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大夢 means “Big Dream” in Chinese and Japanese.

大夢 is primarily a Buddhist term referring to the great dream that represents a long and winding life that feels like a dream (since reality is an illusion anyway in Buddhism).

This can also be a female given name, Hiromu, or Oomu, in Japanese. Also, more rare unisex given names Daimu or Taimu.

夢 is the very simple word for dreams in Chinese and Japanese.

It can also mean having a vision or simply an illusion.

夢想 is the two-character version of dream or dreaming, which can mean “to dream of [something],” vision, imagine, or reverie.

Be careful, as, in some contexts, it can mean dreaming of something in vain.

遠大夢想 is a way to say “dream big” or “big dreams” in Mandarin Chinese.

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

夢想家 means “dreamer” or “visionary” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

大望 is one of a few ways to write “dream big” in Japanese.

This is a good title if you want that to inspire ambition or high aspirations. 大望 is also a way to say “great expectations.”

人生如夢 is an old Chinese proverb that suggests, “life is but a dream.”

This kind of follows the Buddhist idea that the world is a temporal place, where reality may not be as real as you think.

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

夢を追い続ける 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

空想家 means visionary or dreamer in Japanese.

美麗的夢神 is the Chinese title for the song Beautiful Dreamer.

It translates as Beautiful Dream Saint.

實現你的夢想 means “realize your dreams” or “live your dreams” in Chinese.

實現 means to achieve, to implement, to realize, or to bring about.

The characters 你的 effectively mean “your.”

夢想 means to dream, imagine, or have a vision.

鴻鵠之誌 is a Chinese proverb that implies that having grand ambitions also means that others will not understand your great expectations and ideas.

Though the actual words come from a longer saying of Confucius, which goes, “The little swallows living under the eaves wouldn't understand the lofty ambitions of a swan (who flies far and wide).”

This Confucius quote has led to this idiomatic expression in China that means “think big.” What you'd be saying is “The lofty ambitions of a swan.”

Note that Chinese people sometimes refer to the little swallow as one who does not “think big” but is, instead, stuck in a rut or just leading a mundane life. Therefore, it's a compliment to be called a swan but not a good thing to be called a swallow.

大志を抱 is a single Japanese word that kind of reads like a short proverb.

It suggests that you should have “high aims,” “ambitions,” or “aspirations” in your life.

大志を抱く is a Japanese proverb that suggests you should embrace, pursue, and realize your ambitions.

The first part means ambitions or aspirations.

The last part means to embrace or to hold in your arms.

Here's the character breakdown:
大志 (taishi) ambition; aspiration.
を (o) particle
抱く (idaku) to embrace; to hold in the arms (e.g. a baby); to hug; to harbor/harbour; to bear (e.g., a grudge); to entertain (e.g., suspicion); to sleep with; to sit on eggs.

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

雄心 are the Chinese characters and Japanese Kanji for great ambition, lofty aspiration, or heroic spirit.

This Chinese and Japanese word means to make progress, to do better, ambition to improve oneself, to move forward, to advance.

This should be romanized as Joushin but is often romanized as Joshin from Japanese. It can also be a given name in Japanese.

不怕路遠隻怕志短 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as “Fear not long roads; fear only short ambition,” or “Don't fear that the road is long, only fear that your will/ambition/aspiration is short.”

Figuratively, this means: However difficult the goal is, one can achieve it as long as one is determined to do so.

Others may translate the meaning as “Don't let a lack of willpower stop you from pressing onward in your journey.”

不怕人窮隻怕志短 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: It is not poverty that is to be feared; It is low ambition.

Figuratively, this means: It is not poverty but a lack of lofty aspiration that is to be regretted.

大展宏圖 is a four-character proverb used in Chinese to mean “realize your ambitions” or “exhibit your ambition and success.”

It's used to talk about someone with great career ambitions. Almost literally, it expresses the idea of someone unfolding a great career like a map or a set of blueprint plans.

Very literally translated, these four characters mean “Great unfolding of a huge map” or “Great exhibition of a colossal plan.”

野望 means ambition or aspiration in Japanese Kanji and old Korean Hanja.

望 holds the ideas of ambition, hope, desire, aspiring to, expectations, looking towards, to gaze (into the distance), and in some contexts, full moon rising.

望 is one of those single characters that is vague but in that vagueness, it also means many things.

望 is a whole word in Chinese and old Korean but is seldom seen alone in Japanese. Still, it holds the meanings noted above in all three languages.

不撒大網不得大魚 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: [if one does] not cast a big net, [one can] not get big fish.

Figuratively, this means: One cannot make great accomplishments without making great efforts or taking great pains.

This is sort of the fishing version of, “No pain, no gain.”

少年よ大志を抱け was a sort of motto or proverb invoked by William Clark after being hired by the Emperor of Japan in 1876 to establish a university in Hokkaido, Japan.

This phrase has been famous across all generations of Japan since that time.

More about William S. Clark's adventures in Japan.

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

創造 means to create, to bring about, to produce, or simply creative or creation.

The first character here means to create, Genesis, or origin.
The second means to make or build.

創意 is creative or creativity in Chinese characters, old Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji.

It can also refer to an original idea or originality.

不拘一格 is a Chinese proverb that speaks of exploring different styles and not being stuck in conventional thinking.

It can also be translated as “not sticking to one pattern” or “not limited to one type (or style).” The most simple translation is “being creative” or “unbridled creativity.” Some may also say this means “not being stuck in a rut,” in the context of a designer or artist.

If you translate this, the first two characters mean “not stick to” or “not confine oneself to.”
The second two characters mean “one mode,” “one pattern,” “one form,” “one style,” or “one rule.”

