Happiness Chinese & Japanese Wall Scrolls

xǐ

ki / yorokobi

희

喜 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja for the kind of happiness known in the west as "joy."

喜 can also be translated as rejoice, enjoyment, delighted, pleased, or "take pleasure in." Sometimes it can mean, "to be fond of" (in a certain context).

If you write two of these happiness/joy characters side by side, you create another character known in English as "double happiness," which is a symbol associated with weddings and a happy marriage.

There is another version of this character that you will find on our website with an additional radical on the left side (exactly same meaning, just an alternate form). The version of happiness shown here is the commonly written form in China, Japan and South Korea (banned in North Korea).

See Also:  Contentment | Joy

xìng fú

koufuku

행복

幸福 is a general state of "happiness" which can also be translated as truly-blessed, welfare, well-being, or fortunate.

míng fú

mei fuku

명복

This unusual Chinese, Japanese, and Korean term means afterlife happiness, happiness in the next world, or the happiness of the dead.

xǐ

희

囍 is where to start customizing a "Double Happiness Guest Book Wall Scroll."

The paper panel can be whatever you choose from 68cm to 135cm. If you don't mention what paper length you want in the special instructions tab (on the next page), we'll make it about 100cm (which with silk panels will yield a wall scroll about 155cm).

Most customers pick red paper with gold flakes, and white or ivory silk. But, you can do any color combination that you want.

ko fuku

鼓腹 means happiness and contentment in Japanese Kanji.

The first Kanji represents your internal beat or drum.
The second Kanji represents your mind and body.
Together, it suggests that your internal rhythm or beat is regular, soothing, and at proper tempo.

See Also:  Satisfaction | Pleasure | Well-Being

xìng

saki / sachi / rei / rē

행

幸 can mean happiness, good fortune, good luck, and in the old days, good harvest or bounty.

Note: From Japanese, this character is sometimes romanized as "sachi," and is often pronounced "kou" or sometimes "rei" when used in compound words with other Kanji.

xìng fú yǔ ài

幸福與愛 is "happiness and love" in Chinese.

There is a suggestion of "good fortune" in the version of happiness used here.

mǎn zú

man zoku

만족

滿足 / 満足 is the kind of happiness that involves being satisfied and content.

This can also suggest the actions of "to satisfy," "to meet the needs of."

Other single-word definitions include: satisfaction; contentment; sufficient; enough; adequate; full; complete.

In Japanese, the Kanji for this word is an alternate Chinese form. You can see and select this version at the right (recommended only if your audience is specifically Japanese).

See Also:  Satisfaction | Contentment | Pleasure | Well-Being

xǐ

희

禧 is the type of happiness known in the west as "joy." The radical on the right side of this character is often seen alone (with the same meaning - and we do recommend that version because it's more universal).

xǐ

囍 is a common gift for Chinese couples getting married or newly married couples.

As we say in the west, "Two heads are better than one" Well, in the east, two "happinesses" are certainly better than one.

Some will suggest this is a symbol of two happinesses coming together. Others see it as a multiplication of happiness because of the union or marriage.

囍 is not really a character that is pronounced very often - it's almost exclusively used in written form. However, if pressed, most Chinese people will pronounce this "shuang xi" (double happy) although literally there are two "xi" characters combined in this calligraphy (but nobody will say "xi xi").

If you select this character, I strongly suggest the festive bright red paper for your calligraphy. Part of my suggestion comes from the fact that red is a good luck color in China, and this will add to the sentiment that you wish to convey with this scroll to the happy couple.

kuài lè

kai raku

쾌락

Joyfulness is an inner sense of peace and happiness. You appreciate the gifts each day brings. Without joyfulness, when the fun stops, our happiness stops. Joy can carry us through the hard times even when we are feeling very sad.

快樂 can also mean pleasure, enjoyment, delight, cheerful, or merry. In some ways, this is the essence that makes someone to be perceived as a charming person.

xìng fú chéng gōng de yì shēng

This means, "A life of happiness and prosperity" or "A life of happiness and success." It's a great and very positive and inspirational wall scroll selection.

See Also:  Prosperity

kou fuku to ha nei no jin sei

This Japanese proverb means, "A life of happiness and prosperity" or "A life of happiness and success."

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

See Also:  Prosperity

hé píng bó ài xìng fú

This is a word-list that means, "peace, love, happiness," in Chinese.

