Chinese Tattoo Translation
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Accurate Chinese symbol translation is important!
Accurate Chinese tattoo translation is important if you are not to be left with a potentially bad tattoo mistake. Some of the worst tattoo mistakes happen when people look up Chinese symbols on the internet and assume that when combined they will say what they want them to say.
Getting professional Chinese Tattoo Translation is the only way you can be sure that you are translating the synbols correctly - unless of course you are fluent in Chinese!
The symbol above is for "love" - I think!
Getting professional Chinese Tattoo Translation is the only way you can be sure that you are translating the synbols correctly - unless of course you are fluent in Chinese!
The symbol above is for "love" - I think!
Chinese Tattoo Translation
Chinese symbol tattoos need careful translation
There is no alphabet in the Chinese language
A Chinese writing tattoo is becoming a more and more popular choice but before you rush off to get permanently inked, read on to find out about some of the worst tattoo mistakes. As with any tattoo, Chinese symbol tattoos will probably have a deep and personal meaning, but make sure your Chinese symbol tattoos actually mean what you want them to mean.Did you know that in order to be able to read their own language the average Chinese person needs to know five thousand symbols?
There is no alphabet in Chinese writing. It relies on a large number of symbols that represent spoken concepts or ideas. A Chinese symbol represents the complete spoken word or phrase.
Because there is no alphabet, it is very difficult to translate western names into Chinese symbols. To complicate it even further, you also have to remember that in China your last name comes before your first name.
Combining the symbols above would give a happiness Chinese tattoo - but it may not be wise to take my word for it!
Hanzi Smatter: a blog dedicated to the worst tattoo mistakes
Be careful of websites offering Chinese fonts
Hanzi Smatter is a very famous blog that is dedicated to the misuse of Chinese characters in Western culture.
The site's author Tian Tang blogs about the "gibberish Asian font" and points the finger at a website that is selling fake fonts. The site also claims that former Olympic Softball Player Kim Maher's tattoo uses this font and her tattoo translates as "healthy woman stops achievement flow" - hmmmm, methinks that is not what she probably intended!
One of the more recent posts is an email from someone who did his own translation of some symbols. He thought he had designed a tattoo that translated as: to be devoted.
What he got was: no head, which literally translated means lack of common sense!!!
The site's author Tian Tang blogs about the "gibberish Asian font" and points the finger at a website that is selling fake fonts. The site also claims that former Olympic Softball Player Kim Maher's tattoo uses this font and her tattoo translates as "healthy woman stops achievement flow" - hmmmm, methinks that is not what she probably intended!
One of the more recent posts is an email from someone who did his own translation of some symbols. He thought he had designed a tattoo that translated as: to be devoted.
What he got was: no head, which literally translated means lack of common sense!!!
More Tattoo mistakes
Missing strokes and poor script
All tattoo artists have their own artistic style and flair, which is specific to them. Everyone, whether they are a tattoo artist or not, has their own writing style, which is OK with English lettering.However, Chinese calligraphy is a very fine art and adding your own style and inflection to Chinese letters and symbols would spoil them. It would also render them completely meaningless.
One of the worst tattoo mistakes in Chinese tattoo translation is missing strokes. A meaningless or wrongly translated Chinese letter tattoo can lead to embarrassment and ridicule as Britney Spears discovered.
Britney Spears thought her tattoo translated as "mysterious" when in fact it said "strange"! The tattoo was quickly corrected.
I think the picture shows the Chinese symbol for mysterious!
Bad tattooing
Confusing Chinese and Japanese symbols
Can you tell the difference between Chinese and Japanese symbols? Many Chinese characters are also used in the Japanese writing system in addition to the traditional Japanese scripts of katakana and hiragana.Only a specialist translator will be able to tell the difference!
Can YOU tell whether the picture on the right is Chinese or Japanese?
Tattoo mistake: getting the stencil the wrong way round
Chinese symbols inked backwards
This means the tattoo ends up as a mirror image of what it should be.
