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Chinese characters and Japanese kanji are certainly aesthetically impressive. They’ve got an air of mystery about them. And they seem to imply hidden meanings and profound wisdom. But we all know that the Universe likes irony and has a wicked sense of humor. If you try to get a tattoo in a language you don’t know, you’re practically begging for trouble. And we’ve got the evidence.
We’re featuring a whole bunch of entertaining stories from the r/AskReddit online community about people who know Chinese or Japanese sharing the dumbest things they’ve seen tattooed. Scroll down for the most hilarious exotic tattoo fail stories and definitive proof that: a) you’ve got to do at least some basic research before getting inked; and b) don’t be obnoxious when dealing with your tattoo artist. Otherwise, you might end up with the character for ‘fish’ instead of something badass like ‘poison.’ Or ‘illiterate foreigner’ which (we’re not gonna lie) is so bad it’s good.
Have you ever seen any foreign language ink fails with your own two eyes, dear Pandas? Maybe you’ve got a tattoo that you regret getting? We can’t wait to hear what you have to say, so make sure to drop on by the comment section. Oh, and if you loved this list and haven’t had enough, we’ve got you covered—check out Bored Panda’s earlier article about idiotic kanji tattoos right here.
Bored Panda got in touch with David McKinlay, the owner of the Archangel 1608 Tattoo Studio in Glasgow, for a chat about tattoos in foreign languages. Scroll down for our exclusive interview with him.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I knowingly got Pork Fried Rice tattooed on my bicep. I get so much free pork fried rice at chinese places now because the employees think its so funny.
Nikki Sevven 3 years ago
Me to my tattoo artist: Do you know the Chinese characters for pan-fried dumplings?
Jenny Michelle 3 years ago
But .... Why would they give free food instead of just laughing away to themselves ??
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.
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#2
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.
Kelly Richards 3 years ago (edited)
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Inigo Montoya 3 years ago
Why not go back and get the top line lengthened? Seems like this would be a pretty easy fix.
ERIKA H. 3 years ago
It will then make the vertical line disproportionate and give it a whole other meaning
Load More Replies... Dani Tuo 3 years ago
I assume that this is Japanese rather than Chinese? I'd say 士 is more "gentleman" or "scholar" than "warrior", but I am using 中文 here. Either way, the second is earth/dirt and is kinda funny.
Mud spider 3 years ago
I made the name Doro-Chan with my Japanese friends for myself because when she was teaching me Japanese it ‘suited me’ apparently haha
#3
My wife is Chinese and the best one she has personally seen was "fat dumb American" on a guys leg.
Abra Davis 3 years ago
Sounds like a tattoo that the 'Hangover' guys would be tricked into getting.
Jean-Daniel Mohier 3 years ago
I've seen a woman with 鸡汤 on her neck in the Paris subway. It means chicken soup. I have no idea if this is what she really wanted.
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.
#4
My buddy has "illiterate foreigner" in traditional Chinese characters. It's dope.
#5
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.
the electric frog 3 years ago
If I were a middle aged bald white guy I would get that tattooed on me
Aussie Bloke 3 years ago
I have MANY tattoos, but on my back are 4 Chinese characters I got done in the mid 90s. I can't remember what they were meant to say, let alone what they actually say!
#6
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.
René Studer 3 years ago
For males there should be one in the front: „caution, choking hazard“ or „may contain nuts“
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Elwood Schwartz (it/that) 3 years ago
This has to be my favorite one. I might get that tattoo too.
Nicole A 3 years ago
I'm no psychologist but my best guess is that it's at least two-fold. One is that it's one of the few languages where you can have an entire word contained in a single symbol instead of spelling it out, so longer things can be made short. Combine that with the fact that China has been around a very long time and people associate that with mentality that things must be very "deep" because they're written in an ancient language. I'm not sure if fetishizing is the right word, but it's the one in my brain right now. Oh and combine that with the fact that it was very "in" to have the Chinese characters tattoos and I think that fad just continued even after Google translate was invented. It's not just a USA or English speaker thing either - I've seen people from all sorts of countries with tattoos of East Asian languages.