Word lists like this are not commonly-seen in China. Phrases with subject, verb, and object, or just single words are more natural for calligraphy artwork.

heiwa ai koufuku

This means "peace, love, happiness" in Japanese.

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

fù lè

furaku

부락

富樂 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja for a title meaning prosperity and happiness.

If you have a desire to live in prosperity and happiness, this is for you.

Note: This title is often used in a Buddhist context.

zhuī xún xìng fú

追尋幸福 is the best way to translate the English phrase "pursuit of happiness" into Chinese.

The first two characters mean "to pursue," "to track down," or "to search for."

The last two mean happiness, happy, or blessed.

See Also:  Follow Your Dreams

koufuku o motome te

幸福を求めて is "Pursuit of Happiness" or "In Search of Happiness" in Japanese..

Here's how the characters break down:
幸福 (koufuku) happiness; blessedness; joy; well-being.
を (o) particle
求め (motome) to want; to seek; to pursue; to request
て (te) particle

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

See Also:  Follow Your Dreams

koufuku no gakkou

幸福の学校 means "School of Happiness" in Japanese.

幸福の學校 is not a common phrase in Japanese, but it will be understood.

kou fuku no nana ka jou

This is the title for the 7 rules of happiness in Japanese. The rules themselves take up a lot of space:

1. 成功や栄誉や勝ち負けを目的に、ことを行ってはいけない。
2. しないではいられないことをし続けなさい。
3. 他人との比較ではない、あくまで自分の楽しさを追及すべし。
4. 好きの力を信じる。
5. 才能と収入は別、努力は人を裏切ると心得よ。
6. 怠け者になりなさい。
7. 目に見えない世界を信じる。

...so this title is probably all you need.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Katakana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

xìng fú yǒng héng

幸福永恆 is a short way to say eternal happiness in Chinese.

Breaking down the parts:
幸福 means happiness, happy, blessed, blessedness, joy, and/or well-being.
永恆 means eternal, everlasting, and/or forever.

Another way to write this is 永恆的幸福. It reverses the word order and adds a possessive article. I prefer the shorter version, which is also a bit more natural in Chinese.

xìng fú xué xiào

幸福學校 means "School of Happiness" or "Happiness School" in Chinese.

幸福 means happiness, happy, blessed, blessedness, joy, and/or well-being.

學校 means school or college.

wéi shàn zuì lè

為善最樂 can be translated as, "Doing good is the greatest source of happiness," or "doing good deeds brings the greatest joy".

The origin is not known, sometimes used in the context of Buddhism. However, this Chinese proverb or philosophy is a fairly mainstream idea of benevolence.

bǎi nián hǎo hé

百年好合 is a wish or greeting, often heard at Chinese weddings, for a couple to have 100 good years together.

Some will translate this more naturally into English as: "May you live a long and happy life together."

The character breakdown:
百 = 100
年 = Years
好 = Good (Happy)
合 = Together

lè tiān

raku ten

樂天 is about being optimistic and also making the best of whatever life throws at you.

樂天 / 楽天 is hard to define. One dictionary defines this as, "acceptance of fate and happy about it." There is one English word equivalent which is sanguinity or sanguinary.

You can also say that this means, "Be happy with whatever Heaven provides," or "Find happiness in whatever fate Heaven bestows upon you." 樂天 suggests being an optimist in life.

Note: 樂天 / 楽天 is sometimes a given name in China.

Please note that Japanese tend to write the first character in a slightly-different form (as seen to the right). Let us know if you have a preference when you place your order.

Shiawa se de a ru

幸せである is a way to express the idea, "be happy" in Japanese.

Japanese grammar is far different than English, so the word order is kind of the opposite of English. If you translated directly, you'd have something like, "Happiness hence forth," or "Happiness hereafter." Basically, the idea is to be happy from this moment on.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

ān pín lè dào

안빈낙도

Even if you are poor, you should still feel satisfied in your life...

...Satisfaction, happiness, and the meaning of your life come from within yourself and not from money or riches of the world.

In Chinese, there are a lot of four-character proverbs which express some very old philosophies.
Though there are only four characters on this scroll, in Chinese the meanings often surpass the dictionary definition of each character.

In this case, you should not set your expectations too high for the amount to money or riches you wish to have. One who sets their expectations too high is almost always disappointed. Instead, you should cherish what you have, and seek to improve yourself from within, and not measure your personal worth by the size of your bank account.

