Join the Fun!

David, the owner of the Scotland-based Archangel 1608 Tattoo Studio, shared a bit about how he and other tattoo artists working there tackle situations where the client might want to get inked with Chinese characters or Japanese kanji. Good communication helps avoid trouble further down the line.

"We always ask the client where they got their translation/symbol from, and make sure they’re 100% happy with it. We also explain that there’s a chance it might not mean what they think. We go through this two or three times before actually tattooing," he explained to Bored Panda that it's a thorough process and that they double- and triple-check.

My boyfriend got tattooed before we met and he meant to get warrior(士) tattooed on him, but the lines are wrong so it really means dirt (土). The bottom line is supposed to be shorter than the top line. His nickname in my family is now doro-chan which is basically a cute way of saying dirt boy.

Lady_Lina Report

Final score:

352points

POST

L hill 2 years ago

Aaawww...thats so sweet.

111points

My wife is Chinese and the best one she has personally seen was "fat dumb American" on a guys leg.

TollinginPolitics Report

Final score:

350points

POST

ChekovsCurlyHair 2 years ago

Honesty is important.

162points

Bored Panda was curious as to why people are interested in getting Chinese and Japanese characters inked on their bodies. "People like getting these symbols as it can be discreet, and maybe a bit mysterious," David explained to us.

"If done well, they can be a personal and meaningful tattoo. These cultures are generally seen as fashionable and cool, particularly in terms of tattoo styles. The oriental symbols were super popular back in the '90s and early 2000s," he said that they aren't as popular now anymore.

My buddy has "illiterate foreigner" in traditional Chinese characters. It's dope.

paostmo Report

Final score:

342points

POST

pink_panda 2 years ago

Everyone is an illiterate foreigner to someone.

179points

40+ year old bald white guy with Chinese characters that translated as “I’m a cute little princess” on the length of his forearm.

Had a good laugh the rest of that day.

Lmaooozedong Report

Final score:

336points

POST

grey galah 2 years ago

maybe he meant to get that

150points

A_Redheads_Ramblings Report

I knew a girl at university who had some Chinese characters down her arm.

Came in one hot summer day and I finally saw the whole thing.

It said; Emergency exit. Do not block.

Final score:

311points

POST

Christina Hill 2 years ago

This would be great as a lower back tattoo.

340points

If someone really regrets their tattoos or learns that what they thought was a totally cool string of characters actually means something thoroughly silly, they can always cover the tattoo up or remove it via laser.

"Tattoo removal is now by laser only. There are always options to cover up tattoos, but can sometimes mean going bigger than the existing tattoo," tattoo parlor owner David said.

Bored Panda previously spoke to Japanese language expert Kotryna Kvietkauskaitė who had read tons of stories about people ending up with dumb tattoos or random strings of words. She said that it’s usually the client who’s at fault for the ridiculous results.

“The person in question might have done something to offend the tattoo artist. Either that or they’re so convinced of their own personal interpretation of what the symbols mean that the tattoo artist feels helpless to ask if the person understands what the tattoo really means,” Kotryna shared her interpretation.

Wanted a tattoo in Chinese that said "I am a vegetarian," got a tattoo that said "I am made of vegetables."

middleagethreat Report

Final score:

288points

POST

JoyfulZebra 2 years ago

You are what you eat

219points

I probably shouldn’t be saying this as the person who had this done to them is my best friend but...sh!t...here we go again...

My best friend who we’ll call Sarah got a tattoo when she was 16 (where I live, you’re supposed to be 18) her dad passed away about 3 years ago and she wanted to get a tattoo on her wrist to remember him...instead of getting his name which would’ve been easier...she decided she wanted to get “dad” in Japanese...it’s been 2 years since then and I still haven’t told her that it says “turtle” I know that she’ll hate herself if she finds out and to be 100% honest...I kinda like it...I was actually thinking of getting it on my wrist too...my dad passed away when I was only 11 so she’d think I got a tattoo saying dad as well but I’d actually just be getting a pretty hilarious tattoo that I kinda love...

I just want to add...if I suddenly go missing...blame it on my best friend😂

Edit: Grammar

Lil-D**k-Energy Report

Final score:

281points

POST

Lazy Panda 2 years ago

I have no tattoos, but if I was to get one it would be a turtle.

88points

I saw this guy with Japanese characters that translated to “Beep Beep Lettuce”

noobcabinet1 Report

Final score:

276points

POST

Dave Nalesnik 2 years ago

That is what I am calling dank bud from now on 😂

188points

In the expert’s opinion, it’s vital that you find someone you trust who knows the language before heading to the tattoo parlor. That way, you’ll avoid a boatload of trouble.

