an amazing quality. There is also a suggestion of good health - at least anyone with the vigor of a dragon horse would seem to also be in good health.

Note: In Japanese, this would be read as the spirit of 坂本龍馬 (Sakamoto_Ryōma), a beloved rebel who help abolish the old Japanese feudal system. This can be confusing, so I am declaring this proverb to be Chinese only.

龍馬精神虎虎生威 is an old proverb that is used to wish someone great health and success combined as a great compliment.

The meaning is “The vigor and spirit of the legendary dragon-horse and the power and prestige of the tiger.”

By giving a wall scroll like this to someone, you were either wishing or telling them that they have these qualities. There is also a suggestion of good health - at least anyone with the vigor of a dragon horse would seem to also be in good health.

金木水火土 is a list of the Chinese characters for the five elements in a comfortable order (meaning that they “feel right” to a Chinese person who views this arrangement).

The order is metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

Note that sometimes the metal element is translated as gold. And earth refers to soil versus the whole planet earth.

竹 is the character that means bamboo in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

In Asian cultures, bamboo is often seen as a symbol of a noble gentleman (tall, straight, and honest).

There are also some multi-character bamboo words that regard individual bamboo plants, species of bamboo, bamboo as lumber, and edible bamboo shoots. However, this single character seems most appropriate for a wall scroll and covers the whole category of Asian bamboo.

青梅竹馬 means “green plums and hobby-horse.”

Figuratively, it means “innocent children's games,” “childhood sweethearts,” or “a couple who grew up as childhood friends.”

This phrase may sound a little strange as it's a kind of Chinese proverb or idiom. It makes much more sense in Chinese than in English.

伍德 is the name Wood in Chinese (Mandarin).

ウーッド is the name Wood in Japanese (Katakana).

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

木狗 is Wood Dog in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1874, 1934, 1994, and 2054.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 甲戌.

See Also:  Dog

木鼠 is Wood Rat in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1864, 1924, 1984, and 2044.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 甲子.

See Also:  Rat

木猴 is Wood Monkey in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1884, 1944, 2004, and 2064.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 甲申.

See Also:  Monkey

木雞 is Wood Rooster in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1885, 1945, 2005, and 2065.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 乙酉.

See Also:  Rooster

木龍 is Wood Dragon in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1904, 1964, 2024, and 2084.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 甲辰.

See Also:  Dragon

木蛇 is Wood Snake in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1905, 1965, 2025, and 2085.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 乙巳.

See Also:  Snake

木虎 is Wood Tiger in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1914, 1974, 2034, and 2094.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 甲寅.

See Also:  Tiger

木兔 is Wood Rabbit in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1915, 1975, 2035, and 2095.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 乙卯.

See Also:  Rabbit

木豬 is Wood Pig/Boar in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1875, 1935, 1995, and 2055.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 乙亥.

See Also:  Pig/Boar

木牛 is Wood Ox/Bull in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1865, 1925, 1985, and 2045.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 乙丑.

See Also:  Ox/Bull

木羊 is Wood Goat/Sheep in Chinese.

In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1895, 1955, 2015, and 2075.

In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 乙未.

See Also:  Goat/Sheep

頓悟之前砍柴挑水; 頓悟之後砍柴挑水 means “Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water; After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.

This is a Chinese proverb that is attributed to 吴力 (Wú Lì) who lived between 1632 and 1718 - living part of his life as a devout Buddhist, and many years as a Catholic Jesuit Priest in China - what an interesting life!

This has been explained many times in many ways. I am a Buddhist, and here is my brief take on this proverb...

Before enlightenment, one may find daily chores mundane, tedious, and boring. However, upon reaching enlightenment one is not relieved of the details of daily life. An enlightened person will, however, see such chores as a joy, and do them mindfully.

There is another version floating around, which is 在你領悟之前砍柴、運水。在你領悟之後，砍柴、運水。
If you want this other version, just contact me. The meaning is the same, just different phrasing.

杯水車薪 is a warning against a futile effort.

This proverb literally refers to one who is “trying to put out a burning cart of wood with a cup of water,” or “throw a cup of water on a cartload of wood.” The lesson to be learned is about using the right measure or tool for the job and not wasting your effort if you are inadequately equipped for the task at hand - in other words the postscript should be “go get a bucket or a fire hose.”

