Writing in the World of Avatar

This article is about the Netflix adaptation. For writing in the original works, see Writing in the World of Avatar.

Writing and literature form an integral part in societies all across the world. All four nations appear to be able to read and understand the same Chinese-based language as in the original series, the only difference being that in this adaptation the Water Tribe use Inuktitut as their written language.

Writing

Writing materials

Zuko's complete set of writing implements.

Writing in the world of Avatar is often achieved through the use of brushes, ink, and paper. The written language is Chinese characters, or Hanzi, a written language comprising thousands of characters created using different strokes. These characters are generally written top-down, right to left, though this is not always the case. The Water Tribe, on the other hand, use Inuktitut syllabics.

Characters

Traditional Chinese characters are used for most writing. There are tens of thousands of characters, but only a few thousand are required for day-to-day communication.

Calligraphy scripts

There seems to be a deliberate effort to use specific Chinese scripts for certain scenes:

• Seal script (篆書) - carvings in the Cave of Two Lovers
• Clerical script (隸書) - street signs in Fire Nation Capital
• Cursive script (草書) - scrolls on Kyoshi Island
• Running script (行書) - letters
• Standard script (楷書) - notes on maps

Chinese character translations

All Chinese characters below are written in the form in which they appeared in the show. Therefore, most are in the traditional form, with few exceptions.

Opening sequence

• Unlike the original series, the four Chinese characters representing the elements appear at the bottom of the map:

水 - water

土 - earth

火 - fire

气 - air

• Each episode's title is backed by the character corresponding to the element of the locations where the episode takes place.

The first season

"Aang"

Main article: Aang

• During the undercover earthbender's escape, there are several corner signs that read 雨具, which means "rain gear".
• When the spy earthbends some rock spikes and crosses over to the pursuers, a signboard on the left reads 家俱, meaning "furniture".
• As he makes his last stand, the sign beside him reads 悦來客棧, which translates as "Joy-arriving Inn".
• Some of the armor worn by Fire Nation army has 火 written on the belt, meaning "fire".

The wall before Zuko's desk, covered with various notes.

• The map in front of Zuko's writing desk, named Map of the World (世界地圖), has many locations marked on it. Apart from two Water Tribes (南/北方水族) and Wolf Cove (狼灣), the rest from left to right: Western Seas (西海), Western Air Temple (西氣寺), Wulong Forest (武龍林), Mo Ce Sea (寞恻海), Southern Seas (南海), Northern Sea (北海), Southern Air Temple (南氣寺), Earth Kingdom (土國), Kyoshi Island (虛子島), Northern Air Temple (北氣寺), Kolau Mountain (寇老山), Si Wong Desert (死亡沙漠), Serpent's Pass (盤蛇關), Full Moon Bay (滿月灣), Ba Sing Se (永固城), Eastern Air Temple (東氣寺). Also, a map of the islands of Western Air Temple is pinned to the right.
• The paper covered by Kuruk's portrait reads:

…著海岸

…變色龍

…有惡名那晚

果真不枉其名

當天夜裏外海

西部

... the coast ...

... Chameleon (Bay) ...

... its bad reputation, that night

was really a experience.

That night, the western part

of the outer sea.

• The paper pinned to the bottom of the map reads:

已得到消息於那地區

附近可能有些可疑

活動北部海岸陸地

人烟荒蕪許多日子以來

Word came that there may be some

suspicious activity in the vicinity

of that area, the northern coast

has been deserted for many days.

• Zuko's ongoing diary for the day is as follows:

來臨的風…當看…

暴風雨…籠…

十四天…

近黃昏時…

雲籠罩了變…

灣黑雲密佈…

鞭打著船身…

做好一切准備…

The coming storm. Upon seeing ...

the storm ... passing ...

for fourteen days ...

Towards dusk ...

clouds cover the (Chameleon)

Bay. Dark clouds hang heavy over ...

whipping the hull ...

Be prepared for anything ...

• The notebook found by Aang contains descriptions of other Avatars in addition to Zuko's diary. Zuko's other three diary entries are listed below:

吾等乃無看到任何

人類文明存在之証

據看來此些外圍陸

地除星星點點散落

之樹木外

We have seen no evidence

of human civilization.

It seems that these outlying

lands are nothing but scattered

trees.