“Find a friend who knows the language. Let them check the meaning of the words or phrases you want to get tattoos of, whether they mean what you think they mean,” she told Bored Panda.

“Not all tattoo artists in the West know Asian languages and they might not be able to tell you that a particular phrase isn’t correct,” the expert stressed that clients shouldn’t expect every tattoo artist to know every single language out there.

#10

In high school a lot of people would ask me to write on them in Chinese in pen, I'd always write “我不说中文” which means "I don't speak Chinese"

Eleven_Shelves Report

Final score:

274points

POST

The Truth Behind The Myth Luna Lightning 2 years ago

I want to be this petty

150points

#11

Worked in Japan for a few years, and shortly after moving back to the US, I spotted a fellow working in a comics shop with a tattoo of a kanji. I recognized it right away, but I asked him what it meant just in case I was horribly wrong. He said it was Chinese, that there wasn’t a direct English translation, and it was about inner strength and determination.

My dude, 苺 means “strawberry.”

EverydayA Report

Final score:

271points

POST

Wondering Alice 2 years ago

The well known Hiden strength of the strawberry

11points

#12

I dont speak Chinese but back in college I knew a guy who was one of those douchey guys who likes to brag about how cultured they are and stuff when really they're just an a*****e. He came back from China with some characters tattooed on him.

My friend next to me (who had real bad social anxiety so would never speak in public to non-friends normally) burst out laughing.

Douche-guy got kinda annoyed and said "It says Strength, Wisdom, Passion" or some other weird bs like that.

My friend then reached into his bag, pulled out his phone, opened up one of those AR translators, pointed it at the guy's tattoo, and through the magic of AR, revealed it actually said "chicken with noodles".

My friend then said that one of his mates in China told him that a lot of Asian tattooists will often deliberately f**k up tattoos and stuff because they get really annoyed at those douchey people coming over asking for random words to be tattooed onto them.

aragonaut Report

Final score:

249points

POST

Stannous Flouride 2 years ago

The trick is to ask for one that says "chicken with noodles" so they write "Strength, Wisdom, Passion"

256points

Asdomar 2 years ago

I tried, several times, I still not have tattoos but had a great lunch!

21points

Anna Banana 2 years ago

Call me conservative but why don't people spend one hour of their time to research something that they will get (painfully) etched into their skin forever?

16points

Rachel Konefka 2 years ago

This. Internet has existed for a very long time now

6points

ttttt 2 years ago

I mean, there are millions of Chinese and Japanese people walking around with "engrish" on t-shirts that makes no sense. They think English is as cool as some people here think Asian languages look cool

15points

BoredPip 2 years ago

even Polish people- my cousins t-shirt was terrifying

2points

Angela Turrall 2 years ago

You bring honour to your house with your honesty. Glory to you.

6points

Raimei Ai 2 years ago

Reminds me of a dbag I met on the bus and someone who spoke the language his tat was in started cry-laughing so hard she almost couldn't breath. He said it was Russian for "With pride we stand strong" or something like that. She said it was slovacian or something like that and it translated to "Sucks A$$ Every Day!" Or something along those lines. I started dying!!! This was a few years back so I don't remember everything too clearly as I had head trauma around that time. But his embarrassment will never be clearer!

4points

Marilyn Russell 2 years ago

I must say though, isn’t it the most douchy, move on of the tattoo artist’s part to be so unprofessional?

2points

GramDB 2 years ago (edited)

SOOOOOO I WAS RIGHT! "Asian tattooists will often deliberately MESS up tattoos and stuff because they get really annoyed at those douchey people coming over asking for random words to be tattooed onto them." I KNEW IT!

0points

LittleLiz 2 years ago

Don't worry. The wisdom part comes after you realize that you shouldn't get foreign words printed on your skin

0points

LittleLiz 2 years ago

... and that you aren't as worldly and cool as you think and that nobody of value is impressed by those tattoos

0points

Nichele Givand 2 years ago

Strength to kill the chicken, wisdom to eat it with noodles, and passion to eat every last bite. 😂

0points

Mozzarella 2 years ago

Well is he a chicken with noodles? Hmm 🤔

0points

Alana Voeks 2 years ago

I think if you go in with respect and explain your story behind it (for a loved one, for surviving abuse, because that particular phrase is just beautiful to you and looked even better in their language, etc), they might be more respectful. I have a feeling all these people were either extremely rude or painfully shy

0points

“Asian languages, especially Chinese and Japanese, work differently than we’re used to. Two words combined together don’t always mean what you think,” Kotryna told us, referring to Ariana Grande’s ‘7 Rings’ tattoo that actually meant ‘Barbeque Grill.” The celebrity tried to fix the tattoo later… though unsuccessfully. The updated version read, ‘Japanese Barbeque Finger.’

