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1. Water
3. Chinese Traditional Medicine
4. Water Dragon / Coiled Dragon
5. Drinking the water of a well: One should never forget who dug it
6. Fire and Water Have No Mercy
7. Put out a burning wood cart with a cup of water
9. Three Treasures of Chinese Medicine
10. Mind Like Water
11. Chinese or Korean Army General
12. Not Only Can Water Float A Boat, It Can Sink It Also
13. Japanese Snapping Turtle / Chinese Soft Shell Turtle
14. Water Dragon / Rain Dragon
15. Be Like Water
16. Water Tiger
17. Water Polo
18. Flower in the Mirror, Moon on Water
23. Dripping Water Penetrates Stone
24. Water Rat
25. Water Monkey
26. Water Rooster
27. Water Horse
28. Water Goat/Sheep
29. Water Dragon
30. Water Snake
31. Water Tiger
32. Water Rabbit
33. Water Rat
34. Water Ox/Bull
35. Water Dog
36. Water Pig/Boar
(One of the five elements)
水 is the symbol for water in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
Water 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.
像水一樣 is a short quote from a much longer statement by Bruce Lee.
He summarized how people should be flexible to all circumstances, attacks, or situations. In the end, he exclaims, “Be like water, my friend.” 像水一樣 is the “Be like water” part alone since that seems to be what most people want.
This proverb suggests that one should always be grateful to those who helped one succeed.
And remember your ancestors and those that came before you whose sacrifices made your present life better.
Some Chinese will separate the intended meaning from this proverb and translate this as “Don't forget the people who once helped you.” In Modern China, this idiom is virtually never used to refer to an actual well.
Note: This can be pronounced in Korean but it's not a commonly used phrase.
An utterly inadequate measure
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.”
Quote from Lao Tzu
精, 氣, 神 are the characters jing, qi, and shen.
As a set, these three characters are known in English as the treasures of traditional Chinese medicine, the treasures of Qi Gong, or the three treasures of Taoism / Daoism.
Sometimes this set is titled 三寶 (sānbǎo) or “three treasures,” but here, we're writing each treasure out.
Here's how these characters are perceived in this context...
Jing: nutritive essence; refined; perfected; pure
Qi: vitality; energy; force; breath; vigor
Shen: spirit; soul; mind; being
To keep it simple, you can use “essence, vitality, and spirit” to define these.
Mizu No Kokoro
水の心 is the Japanese Buddhist and martial arts phrase, “Mizu no Kokoro,” which means “mind like water” or “heart of water.”
The phrase is a metaphor describing the pond that clearly reflects its surroundings when calm but whose images are obscured once a pebble is dropped into its waters.
將軍 is the more Chinese and Korean Hanja version or General.
There is a slight variation in the way the first character is written compared to the Japanese Shogun (将軍) title.
So if you want to specifically refer to a Chinese or Korean General, this is the way. Japanese people would still easily identify this as “shogun.”
Note: This term is also used for Admiral in Korean in a certain context (if you need a better title for Admiral, just let me know).
Many things have opposite properties. The water you drink can also drown you. Pork may nourish you and keep you alive but under-cook it and it could kill you. Potassium nitrate is often used as a fertilizer to grow the food that sustains us but it's also been used as an explosive to topple buildings and destroy us.
This concept is easily associated with “yin yang” where an element has two opposite properties that are as different as night and day.
This proverb's meaning can be summed up this way: “Anything that can lead you to success may also contain great risks.”
This phrase is known in literary circles by Korean people (scholars or literature). It is therefore also a valid proverb in Korean Hanja, though most Koreans would not be able to make sense of it.
Please note that there is an unwritten rule when the same character appears twice in the same phrase, the calligrapher will alter the appearance so that no two characters are exactly alike in the same piece. This calligraphy has two repeating characters that will be written differently than they appear here.
鼈 refers to a species of turtle.
鼈 is Trionyx Sinensis.
鼈 refers to different turtles in different languages. See individual language notes below:
Japanese: 鼈 means “snapping turtle” or “mud turtle.” But rarely used as a single Kanji like this in Japanese.
Chinese: 鼈 means soft-shelled turtle. A specific species, Trionyx Sinensis is native to Asia.
