大胆不敵 daitanfuteki Fearless

大胆 (daitan) is boldness, having the nerve for what ordinary people shrink from; 不敵 (futeki) is no rival, the word for someone so strong that no one can stand against them, and by extension someone who fears no one.

Together they praise nerve, and Japanese has always praised it on both sides of the law: the word is said of a puppet general's son who will restore a dynasty and of a lone rider who resolves to ride into the enemy camp, and just as readily of bandits and of a burglar who dozes off in the bed he has robbed. That is the edge a person wearing it should feel: this is nerve with swagger in it, I fear no one, where 不動心 (fudōshin) is stillness and 勇気 (yūki) is courage.

Fearless is the first English the word ever had, the dictionaries' own equation, and daring; audacious beside it keeps the edge.

大胆不敵 is composed of the words 大胆 (read daitan) meaning "fearless; bold; daring; audacious" and 不敵 (read futeki) meaning "daring; fearless; bold; intrepid".

We want you to be as happy with the meaning as you are with Master Takase's art. To learn more, visit Philology of 大胆不敵.

Each design is Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase's hand-brushed calligraphy of the word or phrase on this page, delivered as a PDF you can print. Every PDF includes the line art, so a tattoo artist or a craftsperson can work from the outline as well as the brushed image.

Your purchase includes a personal-use license: use the design as a tattoo reference, frame it, engrave it, print it for yourself, or make it into a gift. For more information see Licensing, which also covers commercial-use options that may be purchased separately.

Your PDF is available for download the moment your order completes, and a copy is attached to your emailed receipt.

If you need your design again later, ask us for it and we will send it.