附近可能有些可疑

活動北部海岸陸地

人烟荒蕪許多日子以來

... suspicious activity in the vicinity

of that area, the northern coast

has been deserted for many days.

在吾等身上的片刻

一片吹向土國的風

暴烏雲在變色龍海

灣從吾等頭頂碾過

As we looked up at the sky

from Chameleon Bay for a moment,

a storm cloud passed over our heads,

heading towards Earth Kingdom.

• For Yangchen's description, from right to left:

她是氣游牧族人

她依賴人類解決物質世界的問題很多人做到了，但有些人沒有做到

她受衆人高度尊重

在她過世之後的下一代中沒有發生戰爭

她在履行將卋神通的責任中并不是一位和平主義者

她作爲將卋神通的責任主要是她要帶給世界平衡與和平的努力

她在幼小的时候…

她的出現帶有一種黑暗面

She's an Air Nomad.

She relied on human beings to solve the problems of the material world. Many do, but some don't.

She's highly respected by the public.

There was no war in the next generation after her death.

She was not a pacifist in the fulfilment of her duty to the Avatar.

Her primary responsibility as the Avatar was her endeavour to bring balance and peace to the world.

At an early age she ...

There's a dark side to her presence.

• For Kyoshi's description, from right to left:

她被父母遺棄，由一個叫凱爾桑的男子養大

她非常高比大部分人都高

雲是她的一個朋友，曾經誤被稱作是將卋神通之後虛子才被承認是真正的將卋神通

她的父母都是一個名爲飛行歌劇公司黑幫組織裏的成員

她來自土地國

She was abandoned by her parents and raised by a man named Kelsang.

She's very tall. Taller than most.

Yun, a friend of hers, was once mistakenly identified as the Avatar. It was only after that Kyoshi was recognized as the real Avatar.

Her parents were members of a gang called the Flying Opera Company.

She came from the Earth Kingdom.

• On the foredeck of the Zuko's warship there are sacks with 米 and 乾物 written on them, which means they contain rice and dry goods.
• A paper, visible only in the later scene and obscured by Yangchen's portrait, reads:

繞過南海岸最

頂端經過卋界

上風力最强之地區

之一之後轉彎駛

出吾等過去十

寳

After rounding the very top

of the south coast and passing

through one of the windiest areas

in the world, we turned and

headed out. Gonna collect some

treasure.

"Warriors"

Main article: Warriors

• As Aang shows the drawing of Kyoshi Island from Zuko's notebook, one of Zuko's diary entries and information about Yangchen can be seen. The former is recognizable as the beginning of another diary entry and reads:

吾等現開始遠航目的地

為變色龍海灣吾等

已得到消息於那地區

We're starting to sail away now. Our destination

is Chameleon Bay. We

have been informed that in that area ...

• Information about Yangchen from right to left:

在她過世之後的下一代中沒有發生戰爭

…完成自己給世界帶來和平的目標

…關楊晨的背景

There was no war in the next generation after her death.

... had achieved her goal of bringing peace to the world.

... about Yangchen's background.

• The scroll that hangs behind the master's desk in the reception hall on Kyoshi Island reads 心如木, meaning "let the heart be as wood". Other scrolls hanging on Kyoshi Island:

正義從一位婦女開始 - Justice began with a woman.

每一刻只有一次 - Every moment is once in a lifetime.

每一天都是美好的一天 - Every day is a beautiful day.

A page from The Tale of Kyoshi telling about Kyoshi's childhood.

• The book Katara holds up and reads is titled 虛子的故事, which can be translated as "The Tale of Kyoshi", and one of the paragraphs describing Kyoshi's childhood reads:

作爲一個小女孩

虛子流落在土國

西南部一個小村

莊耀闊亞的街頭

兩年過去了虛

子在全島上最富

有最有勢力的家

庭中獲得了一份

僕人的工作

As a little girl,

Kyoshi lived on the streets of Yokoya,

a small village in the southwest

of the Earth Kingdom.

Two years passed and Kyoshi

was offered a job as a

servant to the richest

and most powerful family

on the island.

A painting of Kyoshi bending all four elements.

• On a painting depicting Kyoshi's magnificent feat, this quote is written: 只有正義才能帶來和平, meaning "only justice will bring peace".

"Omashu"

Main article: Omashu

Azula used Zhao's letter to Ozai as target practice.