五行 is the title of the five elements: wood, fire, water, earth, and metal.

The first character means five, and the second character is simply element(s).

According to ancient Chinese science, all matter in the world is comprised of these elements. One idea presented with the five elements is that when energy is added, the matter is believed to expand. When energy is removed, matter contracts. Oddly, this concept is not far from Einstein's theories and modern science. Just a few thousand years before Einstein.

More info: Wikipedia - Five Elements (Wu Xing).

See Also:  Wood | Fire | Water | Earth | Metal | Five Elements

騎士 can be translated as “riding soldier” or “horseman soldier,” which, of course, can also be translated as “knight.”

The first character has the element of “horse” in it, and alone can mean “one who rides.”

Can also be translated as "cavalier."

See Also:  Warrior | Horse

謝瓦爾 is the name Cheval in Chinese (Mandarin).

Since this means Horse, you could also just use the horse Chinese character you represent this name.

入木三分 is a four-character Chinese proverb that translates in English to a strong form of “profound” or “written with a forceful hand.”

But there is much more to the story...

The deep meaning behind this proverb comes from a man named Wan Xizhi, who lived in the third century.

He was a great writer and calligrapher whose writing style influenced generations of other writers and calligraphers.

He once wrote words on a piece of wood to be taken to an engraver.
When the engraver began to carve the characters into the wood, he found that Wang Xizhi's writing had penetrated the wood about 3/8 of an inch.

Thus people believed that his words were so powerful and profound that they caused the ink from his brush to penetrate the wood deeply.

The proverb literally means “penetrated wood three fen” (A fen is an ancient Chinese measurement of a little over 1/8 of an inch or almost 4mm).

小馬 is the word for colt in Chinese.

The literal meaning is a small or young horse.

This means ebony (the dark - virtually black tropical wood) in Chinese and Japanese.

When pronounced as Karasugi instead of Uboku is the name of a town and sometimes a surname in Japan.

野馬 is the Chinese title for a mustang.

The first character can mean wild, free-roaming, or feral.
The second character means horse.

木星 is the planet Jupiter in Chinese characters, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

The literal meaning is “wood star.”

This can also be a given name Mokusei or the surname Kiboshi in Japanese.

斑馬 is how to write zebra in Chinese. It will also be understood in Japanese, though they tend to write zebra as シマウマ in Katakana in Japan these days.

The actual meaning of the characters is something like “speckled horse.”

馬匹 means horses in Chinese and Japanese.

The first character is “horse,” and the second is a quantifier for animals (especially horses, mules, and donkeys). 匹 can also mean “couple,” so in some contexts, this is a “couple of horses.”

赤鬼 is the title of the red-horned demon or red ogre.

In the Buddhist context, these are the red demons of purgatory. These demons are unique, as one will have the head of a bull, another with that of a horse, etc.

地水火風 is a Buddhist term that means “earth, water, fire, wind.”

This is often just referred to as “the four elements.” There is a more common title (the five elements) that adds wood to the mix. These four elements are used in some sects of Japanese Buddhism (not so much in Chinese).

獨角獸 is the Chinese name for the western unicorn (a horse with a spiral horn emerging from the head).

獨角獸 is an unusual title for a Chinese wall scroll, but it's OK if you really love unicorns.

Chinese have their own ancient unicorn-like creature called a “qilin” (or kirin in Japanese).

一角獣 is the Japanese name for the western unicorn (a horse with a spiral horn emerging from the head). This can also refer to a narwhal, depending on context.

一角獣 is an unusual title for a Japanese wall scroll but it's OK if you really love unicorns.

Japanese have their own ancient unicorn-like creature called a “kirin” (or qilin in the original Chinese).

This is a second common transliteration to Mandarin Chinese for the name Thomas.

There are two common ways to transliterate this name into Chinese. Both sound reasonably close to the English pronunciation of Thomas, so just pick the one that looks best to you. If you like horses, pick this one, as the second character means horse.

馬球 is the Chinese title for the ancient game of polo.

During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the elite and rich would mount their horses and engage in this rigorous sport. It was the only sport of that period that women were also known to play.