Bad English to Chinese symbol translation
More examples
One of the most commonly recited stories about tattoo mistakes is about the lady who asked a Chinese waiter to translate the word "free" for her so she could get a Chinese tattoo . She was thinking about "free" as in "freedom". What she ended up with was a Chinese symbol that meant "free of charge". It cost her $900 to remove the tattoo!!
The New York Times reports that a doting father wanted a Chinese writing tattoo that said "one love". It was inked onto his arm to commemorate the birth of his son. He ended up with "love hurts".
Another tattoo mistake
Are you using traditional or simplified Chinese Characters?
Not only is it hard to distinguish between Chinese and Japanese symbols, for the inexperienced, it can also be difficult to tell the difference between simplified and traditional Chinese characters.
In the 1950s, in an attempt to improve literacy, simplified characters were adopted by the government of the People's Republic of China. Based on the traditional characters, some symbols were altered by reducing the amount of strokes used in their composition. However, traditional Chinese characters are still used in Macau, Taiwan, Macau, Taiwan, Hong Kong and by many overseas Chinese communities.
When designing your Chinese writing tattoo, it is important that you have guidance to help you decide whether you want simplified or traditional characters. It is crucial that you avoid mixing characters from each set.
In the 1950s, in an attempt to improve literacy, simplified characters were adopted by the government of the People's Republic of China. Based on the traditional characters, some symbols were altered by reducing the amount of strokes used in their composition. However, traditional Chinese characters are still used in Macau, Taiwan, Macau, Taiwan, Hong Kong and by many overseas Chinese communities.
When designing your Chinese writing tattoo, it is important that you have guidance to help you decide whether you want simplified or traditional characters. It is crucial that you avoid mixing characters from each set.
Do you know the exact translation of your Chinese tattoo?
People are bound to ask
Getting a Chinese symbol tattoo design just because you like the look of the symbols is NOT a good idea! People are bound to ask you what it means.
Even worse, what if you did not know how the tatoo translated? What if someone was able to tell you what it means and it ends up being something distasteful or that you do not like?
Like the guy who had a Chinese symbol tattoo for 25 years, before someone told him it said "Coca Cola"!!
Even worse, what if you did not know how the tatoo translated? What if someone was able to tell you what it means and it ends up being something distasteful or that you do not like?
Like the guy who had a Chinese symbol tattoo for 25 years, before someone told him it said "Coca Cola"!!
Chinese Symbol for Coca Cola
Interpreting the Symbols for Chinese Coca Cola
On CSymbol.com, the Chinese symbols for Coca Cola are explained as follows:
Reading from left to right, the first and third symbol, Ke3, means approve; permit; may; can; good; appropriate.
The second symbol, Kou3, stands for mouth; hole; entrance.
The fourth symbol, Le4, means happy; joyful; be glad to; enjoy; laugh.
However, if you combine two symbols together, Ke3kou3 stands for tasty; good to eat; palatable.
The other two symbols combined, Ke3le4 = be happy. This is a hard one since we don't use the two characters together this way. Fortunately the first pair (Ke3kou3) is a common Chinese usage and there is also a 'Ke3' in it, so there is a parallel. Today ke3le4 has already become the Chinese synonym for soft drink.
So the Chinese trademark of Coca-Cola may mean "tasty soft drink" or "tasty and happy".
Don't choose your Chinese Letter Tattoo off the wall of your Tattoo Parlour
Unless it is in China!
Your favourite Tattoo parlour will usually have Chinese tattoo designs and meanings displayed on the walls. However, it is extremely unlikely you will know for certain what you are getting unless there is a Tattoo Artist available who speaks Chinese and can accurately translate them for you.It is crucial get your Chinese symbol translation by a professional or you could end up with something pretty embarrassing.
According to one website I visited, the symbol above says: "Change my diaper", but others state it means Dragon. I have seen the symbol for Dragon penned slightly differently to this, so I am going to check it out.
Watch this space!
Celebrities with Chinese and Japanese tattoos
Singers, actors, soccer players....