The expert in Japanese linguistics explained that everyone’s language journey is unique. How quickly we learn depends on our drive, timetable, and motivation.

“Are we talking about the ability to read fiction in Japanese? Or are we talking about the ability to freely talk with Japanese people not only about everyday things like the weather or your hobbies?” she said different folks have different understandings of what it actually means to ‘know’ Japanese.

#13

Bunch of the guys who invented YouTube came to Japan way back in the early days (2005 or 2006) and I took them out to dinner. One of them asked me if I could read his Japanese tattoo and I had to apologize for not being able to read Klingon.

Final score:

244points

POST

Dave Nalesnik 2 years ago

That was a test. You passed.

135points

#14

I once saw this middle aged dude wearing "金魚佬" on his shoulder (the rough literary translation is "Goldfish Man"), which in cantonese means a sleazy older man who creeps on younger girls/children. Basically a pedo. Wonder under what circumstances he got that inked...

Olokojamkong Report

Final score:

239points

POST

Pan.D.Mona 2 years ago

Wish everyone who would be caught would be punished with that on a visible place.. so ppl would be careful around this person

143points

#15

Oooh I love this one! I was once having sex with a guy, about to go down on him when I noticed he had a Chinese tattoo on his inner hip, 凉。I stopped mid-sex, "What do you think your tattoo says."

"Oh its supposed to mean cool, I know it isn't right though..."

It actually meant cold to the touch, or disappointing.

Fittingly, the sex was quite disappointing.

Doobledorf Report

Final score:

224points

POST

Crissie Laugesen 2 years ago

Too much information

21points

“One person might take 5 years until they learn to read Japanese fiction without any problems while another person might take 10 years. In other words, there isn’t a clearly-defined point that can be reached after which a person can confidently state that they know Japanese as well as the average native,” Kotryna pointed out that everyone moves at their own pace.

However, it’s the effort that counts the most. The locals almost always appreciate foreigners doing their best to learn their language and traditions. Respect begets respect.

“In Japan, when a foreigner speaks Japanese, they can often get praise for their language skills, even if they simply introduced themselves which is one of the first things that students learn to do.”

#16

I once had a roommate placed with me in the apartment our company ran for us here in Japan. He was loud, obnoxious, and I generally didn't get on well with him. But, you try to get along, so we'd go to the izakaya up the street from time to time with other friends to drink and have a good time. The owners were this wonderful old Japanese couple who loved having all these weird gaijin come and entertain the locals.

Anyway, somehow we get talking about tattoos and the roommate is showing his off. He then says that he got the kanji for "friendship" (友) and "peace" (和) tattooed on his back and lifts his shirt to show everyone. There's a bit of silence, broken by someone asking, "Who's Tomokazu?"

What Roommate didn't know, of course, was that those two kanji in that order was a man's name.

He reacted well, though, taking a beat and then announcing, "*I'M* TOMOKAZU!" which became a running joke while he was there.

MShades Report

Final score:

214points

POST

Barbara Kayton 2 years ago

I actually appreciate that he had a sense of humor about it. Excellent.

182points

Krusty_Krab_Pizza_ Report

#17

Gets a tattoo in google translate Japanese thinking it says “fear no one” but it really means “I fear everyone”

Final score:

208points

POST

pink_panda 2 years ago

Me talking to my therapist.

138points

#18

I met a guy in the air port when I came back from living in Tokyo for 2 years who had just visited Japan. He had 2 symbols on his shoulder I noticed that were "off". I stopped him and asked him what his tattoo said. He said " It means strong will bro." I didn't have the heart to tell him..... his two symbols he picked in order were "dog poop".

If you find this online.... im truly sorry bro. Ha ha.

Final score:

186points

POST

Who Panda 420 2 years ago

You got to wonder if the guy picked these characters himself or if he just really pissed off his tattoo artist

94points

#19

Not someone I know, but my uncle told me a story about a guy that was a crystal palace fan who thought he was getting "eagles for life" tattooed on him, but the translation in Chinese was more literal and translated to "I give birth to eagles"

ThePeeball Report

Final score:

186points

POST

Calypso 2 years ago

That's epic tbh!