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Richard Baker 3 years ago (edited)
Guys in the military get tattoos thinking they read "Valiant Warrior/Samurai" or such like but that's not exactly what the characters sometimes mean. Usually something vulgar. Oops!
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.
#7
Wanted a tattoo in Chinese that said "I am a vegetarian," got a tattoo that said "I am made of vegetables."
Mary Rose Kent 3 years ago
I shouldn’t encourage you, but since you showed yourself out, you won’t be reading this anyway…
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Dani Tuo 3 years ago
That must have been some weird translator, those two sentences are *very* different.
Rob 3 years ago
Actually in chinese its very close " wo chi shude " is i eat vegetarian (the way to say i am vegetarian in chinese ) and " wo shi shude " is i am vegetables
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lina plattner 3 years ago
Vielleicht könnte man aus "aus" "auf" machen? Ich bestehe auf Gemüse;))
#8
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
Mozzarella 3 years ago
Tell her that the turtle represents the wisdom and knowledge of her dad.
Jenny Michelle 3 years ago
That's kinda sad ... Why would she get his name when all her life he's been "Dad/Daddy" ? ..of course she would get one saying Dad .. wonder why there was such a mix up ?
Shine Chisholm 3 years ago
I think pretty much everything about this story is beautiful, honestly
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Carrie Smigla-Didier 3 years ago
The age doesn't matter at all when it comes to these characters, obviously
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Angel Silhouette 3 years ago
Turtle is actually quite a terrible insult in Chinese. Since Kanji is basically Chinese Hanzi, that could be kind of bad...
#9
I saw this guy with Japanese characters that translated to “Beep Beep Lettuce”
Tracy Wallick 3 years ago
**wheeze** I'm ugly-laughing at work, thank you for that XD
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Escapist Panda 3 years ago
This makes me think the dude you saw was one of those pet Java sparrows that seem to be quite popular in Japan. XD They beep quite loudly and love fresh greens as a means of sipping dewdrops and as a yummy treat~
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"
Dani Tuo 3 years ago (edited)
I mean technically no one can, because 中文 is written Chinese - 汉语 is the spoken language. Yes, I am being pedantic, because the original post this redditor has taken is the writing saying "I don't know, I can't read Chinese" and them botching the sentence when taking someone else's post is funny.
Random Anon 3 years ago
Not to sound pedantic but the phrase means you can't "say Chinese" . "说" literally means say. using "懂" (dong) in it's place would make the sentence simply mean "I don't know Chinese".
Tristan J 3 years ago
Wouldn't it be 'I can't speak [written] Chinese', to be pedantic?
Load More Replies... #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.”
TheEndIsNigh 3 years ago (edited)
I love it when people have these kinds of tattoos and get all super into it like "Yeah, man my tattoo says 'Serenity' because I'm really into peace and being one with the universe," but a it really says "egg salad" or something like that.
1.21Gigawatts?! 3 years ago
Lmao I totally wanna be the person who has to tell a guy that their “Strong and unafraid” tattoo means “I eat strong and afraid people” or something. So I’d love advice for learning Mandarin! Not just for words but for pronouncing the different pitches because I’ve heard that a wrong pitch could take “lovely” to “horse funeral”
Diamond Velvetleaf 3 years ago
Consume daily the berry of strength and determination, or forever be an illiterate foreign dirt turtle
hiImaira 3 years ago
ooh, a fusion! nice creativity there, stranger on the internet.
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Sean Wickham 3 years ago
What's the Chinese character for Bowser on a surfboard playing a double-necked guitar?
#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.
Stannous Flouride 3 years ago
The trick is to ask for one that says "chicken with noodles" so they write "Strength, Wisdom, Passion"
Anna Banana 3 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?
ttttt 3 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
Raimei Ai 3 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!
Marilyn Russell 3 years ago
I must say though, isn’t it the most douchy, move on of the tattoo artist’s part to be so unprofessional?
LittleLiz 3 years ago
Don't worry. The wisdom part comes after you realize that you shouldn't get foreign words printed on your skin
Nichele Givand 3 years ago
Strength to kill the chicken, wisdom to eat it with noodles, and passion to eat every last bite. 😂
“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.