The original polo came from Persia and may have been played in China hundreds of years before the Tang popularized it.

The characters “馬球” literally mean “horse ball.”

The first character means “wood glue” or can be understood as “sticky” or “sticking.”
The second character means “hand” (or “hands”).

This term can be romanized as “Chi Sau,” “Chi Sao,” or from Mandarin, “Chi Shou.”

黐手 is a concept that comes from the Wing Chun (AKA: Ving Tsun, Wing Tsun, or Yong Chun) style of martial arts. If you are looking for this term, chances are, you already know the meaning within the context of Wing Chun.

花木蘭 is the name of the famous Chinese woman warrior Hua Mulan.

She was made famous in the west by Disney's animated movie, “Mulan.”

Most of the historical information about her comes from an ancient poem. It starts with a concerned Mulan, as she is told a man from each family is to serve conscription in the army. Her father is too old, and her brother is too young. Mulan decides to take the place of her father. After twelve years of war, the army returns, and the best warriors are awarded great posts in the government and riches. Mulan turns down all offers and asks only for a good horse for the long trip home. When Mulan greets visiting comrades wearing her old clothes, they are shocked to find the warrior they rode into battle with for years is actually a woman.

麒麟 is the title of a mythical beast of Asia.

The animal is thought to be related to the giraffe, and in some ways, it is a giraffe. However, it is often depicted with the horns of a dragon or deer and sometimes with the body like a horse, but many variations exist.

In Japanese, it is pronounced “Kirin” as in “Kirin Ichiban” beer.


Notes:

1. This is sometimes spelled as “kylin.”

2. In Japanese, this is the only Kanji word for giraffe. Therefore in Japan, this word needs context to know whether you are talking about the mythical creature or the long-necked giraffe of Africa.

3. Apparently, this was the first word used for regular giraffes in China (some were brought from Africa to China during the Ming Dynasty - probably around the year 1400). Though the mythical creature may have existed before, the name “qilin” was given to the “new giraffe.” This is because, more than 600 years ago, giraffes somewhat matched the mythical creature's description when Chinese people saw them for the first time. Later, to avoid such an ambiguous title, a three-character word was devised to mean a “giraffe of Africa.” The characters for “qilin” shown here are only for the mythological version in modern Chinese.

4. More information about the qilin / kirin from Wikipedia.

5. This creature is sometimes translated as the “Chinese Unicorn,” although it is generally portrayed with two horns. I think this is done more for the fantasy aspect of the unicorn and because most westerners don't know what a qilin or kirin is (this avoids a long explanation by the translator).

6. In Korean, this can mean kirin or simply giraffe (usually, the mythological creature is what they would think of when seeing these characters alone on a wall scroll).

During the Tang Dynasty, a man named Jia Dao (born in the year 779), a well-studied scholar and poet, went to the capital to take the imperial examination.

One day as he rides a donkey through the city streets, a poem begins to form in his mind. A portion of the poem comes into his head like this:

“The bird sits on the tree branch near a pond,
A monk approaches and knocks at the gate...”

At the same time, he wondered if the word “push” would be better than “knock” in his poem.

As he rides down the street, he imagines the monk pushing or knocking. Soon he finds himself making motions of pushing and shaking a fist in a knocking motion as he debates which word to use. He is quite a sight as he makes his way down the street on his donkey with hands and fists flying about as the internal debate continues.

As he amuses people along the street, he becomes completely lost in his thoughts and does not see the mayor's procession coming in the opposite direction. Jia Bao is blocking the way for the procession to continue down the road, and the mayor's guards immediately decide to remove Jia Bao by force. Jia Bao, not realizing that he was in the way, apologizes, explains his poetic dilemma and awaits his punishment for blocking the mayor's way.

The mayor, Han Yu, a scholar and author of prose himself, finds himself intrigued by Jia Dao's poem and problem. Han Yu gets off his horse and addresses Jia Bao, stating, “I think knock is better.” The relieved Jia Bao raises his head and is invited by the mayor to join the procession, and are seen riding off together down the street, exchanging their ideas and love of poetry.

In modern Chinese, this 反復推敲 idiom is used when someone is trying to decide which word to use in their writing or when struggling to decide between two things when neither seems to have a downside.