See Also:  A Sly Rabbit Will Have Three Openings to Its Den

huān xǐ guāng fó

kan gi kou butsu

This title is Buddha of Joyful Light. 歡喜光佛 is Amitābha from Sanskrit but pronounced very different in Chinese and Japanese.

lè

raku

락 or 악

樂 / 楽 is a single-character form of happiness or bliss that holds the ideas of laughing and having a good time. It can also be translated as happy, glad, enjoyable, fun, and sometimes, music.

This a really good character if your audience is Chinese.

樂 / 楽 is not a word seen alone very often in Korean.

In Japanese, this character is written like the image shown to the right. If you order this from the Japanese master calligrapher, it will look like this instead of the character shown above.
Note: In Japanese, this has a meaning of comfort, ease, and enjoyment.

See Also:  Joyfulness

shēng rì kuài lè

生日快樂 is how to write "Happy Birthday" in Chinese. The first two characters mean "birthday," and the second two characters mean "happiness," or rather a wish for happiness.

Because a birthday only lasts one day per year, we strongly suggest that you find an appropriate and personal calligraphy gift that can be hung in the recipient's home year round.

shuku tan jou bi

祝誕生日 is the shortest way to write "Happy Birthday" in Japanese. The first Kanji means "wish" or "express good wishes," and the last three characters mean "birthday."

Because a birthday only lasts one day per year, we strongly suggest that you find an appropriate and personal calligraphy gift that can be hung in the recipient's home year round.

tan jou bi o me de tou

This is a verbose way to write "Happy Birthday" in Japanese. The first part says "birthday" and the last 5 Kanji mean "congratulations."

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

hé xié zhī jiā

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.

nago ya ka na ka tei

This 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.

huān xiào

歡笑 translates as "happy laughter."

The first character means happy or happiness.
The second character means to laugh, laughter or smile.

xīn nián kuài lè

If you want to wish someone a happy new year this is the way. You can hang this up during Western New Years (Dec 31st - Jan 1st) and keep it up until after Chinese New Years which happens in either January or February of each year (it changes from year to year because China uses a lunar calendar).

xīn

kin

흔

欣 is the type of happiness that you feel on the inside. It is the feeling of being released and delighted as well as being in a state of contentment. 欣 is a more internal happiness that perhaps only shows by the smile on your face. It can also be translated as "to take pleasure in" or "to rejoice."

Note: 欣 is often used in compound words - especially in Korean Hanja.
As Japanese Kanji, this is so rare, that most Japanese people are not aware of its existence.

shiawa se na guu zen

幸せな偶然 is one of many ways to express serendipity in Japanese.

The first two characters mean happiness, good fortune, luck, or blessing.

In the middle is a Japanese Hiragana character that serves to connect these words/ideas together.

The last two Kanji mean incidentally, by chance, randomly, unexpectedly, suddenly, accident, fortuity, or by coincidence.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

huān

kan

환

歡 means joyous, happy, delight, and pleased.

歡 represents an external happiness that may have you clapping and cheering.

Please note: The other happiness/joyful which looks like "喜" is more popular.

歡 is the ancient/old version in China and Japan. After WWII in Japan, they started using 歓. Just let us know if you want this modern version instead of the ancient one.

dé zhì

This Chinese word means to accomplish one's ambition, a dream come true, or to enjoy your success.

chī hē wán lè

吃喝玩樂 is the short version of, "Eat, drink, and be merry."

This Chinese proverb suggests to abandon oneself to a life of pleasure.

chī hē wán lè jí shí xíng lè

This is just about the closest proverb to match the western idea of "Eat, drink, and be merry."

This Chinese proverb more literally means, "Eat, drink, play, be merry, enjoy everything as long as you can."

It's basically a suggestion that you try to enjoy everything in life, as long as you live, or as long as you are able.

xiǎng shòu shēng huó

享受生活 is a Chinese proverb that means "Enjoy Life."

The first two characters mean "to enjoy" and the last two mean "life" or "living."

jin sei o tano shi mi ni shi te i ru

This is one way to write "enjoy life" in Japanese.

The character breakdown:
人生 (jinsei) life (i.e. conception to death) human lifetime, living.
を (o) connecting particle.
楽しみ (tanoshimi) enjoyment; pleasure; anticipation; looking forward to.
に (ni) connecting particle.
し (shi) to do; to cause; to become; to make (into).
て (te) connecting particle.
いる (iru) indicates continuing action or resulting state.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

rè qíng

열정

This Chinese and Korean word for enthusiasm can also be translated as "Passion for a cause."