Anjali Cooper 3 years ago
YOU CAN LEARN KLINGON ON DUOLINGO. DO IT. YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO. IT IS SO FUN. I’VE BEEN TRYING IT AND MY THROAT HURTS FROM THE GUTTURAL TONES BUT I LOVE IT!!!
Hagen Radcliffe 3 years ago
Remember when Dwight was teaching the girl Klingon?!!!’ OMG I laughed so hard I peed my pants(I was in my 50s)
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ί𝔫ＣίŦᵃт𝐔𝐬 3 years ago
It's a made up language from Star Trek, an old TV show.
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Brian Dean 3 years ago
The real amazing part is sociopathic bookworm don't know what star trek is, has he lived under a rock for the last 60 years?
Load More Replies... #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...
Pan.D.Mona 3 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
Maya Baggins 3 years ago
But in their original language or English, so everyone is made aware of that individual
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michelle parker 3 years ago
That's awesome! Honestly though - TheyReally should ALL be required to get these ! Some tattoo that I is clearly visible that WARNS others of his ideals and the possibilities that can happen when near people- all rapists too should have to get them - as a condition to release into the unknowing public--- just a thought
Random Anon 3 years ago
Oh wow I think he doesn't know the meaning to that otherwise it would've been covered up.
Sarah Schumm 3 years ago
I have a tattoo of wildflowers to warn people I won't shut up about my garden.
#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.
Drea Benoit 3 years ago
This one is accurate. Not sure why op would think slang words have direct translations in different cultures and languages
“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.
Barbara Kayton 3 years ago
I actually appreciate that he had a sense of humor about it. Excellent.
Kelly Richards 3 years ago (edited)
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Load More Replies... Random Anon 3 years ago
Yeah east Asian language don't work like the west. Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Putting two seemingly innocuous characters together could form a whole different meaning.
Charlie Romeo 3 years ago
Actually, Korean is not made up of characters. Hangul has an alphabet so what you see are Korean letters and spell words. Korean is nothing like Japanese or Chinese.
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#17
Gets a tattoo in google translate Japanese thinking it says “fear no one” but it really means “I fear everyone”
Alana Voeks 3 years ago
"I'm doing better with my social phobia, doc!" As your arms quiver, your legs bounce, your limbs go cold, and your eyes shift everywhere.
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michelle parker 3 years ago
That's actually a really good and realistic one!!! Because it's often ? the case- and they're trying to give themselves motivation to overcome their fears!! Just a thought
Who Panda 420 3 years ago (edited)
Never use Google translate for something this permanent without double checking...Great for quick transitions though
#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.
Who Panda 420 3 years ago
You got to wonder if the guy picked these characters himself or if he just really pissed off his tattoo artist
RoseTheMad 3 years ago
The only way I can think of in Japanese that two character would mean "dog poop" is "kenpun" 犬糞 which looks nothing like the four character "意志堅固" (ishikengo iirc) in Japanese to mean "strong-willed" xD
#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"
Kevin Teng 3 years ago
The chinese words for "life" and giving birth are unfortunately the same.
#20
My friend thought he had "Warrior" on his arm, but it turned out to be "Calendar"
Mozzarella 3 years ago
That’s a big difference tho. It’s not like the one up there where the lines r slightly shorter
Load More Replies... Who Panda 420 3 years ago
In other words is going to be quite some time before you're a warrior
Steven Meyer 3 years ago
Leonard to Japan I saw a girl at the beach, and she had Chinese characters on her back. She said it was supposed to say God’s little princess. I took a picture of it and showed it to my Japanese neighbors… Well it really said was “put general TSO’s chicken here” In other words, she’s into a**l.
#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.
Jimichan 3 years ago (edited)
Yaoi is short for "Yamate Oshiri ga Itai!", or "Stop, my butt hurts!"
Dani Tuo 3 years ago
I heard that it was a portmanteau of "yama nashi, ochi nashi, imi nashi"; "no climax, no point, no meaning".
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Party Poison (They/She) 3 years ago (edited)
Yaoi doesn't mean gay. It means gay people being fetishized by straight cisgender women.
