# Quick Chinese character (one single one) translation?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-chinese-character-one-single-one-translation/458253>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 30, 2008, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-chinese-character-one-single-one-translation/458253 "2008-07-30T17:43:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-chinese-character-one-single-one-translation/458253/1 "2008-07-30T17:43:28Z")

</div>

I was just wondering if anyone could help me out with a translation of the [written Chinese on a certain pirate flag?](http://home.comcast.net/~Ranchoth/saofengflag2.jpg) The character on the left clearly seems to be “Si” (“death”), but the one on the right is puzzling me. It looks _close_ to “Sha” (“kill”)(?), but just different enough that I’m left wondering.

(Y’all might remember that [I asked about this one, awhile back, based on some low-quality screencaps I managed to scrounge up](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=424051&highlight=pirates) which is where I got the helpful translation information, here. But I managed to find a clearer image recently, and I thought I’d double check)

Can anyone help me out?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-chinese-character-one-single-one-translation/458253/2 "2008-07-30T17:53:22Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Ranchoth]  
I was just wondering if anyone could help me out with a translation of the [written Chinese on a certain pirate flag?](http://home.comcast.net/~Ranchoth/saofengflag2.jpg) The character on the left clearly seems to be “Si” (“death”), but the one on the right is puzzling me. It looks _close_ to “Sha” (“kill”)(?), but just different enough that I’m left wondering.

(Y’all might remember that [I asked about this one, awhile back, based on some low-quality screencaps I managed to scrounge up](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=424051&highlight=pirates) which is where I got the helpful translation information, here. But I managed to find a clearer image recently, and I thought I’d double check)

Can anyone help me out?  
[/QUOTE]

Looks to me like [rong2](http://www.mdbg.net/chindict/chindict.php?cdqchi=%E6%A6%AE) , “glory” or “honor”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\
**Post date:** [July 30, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-chinese-character-one-single-one-translation/458253/3 "2008-07-30T18:24:58Z")

</div>

IANACE (and one will be along shortly) but it looks to me like it might be rong2: glory, honor.

Death & Glory sure sounds like a pirate flag/slogan to me.

Dang it, missed by seconds. 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2008, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-chinese-character-one-single-one-translation/458253/4 "2008-07-31T04:14:16Z")

</div>

_Awesome_…thanks, all! 🆒