88points

#20

My friend thought he had "Warrior" on his arm, but it turned out to be "Calendar"

Matt8992 Report

Final score:

174points

POST

glowworm2 2 years ago

Ah yes. The mighty Dragon Calendar.

89points

#21

I knew a guy who thought he was getting Honor while in the Navy. He was preparing to transfer out to Japan and wanted something to draw Japanese females' attention. Turns out that one of the guys at the shop had a 17 year old sister he had played for sex, so they gave him the symbol for Yaoi.

Edit for those not in the know: Yaoi means gay.

Lo-Jakk Report

Final score:

168points

POST

glowworm2 2 years ago

Well, that symbol will definitely draw Japanese females’ attention.

96points

#22

A girl I knew thought she was smart and had tattooed pussy destroyer in Japanese onto her arm in kanji.

This is hard to do because English slang doesn’t really translate well. She was so proud when she put it into google translate that it said cat destroyer. She picked the kanji for a destroyer class battleship not a person who destroys ...

Me and my SO having lovingly named her cat battleship.

baffledtruffle Report

Final score:

162points

POST

Asdomar 2 years ago

Well Japanese are obsessed with battleship girls and cats so it's not all bad

67points

#23

My friend got a tattoo that said "veni vidi vici" in chinese, well so he thought. The tattoo acutally said "three small dishes"

xopokxo Report

Final score:

160points

POST

grey galah 2 years ago

I came, I ordered, I ate

241points

#24

Not sure if it’s already mentioned. I’ve seen a woman has the character “雞” tattooed on her arm. It’s translated to chicken, literally. But in Cantonese we often refer to prostitutes as “chicken”...

owlish-cat Report

Final score:

145points

POST

Tom Hanlin 2 years ago

I gather that the Cantonese KFC places are not appropriate for children.

113points

#25

I was on the subway in NYC and there was a guy who clearly lifted a lot. He was wearing a sleeveless shirt and on his jacked arms in chinese were the words “牛肉麵” or “Beef noodle soup” for everyone to see. Man looked ready to get the rest of his favorite restaurant’s menu tattooed on his body.

nyaaaarp Report

Final score:

137points

POST

Kona Pake 2 years ago

“You tell him.” “No, you tell him.” “No, you tell him, you saw it first!”

6points

#26

I saw somebody who probably doesnt understand japanese flexing with his japanese tattoo. It is translated to english, surprise surprise, *a giant failure*.

GMBoxer Report

Final score:

132points

POST

rumade 2 years ago

大失敗? well, it might look quite nice in the right font

44points

Dutch Swimmer Goes Viral For Super Revealing Trunks During 2024 Olympics: “Is This Legal?”

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#27

He thought it said “Love my grandson”. It translated to something like “I love fat boys”. I think it was a google translate failure of epic proportions

MisterComrade Report

Final score:

123points

POST

Amery 2 years ago

Is his grandson fat, then ?

32points

StaringAtTheDesktop Report

#28

Ariane Grande tattooed the words “Barbecue Grill” on her hand.

Final score:

118points

POST

grey galah 2 years ago

What was she after Barbie Girl?

45points

#29

"Storm drain" on a guy who wanted "The way of water" like Bruce Lee always talked about.

tatsukunwork Report

Final score:

113points

POST

NoDak Pirate 2 years ago

Well it's not wrong

44points

#30

"tiny chicken" my friend got that thinking it said his name

Final score:

106points

POST

pink_panda 2 years ago

He could change his name to Tiny Chicken. Easy fix.

96points

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#31

Chinese speaker here. In high school I worked at a CVS. A white woman showed up at the register with a very poorly drawn 力 tattoo, and I said “cool tattoo, means power”. She scoffed and replied to me like I was satan himself, and said “you obviously don’t understand Chinese “letters” the tattoo artist told me it means the strength to overcome anything, even breast cancer...” then she rolled her eyes at me and walked away.

cmilkrun Report

Final score:

34points

POST

Dave Nalesnik 2 years ago

Karensplaining?

39points

Woman Put A Water Fountain With A Camera In Her Yard, Here Are 24 Photos Of Regular Visitors (New Pics)

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#32

Not my story but a friend of mine.

She had a classmate in college with a kanji tattoo, confused she asked her what it meant.

“High princess”

Turns out it actually said “pig princess”

whereegosdare84 Report

Final score:

31points

POST

Dani Tuo 2 years ago

Yep, seen this one in real life even. It's a flash tattoo sadly.