Stephen Baldwin - Chinese symbol for "believe" between shoulder blades
David Beckham - on left torso, Chinese symbols that translate as: "death and life have determined appointments, riches and honor depend upon heaven"
Mary J. Blige - Chinese symbol for "strength" on right hand
Cher - kanji meaning "strength" on right shoulder
Taye Diggs - symbol of the Dao on right shoulder
Emii - a tiger and dragon on her right arm
Edward Furlong - a kanji in an unknown location
Julia Roberts - Chinese symbols incorporated into designs on her left shoulder and the small of back
Britney Spears - symbol for "mystery" on small of back
Kiefer Sutherland - kanji meaning "undying love"
Rob Thomas - kanji for "loyal"
Tyrese - kanji for "determination"
David Beckham - on left torso, Chinese symbols that translate as: "death and life have determined appointments, riches and honor depend upon heaven"
Mary J. Blige - Chinese symbol for "strength" on right hand
Cher - kanji meaning "strength" on right shoulder
Taye Diggs - symbol of the Dao on right shoulder
Emii - a tiger and dragon on her right arm
Edward Furlong - a kanji in an unknown location
Julia Roberts - Chinese symbols incorporated into designs on her left shoulder and the small of back
Britney Spears - symbol for "mystery" on small of back
Kiefer Sutherland - kanji meaning "undying love"
Rob Thomas - kanji for "loyal"
Tyrese - kanji for "determination"
Get your Chinese tattoo translation done by professionals
CHAR4U.com
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David Beckham's tattoos
David Beckham has a tattoo mistake!
The international footballer and celebrity David Beckham, the former English international football star who currently plays for LA Galaxy, has embraced body art in a big way. He had his first tattoo inked following the birth of his son Brooklyn in March 1999.
However, one of the first rules of getting a tattoo done in a language that is not your own is to have the tattoo professionally translated! David Beckham either did not follow this rule for one of his tattoos, or the person who did the translation was completely incompetent.
For his third tattoo, in 2000 Beckham decided to have his wife's name, Victoria, inked on the inside of his lower left arm. However, he thought it would be more "classy" to have it done in Hindi.
Hindi is spoken In India by over 180 million people as their first language and a further 300 million learn it as their second language. Any one fluent in Hindi would instantly realise that Victoria has been misspelled as Vihctoria.
However, one of the first rules of getting a tattoo done in a language that is not your own is to have the tattoo professionally translated! David Beckham either did not follow this rule for one of his tattoos, or the person who did the translation was completely incompetent.
For his third tattoo, in 2000 Beckham decided to have his wife's name, Victoria, inked on the inside of his lower left arm. However, he thought it would be more "classy" to have it done in Hindi.
Hindi is spoken In India by over 180 million people as their first language and a further 300 million learn it as their second language. Any one fluent in Hindi would instantly realise that Victoria has been misspelled as Vihctoria.
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JoeCinocca
Sep 4, 2011 @ 2:37 am | delete
- I've always enjoyed looking at the different symbols. I don't profess to know much about the culture, but I was always intrigued by the style and the way the letters flow. Interesting read.
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scar4
Nov 5, 2010 @ 1:19 am | delete
- You must be a fan of Chinese culture, I like this lens.
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solidmanxyz
Oct 1, 2010 @ 12:32 pm | delete
- Really great information on tattoos. i am really interested in tattoo designs so this is good ;)
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WeddingZazzle
Sep 28, 2010 @ 5:16 pm | delete
- Blessed by a SquidAngel :)
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kt_glasses Sep 10, 2010 @ 1:10 am | delete
- Interesting lens! I've seen so many western people have wrong Chinese characters as tattoos.
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missbat
Sep 7, 2010 @ 10:05 am | delete
- I actually have a Japanese kanji character as part of one of my tattoos. Both the artist and I each researched it independently, before it was inked, and both of us got the same result. So I'm pretty sure it's what it's supposed to be. A great lens on how to get a proper Chinese character and not make a mistake for life!
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KathyMcGraw
Aug 28, 2010 @ 1:06 pm | delete
- This is a fascinating read on Chinese Tattoos and the importance of getting your words professionally translated. Wow...how embarrassing to have your tattoo mis-spelled and not even know it! Excellent advice and information,,,,thanks AJ.
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