to: tiangotlost@gmail.com
date: Wed, Feb 11, 2009 at 1:31 PM
subject: Japanese/Chinese characters
I recently bought a poster with Chinese/Japanese characters on it, and I wanted to be sure the characters actually said what the poster told me they meant. Can you verify that they do mean what they said they mean? I've enclosed a picture. Thanks!
I have seen similar posters before where 鈅 is used incorrect to represent "harmony". It means "key".
The character 匙 does not mean "prosper", rather "spoon".
And of course, 钥匙 also means "key."
ReplyDelete愛 is a traditional form where 钥 is simplified.
ReplyDeleteMaybe to some people, having a spoon means prosperity. i certainly know some people who think that way. Heh.
ReplyDeleteIs 'spoon' the noun or the verb? ;)
ReplyDeleteI don't know its meaning in Chinese, but in Japanese 安 on its own means "cheap".
ReplyDeleteI once saw a car decorated with many kanji (or hanzi), and could not help giggling when it as a large 安 on its back window!
福 should rather be good fortune / prosperity.
ReplyDeleteOf course, a good fortune can be the source of happiness, but if you're looking to express happiness in a character I'd go for 楽
"I don't know its meaning in Chinese, but in Japanese 安 on its own means "cheap"."
ReplyDeleteEh, not really. As 安い (yasui) or in compounds such as 安値 (yasune), it does indeed mean something like "cheap", but it does not carry the connotation of "low-quality" as much as "cheap" does in English.
As 安らか (yasuraka), 平安 (heian), or 安穏 (an'non), it is "peaceful" or "tranquil". So I wouldn't consider this a mistake by any means (well, aside from the general principle of slapping a single Chinese character on your car).
"if you're looking to express happiness in a character I'd go for 楽"
I wouldn't. This character (樂 and 乐 in traditional and simplified Chinese, respectively) expresses enjoyment and, by extension, music. In Japanese, as "raku", it also expresses ease/simplicity/comfort.
I think 喜 would be your best bet for a single character for "happiness".