Chinese Tattoos

Without wishing to belabour the point, this story does illustrate why you should take due care when choosing a Chinese tattoo. At the very least do the following:

Get a sketch or printout of the proposed design.
Ask several Chinese people what they think.
Don't just ask if it means a certain thing - the person you ask may not wish to disappoint you so may agree that it does, when in actuality it would be better to use different characters.
If relevant, try and explain what deeper meaning you want to convey - maybe somebody will suggest a well known idiom to use instead of a literal translation.
If you want your name translated then be aware that speakers of different dialects may use different transliterations for your name. This is not necessarily a problem but you need to be aware of it.
Remember that Western names can sometimes not be translated well into Chinese. If you are advised that yours is one of them then ask a Chinese person (preferably one who knows you) to give you a name. Check its meaning with other people and only keep it if you like it. For many people this would be the best option as you effectively get to choose a really cool name that actually means something!
Right, so you have a perfect name or phrase and you can't wait to have it etched into your skin for the rest of your life - but hold on! From reading this site you should realise that there are many ways characters may be written (see this page for an example of some different styles). Just as in English, you can have writing that is cartoony, technical, modern, classical and more. As an analogy, consider an English person having "Killer" emblazoned on their arm, but in a ridiculously childish script that looked as if a primary school teacher had written it on a blackboard. Again, take the time to do some research and find someone good at calligraphy to write out your design. It would probably be worthwhile insisting the tattooist prove they are capable of reproducing the design too!

Finally, please note that I cannot help you with characters (I am just a beginner at Chinese) but there is a "Translate This!" forum on this site solely for translation requests and advice.

For visitors who cannot view graphics the text from the above article is reprinted below:

A TEENAGER who paid £90 to have his arm tattoed with Chinese characters got a shock when he learned the message read: 'At the end of the day, this is an ugly boy.'
Hairdresser Lee Becks thought he had Mandarin for 'Love, honour and obey' etched into his skin.
The 18-year-old found out that he had been tricked when he saw the effect it had on a woman serving at a Chinese take-away.
'At first, she said something about me making people laugh and talked about a crown,' he said.
'But then I realised she was really saying clown, not crown. The young woman blushed and was very reluctant to translate for me. Then she admitted what it really said.'
A 'totally mortified' Mr Becks went back to the tattoo parlour in Southend, the next day - only to find it had closed.
He added: 'I suspect the tattooist knew he was closing and just wanted to get his own back for some reason. I always wanted a tattoo and the design looked great. Now I am stuck with it but have to keep it covered up.'
When he dared show off his arm at a nightclub, a group of Chinese girls came up - and burst out laughing. Even his friends have been finding it hard to keep straight faces.
His employer, Gary Doyle, said: 'He's a bit sensitive about the tattoos - they look very trendy if you don't know what they really mean. I don't think Lee stands much of a chance with any attractive young Chinese lady he may meet.'
Mr Becks plans to spend £600 to have the tattoo removed by laser.

The tongue in cheek inset box was a rather nice touch I thought!

Do you have any comments about this story? If so, please post them in the forum, here.

I would like to thank the Metro's newsdesk team for kindly giving permission for me to reproduce their article. The Metro website is found at www.metro.co.uk.

Chinese Tattoos

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