6points

#33

A guy came up to my Mom and I and asked what character he had tattooed on his ankle. It was the word for fire in Chinese with an extra mark. When we told him there was a typo in the character, he said he knew it was fire but he added the extra line to make it look cooler. 🙄

foxnfawn Report

Final score:

29points

POST

Escapist Panda 2 years ago

Q! It's the letter o but fancy~

32points

#34

Please dont use google translate to translate tattoos, i once saw “i once am a katana”

Final score:

28points

POST

Dave van Es 2 years ago

jisho.org to translate kana/kanji. It's a Japanese dictionary

10points

#35

I remember in elementary school my buddy had this really cool hoodie with Asian lettering and dragons n s**t, anyway one day our sub tells him the only thing written on it was “chicken wing” he also told him there were multiple different languages on it all used incorrectly

Tanucks Report

Final score:

27points

POST

Lazy Panda 2 years ago

Ain’t no thang but a chicken wing

14points

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#36

I do speak Japanese and I’ve decided if I ever get a kanji tattoo it will just say really mundane s**t - essentially a grocery list: “eggplant, noodles, milk...” but when people ask me what it means I’ll tell them “Courage” or “Family” or some s**t.

Taking back the dumb gaijin tattoo. Using my body for a goof only I am likely to appreciate.

VinnyinJP Report

Final score:

26points

POST

Escapist Panda 2 years ago

"My body is a temple and I am the one in charge of decorating it."

23points

SupremeOverlordBacon Report

#37

The common word for "and" gets mistaken a lot of "peace", which is two words, "and" being the first of them("wo" vs. "wo ping" in Cantonese). So there are a lot of people who just have the word "and" tatooed on them and I think that's hilarious.

Doidlewok Report

Final score:

23points

POST

setsuriseikou 2 years ago

Maybe they didn't mean it to be Cantonese? In Japanese 和 is used to mean "harmony", like one of the principles of traditional tea ceremony.

0points

#38

Not Japanese or Chinese, but I once saw “A*s glove” tattooed on someone’s chest in German.

They said it meant “Peace for all”

Final score:

23points

POST

Asdomar 2 years ago

Well if anyone will receive a glove in that part if he disbehave peace is assured

3points

Woman Moves Out Of Parents' Home After They Asked Her To Give Her Space To Brother, They Freak Out

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#39

My mom sent me a pic of her coworkers new Mandarin tattoo so I could translate it. It was supposed to say something about jesus or religion but it said “green” lol

BriByDayAndNight Report

Final score:

23points

POST

Amery 2 years ago

Well, we ARE supposed to 'Go Green' to keep the earth beautiful as Jesus created it, right? Not so bad, after all.

3points

#40

He wanted the Chinese character for mother, he pronounced it wrong so the tattoo artist wrote horse instead

Ikcatcher Report

Final score:

22points

POST

jade s 2 years ago

Correct me if Im wrong but don't you just need to put the symbol for woman in front of this to fix it?

10points

#41

"Japanese people are so dumb" Written in Japanese.

Final score:

21points

POST

Amery 2 years ago

That tat artist was being a 'Richard Cranium,' on purpose....methinks

2points

#42

机 on his fist. I haven't taken Chinese but in Japanese it means 'desk'.

feverishdodo Report

Final score:

17points

POST

-Insert-name- 2 years ago (edited)

It means machine

7points

Woman Refuses To Chip In For Babysitting Because She Doesn’t Even Have Kids, Asks If She’s A Jerk

#43

a big muscley tough looking guy with “accommodation” written in big kanji down his bicep.

Later I considered that maybe he was a property developer tho...

marinegeo Report

Final score:

17points

POST

Amery 2 years ago

Nah, he's just trying to 'help the ladies.'

2points

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#44

A woman who told me her tattoo meant angel. It was actually hermet.

bawdo Report

Final score:

17points

POST

Amery 2 years ago

Hermit IS a religious loner. Same dif.

-2points

#45

Not Chinese or Japanese but I knew a bloke who got "Rinne mé chroí amárach" tatooed on them thinking it meant "I will persevere" When in reality it translates to the grammatically incorrect "I made heart tomorrow"

Irishbeast57 Report

Final score:

16points

POST

Amery 2 years ago

It's actually 'I made a heart BEAT tomorrow.' Sounds like perseverance, to me!!!

5points

#46

"Kitchen" - confused the kanji, what he wanted Ihave no idea.
"Fat man" - he wanted "big guy" (tough guy?) apparently.

