Translation help

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[rap2112]

I was wondering if someone could help me translate "motivation from within." Thanks for the help. I believe there is a kanji for motivation but not for the other words.

[WilliB]

I was wondering if someone could help me translate "motivation from within." Thanks for the help. I believe there is a kanji for motivation but not for the other words.

OK, nobody volunteered with a translation, so here is my 2 yen worth:

"uchi kara no yaruki"

[WilliB]

...and the kanjis for this are pretty simple, actually:

内からのやる気

[niall]

Hi Reagan. I've been looking at this and I think everyone has been hesitating because there isn't a clear answer at all. I just saw Willi put a suggestion while I was typing this.

My dictionary gives some academic translations but

やる気 or 遣る気 ya ru ki is the nearest and simplest translation maybe. The version with the kanji is much rarer.

やる気を出す ya ru ki o da su is the verb.

You wouldn't normally say uchi kara (from inside). Jibun kara (from yourself) is possible but it's not really necessary because yaruki automatically comes from yourself, but if you want that translation it would be:

自分からやる気を出す ji bun ka ra ya ru ki o da su

Hope that helps.

Regards,

Niall

[Josh Reyer]

There's a single word term for what you're looking for:

自発性 - jihatsusei - self-motivation

[niall]

Yeah... This is exactly why the question was so unanswerable and everyone was reluctant to suggest anything. I think we need a native speaker. From what I understand jihatsusei would be used more for something natural. Maybe jihatsuteki would be OK. 自発的 ji hatsu teki. But I'll still go with yaruki やる気 or 遣る気 until someone Japanese tells me otherwise.

[WilliB]

The original question was about "motivation from within" and not about "self-motivation".

So were we asked to translate the phrase as it is, or to double-guess what the OP really wanted to say? I don´t know.

[Josh Reyer]

Well, first someone will have to tell me the exact difference is between the English "motivation from within" and "self-motivation". As far as I can see, the former is a roundabout way of saying the latter. I suppose one might say that "self-motivation" is something done to oneself to motivate oneself, and thus lacks the sense of motivation that comes spontaneously from within oneself that "motivation from within" might carry. Nonetheless, 自発性 carries the latter nuance.

やる気 is basically "feeling like doing". Sure, in some contexts it could be used to translate "motivation" or "being motivated", but one can have やる気 without motivation (e.g., doing something fun just because you feel like it), or indeed motivation without やる気 (e.g., doing something because you know you should, even though you don't want to)..

To my ear, or 内からのやる気 sound odd because in as much as やる気 is a feeling or intention, it perforce comes from within. 自分からやる気を出す sounds better, more idiomatic, though I'd be inclined to say 自分で rather than 自分から, again because やる気 perforce comes 自分から, at least in this context.

But I think 自発性 works best because it means exactly what it says on the tin: 他からの影響・強制などではなく、自己の内部の原因によって行われること。 Without influence or compulsion from outside, something done originating from within oneself. I can kinda see Niall's objection in that it carries a sense of a personal characteristic, perhaps that some people have and others don't, and I think Niall's seeing the OP's phrase as referring to something that anyone can express. Where I would disagree with that is that 自発性 is something that can be worked on and developed. It can be encouraged by others, or oneself. We all have 自発性 -- it's just a question of whether it's dormant, or selectively expressed, or always expressed.

What we need, though, is not a native speaker (though those are always nice), but more context from the original poster. We cannot make bricks without clay.

[niall]

Wow, Josh. Thanks for that. Great post. Very convincingly and knowledgeably argued. I have to agree.

[rap2112]

thanks for all the help, I was kinda meaning it as the only real motivation comes from inside a person not and outside influences.

[toshihei]

My dojo is in a process of finding names in Japanese, before we only use the name of our university, but after a discussion we decided to find a name so it will be easier to identify, our problem is we are trying to find a name that fit the philosophy of the logo, so we found:

"The light of knowledge and tradition"

Because we are an university dojo which is located in a city based on tradition, we really appreciate it if anyone can help us. Thanks before :)

[niall]

The light of knowledge and tradition - chishiki to dentou no hikari - 知識と伝統の光 - sounds a little strange in Japanese. It gives the feeling of a religious cult maybe.

How about 叡智 eichi instead. It means a way to get deep wisdom or enlightenment so it's appropriate for your university.

So Eichi Dojo 叡智道場 (and if you really want you could use chishiki to dentou no hikari as a motto). That's my suggestion. But wait for a few more before deciding.

[toshihei]

The light of knowledge and tradition - chishiki to dentou no hikari - 知識と伝統の光 - sounds a little strange in Japanese. It gives the feeling of a religious cult maybe.

How about 叡智 eichi instead. It means a way to get deep wisdom or enlightenment so it's appropriate for your university.

So Eichi Dojo 叡智道場 (and if you really want you could use chishiki to dentou no hikari as a motto). That's my suggestion. But wait for a few more before deciding.

Thanx for the suggestion :) We'll consider it, "Eichi" sounds good. Coulds you please also add the meaning of each kanji? As we're trying to absorb the complete philosophy of the kanji as well.
We'll put on the top of the list and see if there are more suggestions, but really, we like it :) Thx Niall

[niall]

ei 叡 is intelligence, wisdom, cleverness (also with a connotation of with regard to an emperor)

chi 智 is wisdom, intellect, intelligence, reason, cleverness

eichi 叡智 is wisdom, intelligence, with a connotation of philosophy and a search for enlightenment.

The title of the French poet Paul Verlaine's book of poetry Sagesse (wisdom) is 叡智 eichi in Japanese.

[toshihei]

ei 叡 is intelligence, wisdom, cleverness (also with a connotation of with regard to an emperor)

chi 智 is wisdom, intellect, intelligence, reason, cleverness

eichi 叡智 is wisdom, intelligence, with a connotation of philosophy and a search for enlightenment.

The title of the French poet Paul Verlaine's book of poetry Sagesse (wisdom) is 叡智 eichi in Japanese.

Great! Thanks for the explanation! :) I think we can use it, it matches the logo too, really appreciate it, thank u Niall :)