In China, this species is related to the “wang ba,” a soft-shelled turtle sometimes known in English as a banjo turtle (due to its long neck, and general shape). Unfortunately, there is a word, “wang ba dan” which means the egg of this species of turtle. That term has come to mean “bastard” in Chinese (a turtle hatches from an abandoned egg, and does not know who his mother or father is). 鼈 is not a good selection for a wall scroll if your audience is Chinese.
In Korean, this character can be pronounced (though most Koreans would have to look it up in a dictionary). It has not been in common use in Korea for at least a few hundred years.
General notes: You may notice that the bottom half of this character is the same as some other turtle-related titles. That bottom half is actually an ancient character that means “toad.” Though not seen in this way today, most turtle-related characters hold the meaning of “a toad with a shell” in their ancient origin. That toad character is rarely used alone anymore but you can see what it looks like in the image to the right.
蛟龍 is the title for the water dragon is the hornless or scaled dragon. 蛟龍 is the king of all aquatic animals with the ability to control rain and floods.
In Japanese, the rain dragon can represent hidden genius. This dragon's domain is the deep murky water, thus with hidden potential. This can also be the Japanese given name Kouryuu.
Quote from Lao Tzu
若水 is part of a very old saying from Lao Tzu.
In these two characters, there is a suggestion to be like water. The full phrase is about the goodness and purity of water. So, when this suggests being like water, it is actually a suggestion to be a good person (one who does not dishonor himself/herself, etc.).
水球 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja title for water polo.
The literal meaning of the characters is “water ball.”
鏡花水月 is an old Asian proverb that means “flowers in a mirror and the moon reflected in the lake” or “flowers reflected on a mirror and the moon reflected on the water's surface.”
Literally, 鏡花水月 reads “Mirror Flower, Water Moon.”
Figuratively this can be used to represent a lot of different ideas. It can be used to express an unrealistic rosy view or viewing things through rose-tinted spectacles. So you can use it to relay an idea about something that is visible but has no substance,
something that can be seen but not touched, or something beautiful but unattainable such as dreams or a mirage.
This expression is used to describe things like the subtle and profound beauty of poems that cannot be described in words.
鏡 = Mirror (or lens)
花 = Flower(s)
水 = Water
月 = Moon
Can also be written 水月鏡花 (just a slight change in word/character order).
Before enlightenment or after, chores remain.
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.
癸卯 is the designation for the 40th year of the 60-year or sexagenary cycle, e.g. 1903, 1963, or 2023.
This is the year of the Water Rabbit. The characters here designate the year in a special way, but do not literally mean water and rabbit.
The 60 year cycle has 5 elements and 12 animals. As each cycles every year, the math works out to 5 x 12 = 60.
1903 1963 2023
滴水穿石 is a Chinese proverb that means, dripping water penetrates stone.
The figurative meaning can be translated as:
Constant perseverance yields success.
You can achieve your aim if you try hard without giving up.
Persistent effort overcomes any difficulty.
While 滴水穿石 is the most common character order, you will likely see 水滴石穿, might see 滴水石穿, and will rarely see 小水穿石 in the wild.
The Year of the Water Monkey
水猴 is Water Monkey in Chinese.
In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1872, 1932, 1992, and 2052.
In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 壬申.
See Also: Monkey
The Year of the Water Rooster
水雞 is Water Rooster in Chinese.
In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1873, 1933, 1993, and 2053.
In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 癸酉.
See Also: Rooster
The Year of the Water Horse
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
The Year of the Water Goat/Sheep
水羊 is Water Goat/Sheep in Chinese.
In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1883, 1943, 2003, and 2063.
In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 癸未.
See Also: Goat/Sheep
The Year of the Water Dragon
水龍 is Water Dragon in Chinese.
In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1892, 1952, 2012, and 2072.
In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 壬辰.
See Also: Dragon
The Year of the Water Snake
水蛇 is Water Snake in Chinese.
In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1893, 1953, 2013, and 2073.
In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 癸巳.
See Also: Snake
The Year of the Water Tiger
水虎 is Water Tiger in Chinese.
In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1902, 1962, 2022, and 2082.
In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 壬寅.
See Also: Tiger
The Year of the Water Rabbit
水兔 is Water Rabbit in Chinese.
In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1903, 1963, 2023, and 2083.
In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 癸卯.
See Also: Rabbit
The Year of the Water Rat
水鼠 is Water Rat in Chinese.
In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1912, 1972, 2032, and 2092.
In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 壬子.