Enthusiasm is being cheerful, happy, and full of spirit. It is doing something wholeheartedly and eagerly. When you are enthusiastic, you have a positive attitude.

In some context, this could have a meaning of being extremely fond of something or having a fondness for a cause or person.

This Chinese word can also be translated as "sincere and warm" or literally "warm sentiment / affection."

See Also:  Motivation | Passion | Commitment | Tenacity

rè xīn

nesshin

열심

熱心 is another version of Enthusiasm in Chinese, Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja. This literally means "warm-hearted" (can also mean warm-spirited or warm-souled).

熱心 is also used to express the ideas of earnestness or eagerness.

Can mean "zeal" in Japanese.

hōng tāng dà xiào

In China, this proverb is used in response to a good joke or witty comment.

The story goes that Mr. Feng and Mr. He were both senior officials in the Song Dynasty (about a thousand years ago). One day, Mr. Feng walked into their shared office wearing a new pair of boots. The boots caught the eye of Mr. He who said, "New boots! - how much were they?." Mr. Feng lifted one of the boots off the ground as if to show it off and responded, "900 coins."
Astonished, Mr. Feng explained, "900? How can that be? - I paid 1800 coins for my boots!." Mr. Feng then lifted his other foot off the ground and said, "This boot was also 900 coins."

It is said that the whole room was shaking from the laughter of all that heard Mr. Feng's joke on Mr. He.

xiào

e / shou / wa

소

笑 simply means to laugh or smile.

Notes: In some context, it can mean "ridicule" in Korean Hanja. 笑 is not often seen alone in Japanese, though it is understood.

xiào lóng gōng fu

소룡공부

笑龍功夫 is the title for a Martial Arts studio (custom-made at by request of the owner of the studio).

jin sei ou ka

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

xiào ài shēng huó

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, and object. It is a word list. Word lists are not common in Asian languages/grammar (at least not as normal as they are 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.

ān jū lè yè

an kyo raku gyou

안거악업

安居樂業 is the Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja proverb for, "living in peace and working happily," or "to live in peace and be content with one's occupation."

ài

ai

애

愛 is a very universal character. It 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.

It's very common for couples to say "I love you" in Chinese. However, in Japanese, "love" is not a term used very often. In fact, a person is more likely to say "I like you" rather than "I love you" in Japanese. So this word is well-known but seldom spoken.

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

ai to warai no seikatsu

Because a word list of "Live Laugh Love" is not natural in Japanese, this takes the concept and incorporates it into a proper phrase.

This 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.

yú

yu

유

愉 can be defined as pleasure, well-pleased, contented, and happy.

Note: 愉 is no longer in common use in Japanese.

See Also:  Passion

zhuī xún mèng xiǎng

追尋夢想 means "pursue your dreams," "follow your dreams," or "chase your dreams" in Chinese.

The first two characters mean "to pursue," "to track down," or "to search for."

The last two mean dreams. This version of dreams refers to those with an element of reality (not the dreams you have when you sleep but rather your aspirations or goals in life).

This title will tell everyone that you want to make your dreams come true.

See Also:  Pursuit of Happiness

yume wo oi tsudukeru

This is the Japanese way to express "pursue your dreams," "follow your dreams," or "chase your dreams."

If you have dreams that you want to pursue and make true, this is the phrase for you.

The first character is "dream" or "dreams." The rest of the characters establish the idea of chasing or pursuing.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

See Also:  Pursuit of Happiness

dà xiào

taishou

대소

This can be translated as "roar of laughter," "loud laughter," "hearty laugh" or "cachinnation."

The first character means big or great, and the second character means laugh or smile.

If you like humor, this is a great wall scroll to hang in your home.

See Also:  The Whole Room Rocks With Laughter

hūn

혼

婚 is related to the ideas of getting married, being in a marriage, or taking a wife (could also mean take a husband, as "take a wife" is a western term, and this is just a general Chinese term regarding a wedding).

See Also:  Double Happiness

jié hūn

kettukon / kekkon

결혼

These two characters create a word that means wedding, or getting married. In some context, it can just be read as "marriage."

See Also:  Double Happiness | Partnership: Marriage

doujou de naki senjou de warau

道場で泣き戦場で笑う is a Japanese phrase that means, "Cry in the dojo, laugh on the battlefield."

You'll see this phrase in a lot of dojos as a kind of philosophical joke.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

See Also:  The More We Sweat in Training the Less We Bleed in Battle