創造力 is a word that means “strength of creativity” or sort of “creativity (is your) strength.”

This can also be translated as “ingenuity.”

Creativity is the power of imagination. It is discovering your own special talents. Daring to see things in new ways and find different ways to solve problems. With your creativity, you can bring something new into the world.

The first character means “to create,” and the second means “to make or build.” Together they mean “creative.” The third character means “strength.”

This Chinese word can mean desirous, wishful, or desire.

The first character means to thirst for [something] or to be thirsty. The second character means to hope for, to expect, to gaze (into the distance), or to look for something. The combined meaning of these two characters changes a bit, but I think it's nice to know the individual meanings to give you a better understanding of where a word comes from.

Korean definitions of this word include craving, longing, and thirst for knowledge.

慾 means desire, longing, appetite, wish, covetousness, greed, passion, desire, avarice, and craving.

慾 is universal in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and Korean Hanja.

The context in which this character is used determines whether the meaning is good or bad. As a single character on a wall scroll, you get to decide what the definition is to you (hopefully more toward desire than greed).

Please note that Japanese use a simplified version of this character - it also happens to be the same simplification used in mainland China. Click on the character to the right if you want the Japanese/Simplified version of desire.

欲望 is a word that means strong desire, while some might translate it as “lust.”

The first character of this word means desire, longing, hunger, covetousness, greed, passion, desire, craving, or wish. The second character means to hope for, ambition, desire, aspire, expect, gaze (into the distance), or look for something.

願望 means desire, wish, or aspiration in Chinese and Japanese.

信望愛 is a Chinese list of words meaning faith, hope, and love.

This is not a typical phrase in Chinese but rather just random words strung together. There's no bad meaning, it's just not typical Chinese grammar.

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.

幻想 is illusions or fantasy in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

This can also refer to delusion or daydreaming. It sort of means a dream or idea that cannot be true or real ( at least not in this realm).

Besides “to hope” this also means “to wish for” or “to desire.”

It can also mean expectation or aspiration depending on context.

Note: Also considered to be one of the Seven Heavenly Virtues.

See Also:  Faith | Desire

企望 is a Chinese and Japanese word that can be translated as:
to hope; to look forward; looking forward to; hoping for.

The first character means to plan. The second can mean to hope; to expect; to gaze (into the distance); to look towards. Sometimes it can mean a full moon.
Together, these characters create this word about hoping, wishing, looking forward, and dreaming about the future.

意念/意唸 means idea or thought in Chinese.

意見 means idea, thought, opinion, or view in Japanese.

This word also has a similar meaning in Chinese, just often used in China.

幻像 is a universal word for Illusion in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

The first character means phantasm, vision, dream, illusion, apparition, or fantasy.

The second character means statue, picture, image, figure, portrait, shape, form, appearance, to be like, to resemble, to take after, to seem, or in rare/ancient context: an elephant.

Note that the first character can be written without the left-side radical in Chinese. This form is shown to the right. Both forms are acceptable in Chinese but the character shown to the right is more likely to be read as "elephant."

See Also:  Reality

想像力 is probably the best way to express “imagination” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.

It literally means “your strength to imagine.” The last character means strength or ability, while the first two mean imagine or conceptualize. My Japanese dictionary defines this as “The power of imagination.” While my Korean dictionary says, “imaginative power.”

想像 is the shortest word for imagine, visualize, or imagination.

It can also mean “to guess,” (which is why I favor the 3-character version of imagination (just a third character is added to the end, which clarifies it).

迷 is one of those characters that can mean a lot of different things depending on context. When written alone, as a single character on a wall scroll, it opens up the possibilities and allows you to decide what it means to you.

The key definition is “to be lost.” This could be physically or mentally lost. It can be someone lost in their thoughts, lost in an ocean, or just confused about where they are. The reason for the confused state may be due to internal or external reasons.

Here are some entries from various Asian dictionaries...

Chinese: lost, confused, bewilder, crazy about, fan, enthusiast, mystery.

Japanese: lost, astray, perplexed, in doubt, err, illusion.

Korean: lost, bewildered, fascinated, deluded.

This encompasses the idea of meditation.

It's also a term used to describe a deep form of daydreaming, exploring one's imagination, the act of contemplating, or the idea of contemplation. 冥想 is often associated with Buddhism; however, the word “Zen” in Japanese (or “Chan” in Chinese) is probably more commonly used (or better known in the west).

See Also:  Zen

The first character means “eternal” or “forever,” and the second means “not” (together, they mean “never”). The last two characters mean “give up” or “abandon.” Altogether, you can translate this proverb as “never give up” or “never abandon.”

Depending on how you want to read this, 永不放棄 is also a statement that you will never abandon your hopes, dreams, family, or friends.

See Also:  Undaunted | No Fear | Hope

決して諦めるな is a Japanese term that informally means “never give up.”

It's also a Japanese way to say “never surrender.”

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

See Also:  Tenacity | Perseverance | Hope

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 being blessed.

See Also:  Follow Your Dreams

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

真妄 is a specifically Buddhist term that means “reality and illusion.” Out of Buddhist context, it might be read as “The real and the absurd.”

Separately, the first character means real, true, and genuine, and the second character means absurd, fantastic, or related to fantasy.

現実と幻想 is the Japanese way to write, “reality and illusion.”

現実性 is a Japanese word that expresses the idea of reality or coming to understand what is true and real.

This can also be translated as realistic, practical, or feasible.

See Also:  Illusion

思想 means thought, thinking, or idea in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja. Sometimes it can mean ideology, depending on context.

This can refer to someone's personality - like saying, “he is a thinker.”

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).