See Also: Rat
The Year of the Water Ox/Bull
水牛 is Water Ox/Bull in Chinese.
In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1913, 1973, 2033, and 2093.
In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 癸丑.
See Also: Ox/Bull
The Year of the Water Dog
水狗 is Water Dog in Chinese.
In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1922, 1982, 2042, and 2102.
In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 壬戌.
See Also: Dog
The Year of the Water Pig/Boar
水豬 is Water Pig/Boar in Chinese.
In the Chinese zodiac and sexagenary (60-year) cycle, this combination occurs in years that include 1923, 1983, 2043, and 2103.
In the sexagenary cycle, this year is represented by 癸亥.
See Also: Pig/Boar
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The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Water | 水 | mizu / sui | shuǐ / shui3 / shui | |
Be Like Water | 像水一樣 | xiàng shuǐ yí yàng xiang4 shui3 yi2 yang4 xiang shui yi yang xiangshuiyiyang | hsiang shui i yang hsiangshuiiyang |
|
Chinese Traditional Medicine | 中醫 中医 | zhōng yī / zhong1 yi1 / zhong yi / zhongyi | chung i / chungi | |
Water Dragon Coiled Dragon | 蟠龍 蟠龙 | han ryuu / hanryuu / han ryu | pān lóng / pan1 long2 / pan long / panlong | p`an lung / panlung / pan lung |
Drinking the water of a well: One should never forget who dug it | 吃水不忘掘井人 | chī shuǐ bú wàng jué jǐng rén chi1 shui3 bu2 wang4 jue2 jing3 ren2 chi shui bu wang jue jing ren chishuibuwangjuejingren | ch`ih shui pu wang chüeh ching jen chih shui pu wang chüeh ching jen |
|
Fire and Water Have No Mercy | 水火無情 水火无情 | shuǐ huǒ wú qíng shui3 huo3 wu2 qing2 shui huo wu qing shuihuowuqing | shui huo wu ch`ing shuihuowuching shui huo wu ching |
|
Put out a burning wood cart with a cup of water | 杯水車薪 杯水车薪 | bēi shuǐ chē xīn bei1 shui3 che1 xin1 bei shui che xin beishuichexin | pei shui ch`e hsin peishuichehsin pei shui che hsin |
|
Ultimate Goodness of Water | 上善若水 | shàng shàn ruò shuǐ shang4 shan4 ruo4 shui3 shang shan ruo shui shangshanruoshui | shang shan jo shui shangshanjoshui |
|
Three Treasures of Chinese Medicine | 精氣神 精气神 | jīng qì shén jing1 qi4 shen2 jing qi shen jingqishen | ching ch`i shen chingchishen ching chi shen |
|
Mind Like Water | 水の心 | mizu no kokoro mizunokokoro | ||
Chinese or Korean Army General | 將軍 将军 | shougun / shogun | jiāng jūn jiang1 jun1 jiang jun jiangjun | chiang chün chiangchün |
Not Only Can Water Float A Boat, It Can Sink It Also | 水能載舟亦能覆舟 水能载舟亦能覆舟 | shuǐ néng zài zhōu yì néng fù zhōu shui3 neng2 zai4 zhou1 yi4 neng2 fu4 zhou1 shui neng zai zhou yi neng fu zhou | shui neng tsai chou i neng fu chou | |
Japanese Snapping Turtle Chinese Soft Shell Turtle | 鼈 | suppon / supon | biē / bie1 / bie | pieh |
Water Dragon Rain Dragon | 蛟龍 蛟龙 | kou ryuu / kouryuu / ko ryu | jiāo jiao1 long2 jiao long jiaolong | chiao lung chiaolung |
Be Like Water | 若水 | ruò shuǐ / ruo4 shui3 / ruo shui / ruoshui | jo shui / joshui | |
Water Tiger | 水虎 | sui ko / suiko | shuǐ hǔ / shui3 hu3 / shui hu / shuihu | |
Water Polo | 水球 | sui kyuu / suikyuu / sui kyu | shuǐ qiú / shui3 qiu2 / shui qiu / shuiqiu | shui ch`iu / shuichiu / shui chiu |