Ariana Grande's hand tattoo mix up was a huge deal in Japanese media for a while too.

oikorapunk Report

Final score:

15points

POST

Peter Korsten 2 years ago

"Fat Man" is a rather awkward tattoo to have when visiting Japan, especially Nagasaki.

7points

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#47

Former colleague of mine had *spirit* tattooed on his arm in Chinese. Some years later during a trip to China he discovered that what it actually said was *gas*.

avant_gardener Report

Final score:

14points

POST

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Storytelling, journalism, and art are a core part of who I am. I've been writing and drawing ever since I could walk—there is nothing else I'd rather do. My formal education, however, is focused on politics, philosophy, and economics because I've always been curious about the gap between the ideal and the real. At work, I'm a Senior Writer and I cover a broad range of topics that I'm passionate about: from psychology and changes in work culture to healthy living, relationships, and design. In my spare time, I'm an avid hiker and reader, enjoy writing short stories, and love to doodle. I thrive when I'm outdoors, going on small adventures in nature. However, you can also find me enjoying a big mug of coffee with a good book (or ten) and entertaining friends with fantasy tabletop games and sci-fi movies.

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I'm a Visual Editor for Bored Panda. I’m also an analog collage artist. My love for images and experience in layering goes well with both creating collages by hand and working with digital images as an Editor. When I’m not using my kitchen area as an art studio I also do various experiments making my own cosmetics or brewing kombucha. When I’m not at home you would most definitely find me attending a concert or walking my dog.

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What do you think ?

POST

Beth S 2 years ago

So I have one on the back of my neck that I got when I was much younger. When people now ask what it means I tell them "It means I am capable of poor decision making". LOL

45points

AK to LV 2 years ago

Awesome!

3points

Random Anon 2 years ago (edited)

Really before you ink something in a foreign language, have someone you trust and actually know the language verify it. When it comes to Asian language, try to get a tattoo artist that can read/write in that language as well. A missing dot here, a shorter line there could turn your [random cliche] into "eat sh!t for breakfast".

20points

UpQuarkDownQuark 2 years ago

I have never understood why people want words or phrases tattooed on their body from a language or culture they have no connection to.

18points

Justice 2 years ago

Possibly because it looks 'nice' (Chinese and Japanese characters are really beautiful - a form of art in itself) or also they don't want others to immediately know what it says. Depending on context having a 'mum' or 'dad' tattoo in your native language might be a bit awkward. 🤷🏻‍♀️

28points

Violet MacConnell 2 years ago

I lived in Japan for 1.5 years. It meant a lot to me so I wanted to get kanji on me to always have a piece of Japan with me. I did have it vetted with many various Japanese people and my best friend who was fluent in Japanese before I inked it. I can confirm it says what I wanted as I also had some acupuncture and she read it and it was correct.

8points

Sergio Bicerra 2 years ago

For people to ask them about their meaning. But in other perspective, it's less embarrasing to have a tattoo of a character that means ' super explosive unlimited power' than having it written in your chest.

1point

DC 2 years ago

... always makes me think of the guy that wanted "Asian Girl Lover" and got "Foreign Pervert" - hahaha, serves him right ... also, that guy's gonna be old one day ... still being a lover or anyone callable a girl beyond your twenties is creepy at the very least and very best...

10points

Craig Silberman 2 years ago

I love how many Pandas can read Chinese or Japanese, and are able to correct the entries.

8points

Ray Heap 2 years ago

Saw one, let‘s say, nationalist proud British guy with what he hoped said Blood and Honour in German. Actually it said „Blute und Ähre“ or bleed and ear, as in Ear of wheat. Also he wasn’t happy when I pointed out that it was written in old English letters instead of German Fraktur.

8points

David Kennedy 2 years ago

My ex-wife is a native mandarin speaker and whenever I saw Chinese tattoos on people in public I would send her over to read them. Once she was out and called me and said "I hate you" and I was shocked and asked why. She said "Because you always make me read tattoos I cant help myself from doing it even when you are not here". Anyhow.. PLEASE stop putting "cool" Chinese characters permanently on your body. Of the dozens I had her read, only a very small handful made any sense. Most are so poorly formed they cant be read, or they are just a mashup of characters strung together and have no meaning whatsoever. The Chinese language has a lot of rules around character usages.. As an example, some "words" need two characters placed together to lock in a meaning. You cant just toss things into google translate and get what you think.