• Zhao's secret message to Ozai:

致至尊陛下世界的偉大火焰

我只是南海一個卑微的僕人但我有一個

重要的消息要告訴您我知道這一消息可

能會令您震驚您可能會認爲這是謊言或

是錯覺但請放心我親眼目睹了這些事件

這就是爲什麽我可以報告一個驚人發展一

個可能改變烈火國未來之發展

降卋神通回來了

To Your Supreme Eminence, the great flame of the world,

I am but a humble servant in the Southern Seas. But I have

news for you of a critical nature. I know this information

may arrive as a shock, and you might be tempted to dismiss it as rumor

or delusion, but rest assured, I have witnessed these events with my very eyes.

That is why I can report an astounding development. One

that could change the future of the Fire Nation.

The Avatar has returned.

• Zhao's seal reads 臣趙, meaning "Your subject, Zhao".

A map of Omashu from Mechanist's house.

• The map of Omashu also has some locations marked on it, from left to right: (the city of) Omashu (奧瑪舒城), Chin Village (秦村), Gaoling (高陵), and Si Wong Desert (死亡沙漠).
• On Zuko's map of southwest Earth Kingdom, Cave of Two Lovers (情人洞) is marked on the lower left.

"Into the Dark"

Main article: Into the Dark

• At the end of Chong's story about Oma and Shu, the city's name, Omashu (奧瑪舒), appears on the screen.
• Above the entrance to the cave, it says 冥中愛亮極了, which means "love is brightest in the dark".

"Spirited Away"

Main article: Spirited Away

• The teahouse Zuko and Iroh enter has a scroll hanging in it that reads 綠茶, "green tea".
• The diary entry to the left of Zuko's document on Roku reads (from left to right):

…動物於…

鄉之海洋龐

大鯨魚清澈…

不同於本家嚴

陣以待海洋冰…

... animals in ...

... the ocean back home, and here, giant

whales, crystal clear ...

nothing like home. Be

focused, the ice of the ocean ...

• From right to left, the note about Roku reads:

他七十歲時去世

他豢養了一條名叫放的巨龍

他在南氣廟與海洋一起參加訓練

他來自烈火國

他摧毀了部分烈火廟，在試著利用冬至日進入將卋神通狀態過程中引發了一場火山爆發

He died aged 70.

He adopted a giant dragon named Fang.

He trained with Ocean (Tibetan meaning of Gyatso's name) at the Southern Air Temple.

He was from the Fire Nation.

He destroyed parts of the Fire Temple and caused a volcanic eruption in his attempt to use the winter solstice to enter the Avatar State.

"Masks"

Main article: Masks

• On the floor of Roku's shrine, two equinoxes and two solstices are arranged in a circle: 春分, the spring equinox; 夏至, the summer solstice; 秋分, the autumn equinox; and 冬至, the winter solstice.

"The North"

Main article: The North

Lu Ten's medallion, held by Iroh as he "mourned" Zuko.

• Lu Ten's medallion has 排名最高的完賽者 written in the upper circle and 火國軍官 in the lower, which can be translated as "the one who finished first" and "Fire Nation officer", respectively.
• On Zhao's military map, a few locations are marked. The characters in red go from left to right (repeated names are written only once): tundras (苔原), lower rivers (下河), the palace (宮殿), (the city of) Agna Qel'a (阿格納奎拉城), barracks (軍營), trade villages (貿易村), fish villages (魚村), arterial roads (主要道路); and the ones in blue: seaways (海洋之路), villages (村), small (settlements) (小), open spaces (空地).

"Legends"

Main article: Legends

• In the final scene, the dial of the planetary calendar instrument has a circle with the same two-character era names as the one in Wan Shi Tong's library in the original animated series.

1. 氜武 - Superior military

2. 淳泰 - Honest and exalted

3. 坧元 - Foundation and origin

4. 烱裕 - Bright abundance

5. 氤隆 - Misty prosperity

6. 溢文 - Overflowing culture

7. 培治 - Cultivate rule

8. 焜德 - Shining virtue

9. 氲貞 - Virtuous harmony

10. 渪明 - Immersed in brightness

11. 堯平 - Peace of Emperor Yao

12. 煬崇 - Burning honor

13. 氛安 - Peaceful atmosphere

14. 漳順 - As smoothly as the Zhang River

15. 垣正 - City of righteousness

16. 焯光 - Burning light

Other translations

Inuktitut

Gran Gran hid her letter in Katara's bag along with the waterbending scroll.