Flower in the Mirror, Moon on Water | 鏡花水月 镜花水月 | kyou ka sui getsu kyoukasuigetsu kyo ka sui getsu | jìng huā shuǐ yuè jing4 hua1 shui3 yue4 jing hua shui yue jinghuashuiyue | ching hua shui yüeh chinghuashuiyüeh |
Chop Wood, Carry Water | 頓悟之前砍柴挑水頓悟之后砍柴挑水 顿悟之前砍柴挑水顿悟之后砍柴挑水 | dùn wù zhī qián kǎn chái tiāo shuǐ dùn wù zhī hòu kǎn chái tiāo shuǐ dun4 wu4 zhi1 qian2 kan3 chai2 tiao1 shui3 dun4 wu4 zhi1 hou4 kan3 chai2 tiao1 shui3 dun wu zhi qian kan chai tiao shui dun wu zhi hou kan chai tiao shui | tun wu chih ch`ien k`an ch`ai t`iao shui tun wu chih hou k`an ch`ai t`iao shui tun wu chih chien kan chai tiao shui tun wu chih hou kan chai tiao shui |
|
Earth Fire Water Air | 四大元素 | yondaigenso | ||
Year Of The Water Rabbit | 癸卯 | mizunotou / kibou mizunoto / kibo | guǐ mǎo / gui3 mao3 / gui mao / guimao | kuei mao / kueimao |
Year of the Water Rabbit | 水兔年 | mizu usagi toshi mizuusagitoshi | shuǐ tù nián shui3 tu4 nian2 shui tu nian shuitunian | shui t`u nien shuitunien shui tu nien |
Dripping Water Penetrates Stone | 滴水穿石 | dī shuǐ chuān shí di1 shui3 chuan1 shi2 di shui chuan shi dishuichuanshi | ti shui ch`uan shih tishuichuanshih ti shui chuan shih |
|
Water Rat | 水鼠 | shuǐ shǔ / shui3 shu3 / shui shu / shuishu | ||
Water Monkey | 水猴 | shuǐ hóu / shui3 hou2 / shui hou / shuihou | ||
Water Rooster | 水雞 水鸡 | shuǐ jī / shui3 ji1 / shui ji / shuiji | shui chi / shuichi | |
Water Horse | 水馬 水马 | shuǐ mǎ / shui3 ma3 / shui ma / shuima | ||
Water Goat/Sheep | 水羊 | shuǐ yáng shui3 yang2 shui yang shuiyang | ||
Water Dragon | 水龍 水龙 | shuǐ lóng shui3 long2 shui long shuilong | shui lung shuilung |
|
Water Snake | 水蛇 | shuǐ shé / shui3 she2 / shui she / shuishe | ||
Water Tiger | 水虎 | shuǐ hǔ / shui3 hu3 / shui hu / shuihu | ||
Water Rabbit | 水兔 | shuǐ tù / shui3 tu4 / shui tu / shuitu | shui t`u / shuitu / shui tu | |
Water Rat | 水鼠 | shuǐ shǔ / shui3 shu3 / shui shu / shuishu | ||
Water Ox/Bull | 水牛 | shuǐ niú / shui3 niu2 / shui niu / shuiniu | ||
Water Dog | 水狗 | shuǐ gǒu / shui3 gou3 / shui gou / shuigou | shui kou / shuikou | |
Water Pig/Boar | 水豬 水猪 | shuǐ zhū / shui3 zhu1 / shui zhu / shuizhu | shui chu / shuichu | |
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. |
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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.
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 Water Lilies - Chinese Ink Painting Kanji, Water Lilies - Chinese Ink Painting Characters, Water Lilies - Chinese Ink Painting in Mandarin Chinese, Water Lilies - Chinese Ink Painting Characters, Water Lilies - Chinese Ink Painting in Chinese Writing, Water Lilies - Chinese Ink Painting in Japanese Writing, Water Lilies - Chinese Ink Painting in Asian Writing, Water Lilies - Chinese Ink Painting Ideograms, Chinese Water Lilies - Chinese Ink Painting symbols, Water Lilies - Chinese Ink Painting Hieroglyphics, Water Lilies - Chinese Ink Painting Glyphs, Water Lilies - Chinese Ink Painting in Chinese Letters, Water Lilies - Chinese Ink Painting Hanzi, Water Lilies - Chinese Ink Painting in Japanese Kanji, Water Lilies - Chinese Ink Painting Pictograms, Water Lilies - Chinese Ink Painting in the Chinese Written-Language, or Water Lilies - Chinese Ink Painting in the Japanese Written-Language.