8points

LesAnimaux 2 years ago

In the words of a brilliant comedian: "If you want to be fluent in Chinese, you are going to have to memorize about 44.000 subtly different drawings of sheds." "Sometimes a shed drawing will be a whole phrase or sentence and you have to memorize the shed with the sentence. So the broken step ladder next to the guy swinging the golf club with the two seagulls on a park bench shed drawing: my foot hurts. Oh wait there's a chimney on the shed? *Your* foot hurts. Wait there's smoke coming out of the chimney? *We've* got a new pope." (His name is Bengt Washburn, he's great)

7points

Ansi 2 years ago

Aah, to be young and stupid. My friend was getting a tattoo so I also decided to get one. I was in a dark place and was thinking about suicide so I decided to get a protective sign. Something to make me feel stronger. I was thinking about a grafic dragon but changed it the last minute to an chinese dragon sign. Chinese characters was in fashion then and I was just 18 years old. Hmm... it wasen't dragon. Surprise. It was tatsu 辰 the japanese zodic sign. But well well, 20 years later I'm still here, so not a bad result after all....

6points

AK to LV 2 years ago

I'm glad you're still here. I hope the dark is farther away or at least there is plenty of light to shine in the dark places.

3points

L̸1̶z̵ 2 years ago (edited)

I've got "虎" meaning "Tiger" on the side of my neck because I was born in the year of the Tiger and it has personal meaning to me. There are quite a few Tigers in my family so it is to honour them, as well as myself. I've known a few people who weren't interested in the culture got shirty tattoos though. My favourite was dumplings but was supposed to be something else. If I wanted a food item, I'd probably go for the same 😜😂

6points

the electric frog 2 years ago

This is why I will never get a tattoo in a language I don’t understand

5points

Chich 2 years ago

Happens the other way around. Been to Asia and have seen people sporting clothing in english that obviously they have no idea what it says or think it says something else.

4points

Daniel Yamada 2 years ago

I can read these. I worked with a women who thought she had a "Ocean Surfer" tattoo. It actually said "Wet Pants". I met a man who thought he had a "Strong Man" tattoo. It actually said "Bad Odor".

4points

Sinkvenice 2 years ago

I used to live in Wales in the early 00's and worked with a dummy called Donna. I'm covered in tattoos and she had a few dotted about on her person. She was explaining them to me one day and she pointed to one on her upper arm, explaining that it was Chinese for Wayne, who was her fiancée. I'm pretty sure there is no Chinese translation for Wayne :-D. I'm gutted I never found out what it actually meant.

4points

oktopus 2 years ago

According to Wikipedia, the transliteration for "Wayne" (at least as in "John Wayne") is "韋恩". However there's also apparently an "Asian alphabet" chart floating around in the tatoo industry which correlates Latin letters with some pseudo-Chinese-looking glyphs.

3points

The Blue Spirit 2 years ago

If I ever get a tattoo it will be air bender ones

4points

Beth S 2 years ago

I plan on getting a white lotus pai sho tile eventually.

5points

Sarah Pryde 2 years ago

I worked at a year round camp for a few years, and summer counselors came and went. This one chick, about 20ish years old, had "fish" tattooed in Japanese on her lower belly...which itself is kind of a questionable location....She got it since she was a Pisces....welp, we happened to get A LOT of international staff, and happened to have someone from Japan . He started giggling a bit and informed her it actually meant "FISH POND".....and thus was born her nickname for the entire summer

3points

Craig Silberman 2 years ago

While I have a hard time understanding tattoos in general, the idea of tattooing words you can't read in a language you don't know, makes absolutely no sense to me. Wouldn't they be better off getting misspelled English words, like so many other tattoo fails?

3points

AK to LV 2 years ago

No regerts!

2points

oktopus 2 years ago

What always cracks me up about these kinds of tattoos is that even if they make some kind of sense, more often than not they're in the Ming (Chinese) / Mincho (Japanese) font, which is basically the typographic equivalent of Times New Roman.

2points

NgatiDreadz 2 years ago

Moral of the story make sure you double or even triple check before you get foreign letters or whatever tattooed on you lol

1point

Nikki Sevven 2 years ago

I don't understand why anyone would get a tattoo in a language they don't speak from a culture they're not part of and clearly unfamiliar with.

1point

Sydney Allison 2 years ago

My husband was once talking to a black man about his Chinese character tattoo while in a Chinese restaurant. He asked him what the tattoo said, to which he replied "It says 'black power'". One of the people working in the restaurant chimes in, "No, it says 'black PEPPER'"

0points

Kendra Stephens 2 years ago

I used 4 different translation programs and googled a Gaelic dictionary BEFORE getting a Gaelic Goddess name tattooed on my shoulder. People really need to pay more attention.