• When Katara decides to leave the Southern Water Tribe to help the Avatar save the world, Gran Gran hides the letter she has written to her in her bag along with the waterbending scroll. The letter is written in Inuktitut:

ᐊᐃᖓᐃ ᑲᑖᕋ ᑖᒃᑯᐊᑎᑎᖅᑲᓐᓚᑦᑖᑦᑐᓂᔭᐅᖃᑦᑕᕐᓯᒪᑦᒪᑕ ᐃᒥᕐᒧᑦ

ᐱᔪᓐᓇᐅᑎᖃᐅᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᐊᖓᒃᑯᓄᑦᐅᐸᒍᑦ ᐃᓅᖃᑎᖏᓐᓂᒃᓯᐳᓕᑦᑎᓐᓂᑦ

ᑕᐃᒪᙵᓂᑐᖄᑐᒃᑎᑎᖅᑲᖅᑕᓖᑦ ᐃᓘᓪᓇᓕᒫᑦᑎᐊᖏᓐᓂᒃᐃᑕᐱᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᒪᔭᕆᐊᓕᖏᓐᓂᒃ

ᐃᓕᓐᓂᐊᐸᓪᓕᐊᓯᓕᐊᕋᕕᑦ ᐃᒥᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᐅᓚᑦᑎᔪᓐᓇᓂᕐᒥᒃ

ᖃᐃᔨᒪᒪᔭ ᙱᑐᑎᑦ ᖃᓄᑎᒋᒃ ᐱᒡᒐᓇᖅᑎᒋᓯᒪ ᒻᒪ ᖔᖅ ᐃᓕᓐᓂᒃᐃᖅᐃᔭᔨᑦᑕᐃᓕᒋᐊᑉᐸᖅ

ᑖᒃᑯᐊ ᒥᔅᓵᓄᑦᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐃᑯᐊᓚᒥᒃ ᐱᔪᓐᓇᐅᑎᓖᑦ ᐊᖑᓇᓱᖃᑦᑕᑎᓪᓗᒋᑦᐃᒥᕐᒧᑦ

ᐱᔪᓐᓇᐅᑎᓕᓐᓂᑦᐊᑦᑕᓇᖅᑐᐊᓘᒐᔭᕐᖓᑦ ᐱᓯᒪᓐᓂᕈᕕᐅᒃ

ᑭᓯᐊᓂᓕᒫᓐᓇ ᓴᖅᑭᔮᓕᕋᕕᑦ ᓄᓇᕐᔭᐊᕐᒥ ᐱᔭᕆᐊᖃᓕᖅᑕᐃᑦᑖᓐᓇ ᐃᓅᕕᒋᓯᒪᓪᓗᒍ ᓇᒻᒥᓂᑦ

ᐱᒃᑯᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᑎᑦ ᐃᑕᒋᔭᐅᒐᕕᑦ ᓂᑭᐊᓕᒥᐅᓄᑦᐃᒥᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᓚᒌᓄᑦᐊᒻᒪᑐ ᐃᒥᕐᒧᑦ

ᐱᓯᓐᓇᐅᑎᖃᖅᑐᑎᑦ ᐊᖓᒃᒎᒐᕕᑦ ᑕᐃᒫᒃ ᐃᓅᓯᖃᐃᓐᓇᕐᓯᒪᒐᕕᑦ

ᑕᐃᒪᐃ ᑦᑑᖏᓐᓇᓂᐊᖅ ᑐᑎᓪᓗ ᐳᐃᒍᖅᑕᐃᓕᐅᒃᑕᒪᓐᓇ

My dear Katara. This scroll has been

passed down among the waterbenders of our tribe

for generations. It contains everything you need to know

to begin your bending education.

You have no idea how hard it's been to keep this from you.

But with the Fire Nation hunting for benders,

it was just too dangerous for you to have.

But now that you've gone out into the world,

you should take what belongs to you.

You are a waterbender. That is who you have always been

and always will be. Never forget that.

Literature

List of known works

• The Tale of Kyoshi - A book chronicling Kyoshi's life, kept in a collection room in the Kyoshi stone statue on Kyoshi Island.
• Waterbending scroll - A rare and valuable teaching scroll, kept by Gran Gran, later secretly passed on to Katara after she decided to leave the South Pole to help Aang save the world.