0points

Kendra Stephens 2 years ago

I used 4 different translation programs AND Googled a Gaelic dictionary BEFORE having the name of a Gaelic Goddess tattooed on my shoulder. People really need to pay more attention.

0points

Ivanka van der Reest 2 years ago (edited)

This is why it's so important to actually think things through if you want a tattoo. Like seriously. Do that anyway regardless of what tattoo you want. But especially with these kinds of tattoos. Make sure that the tattooist is a native speaker. Ask the tattooist to make a design on paper, tell him you want to think about it a few days and you'll come back. Make sure that the text is right in case the tattooist is pulling a prank on you. Ask people you know, or ask online to people to verify. Be critical! Because a tattoo is for life. Sure, there's still something like laser treatment but then again a tattoo is like marriage, no one marries with divorce on their mind, and no one wants to get a tattoo with laser treatment on their mind (and that connection now mentioned, I think people should also be more critical who they marry, saves the misery of divorce).

0points

Daniel Teel 2 years ago

I always hate reading about these "Pranks". You physically scarred someone for the rest of their life with something they didn't want because you were offended that they wanted a word in your language.

0points

Steven Bennett 2 years ago

Came of age just as the whole Chinese character tattoo trend was all the rage. A lot of girls I knew were getting variations of the "Live Laugh Love" or "Peace Hope Joy" tattoos. I always wanted to get one that said something totally random, like "Cheese Wombat Toilet Brush"--but it would have been a deliberate joke. After seeing all the unintentional fails here (or spiteful artists), glad I decided to pass. Obviously my joke would have gotten lost in the crowd.

0points

Cherry Doot 2 years ago

My dad's gf has a tattoo on the back of her neck that when I looked up in an official Japanese dictionary roughly translated to snake- she mean to get cat but there was parts of the character missing so it was incorrect. She had it for a while and didn't even think it was wrong until i told her lol

0points

Lee-Ann 2 years ago

The only one is get would be Godzilla (gojira) since I'm a fan and it's easy to identify.

0points

Max Blancke 2 years ago

This one is slightly OT, but when we were younger, my girlfriend had a bathing suit bottom with the maritime signal flags "Uniform November" embroidered on it. That is the two letter code for "you may enter harbor immediately".

0points

Erik Ivan 2 years ago

I have never understod why someone would tatoo something they cannot read onto their body.

0points

Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 2 years ago

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POST

Beth S 2 years ago

So I have one on the back of my neck that I got when I was much younger. When people now ask what it means I tell them "It means I am capable of poor decision making". LOL

45points

AK to LV 2 years ago

Awesome!

3points

Random Anon 2 years ago (edited)

20points

UpQuarkDownQuark 2 years ago

I have never understood why people want words or phrases tattooed on their body from a language or culture they have no connection to.

18points

Justice 2 years ago

28points

Violet MacConnell 2 years ago

8points

Sergio Bicerra 2 years ago

1point

DC 2 years ago

10points

Craig Silberman 2 years ago

I love how many Pandas can read Chinese or Japanese, and are able to correct the entries.

8points

Ray Heap 2 years ago

8points

David Kennedy 2 years ago

8points

LesAnimaux 2 years ago

7points

Ansi 2 years ago

6points

AK to LV 2 years ago

I'm glad you're still here. I hope the dark is farther away or at least there is plenty of light to shine in the dark places.

3points

L̸1̶z̵ 2 years ago (edited)

6points

the electric frog 2 years ago

This is why I will never get a tattoo in a language I don’t understand

5points

Chich 2 years ago

Happens the other way around. Been to Asia and have seen people sporting clothing in english that obviously they have no idea what it says or think it says something else.

4points

Daniel Yamada 2 years ago

I can read these. I worked with a women who thought she had a "Ocean Surfer" tattoo. It actually said "Wet Pants". I met a man who thought he had a "Strong Man" tattoo. It actually said "Bad Odor".

4points

Sinkvenice 2 years ago

4points

oktopus 2 years ago

3points

The Blue Spirit 2 years ago

If I ever get a tattoo it will be air bender ones

4points

Beth S 2 years ago

I plan on getting a white lotus pai sho tile eventually.

5points

Sarah Pryde 2 years ago

3points

Craig Silberman 2 years ago

3points

AK to LV 2 years ago

No regerts!

2points