RoseTheMad 3 years ago
I'm calling some possible BS on this, "yaoi" isn't just one symbol because it's written in hiragana... as "やおい" I mean, maybe he got "ホモ" meaning "homosexual" but still, it's not just one character. Yaoi doesn't technically mean "gay" either, it literally means "boys love"
Tracy Wallick 3 years ago
Ugh, guys like this are the reason so many Japanese (rightfully) don't like us (the Navy)
MiaOokami 3 years ago
They tend to be the same thing at the end of the day, seeing how gross fujoshis usually are.
Load More Replies... #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.
Asdomar 3 years ago
Well Japanese are obsessed with battleship girls and cats so it's not all bad
Fabian Bartsch 3 years ago
wasnt there a game or an anime were girls were literal tank hybrids? i swear i saw something like this years ago ^^
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Tashiro Frühling 3 years ago
I’m just genuinely wondering why a girl would even want to use pussydestroyer as a (permanent) tattoo… mocking specifically japanese machos? Bad pun about killing cats? cat battleship is a lot better.
Shaylin Anderson 3 years ago
That’s actually kind of a cute nickname if she has a decent sense of humor about the whole thing. If she has a kid, you can just call it “Kitten Canoe.”
Vain Black 3 years ago
One of my names is the one for battleship and not the person. I like it much better than the one for person.
#23
My friend got a tattoo that said "veni vidi vici" in chinese, well so he thought. The tattoo acutally said "three small dishes"
Dani Tuo 3 years ago
我来了, 我点了, 我吃了 (wǒ láile, wǒ diǎnle, wǒ chīle). Though if you want to be less grammatical and more resembling the original, you can just go for: 来, 点, 吃 (lái, diǎn, chī) ^^
Load More Replies... Anna Banana 3 years ago
What is the point of tattooing a Latin phrase in Chinese? Was Latin not obscure enough for him?
Randolph Croft 3 years ago
In classic Latin, there is no 'v' it's a 'u'. No soft 'c', either. So it's: Ueni, Uidi, Uiki.
BakedKahuna 3 years ago (edited)
So Latin for four would be IU...? It's the other way round. You can rean an u as v.
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#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”...
Tom Hanlin 3 years ago
I gather that the Cantonese KFC places are not appropriate for children.
Vain Black 3 years ago
"Picking up chicks" the English phrase is almost right and yet completely wrong it seems.
Mont Andersen 3 years ago
I don't know if it's coincidence or not but I read this similar story in a magazine years ago. The woman's nickname was Chick so she got the tattoo. When she showed Grandma her response was, "Sweety, that's slang for prostitute." Why she didn't run the Chinese past her Chinese grandma first is beyond me.
Lips & Coffee 3 years ago
I think in Mandrin Chinese it does too, it could be a slang picked up from Cantonese though
#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.
McThistle8 3 years ago
I'm certain I'll go to Hell for saying so, but I'm picturing some big, beefy, steroid-raging, weightlifter, and I figure "Beef Noodle" may be more accurate than anyone may expect.
#26
I saw somebody who probably doesnt understand japanese flexing with his japanese tattoo. It is translated to english, surprise surprise, *a giant failure*.
#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
Vain Black 3 years ago
He's a grand - son. Grand meaning large in some contexts and son... well you see how it happened.
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#28
Ariane Grande tattooed the words “Barbecue Grill” on her hand.
setsuriseikou 3 years ago
Apparently she intended for it to be "seven rings", in honor of one of her songs. But 七 (seven) and 輪 (ring) put together mean ”shichirin ( a type of small charcoal grill)". She probably should have gone with 七つの指輪 or something.
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Nate G. 3 years ago
Now that is a phrase I haven’t heard in a long time, a long, long time.
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#29
"Storm drain" on a guy who wanted "The way of water" like Bruce Lee always talked about.
#30
"tiny chicken" my friend got that thinking it said his name
Lori Rogers 3 years ago
Yes I sang it and now is stuck in my head FOREVER lol
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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.
Aurelia 3 years ago
Ikr like how can one character mean the strength to overcome anything, even breast cancer.
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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”
#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. 🙄
sleepy bean shaped bugcat 3 years ago
oh no if if the mark is a line on top of the character for fire then its the simplified Chinese character of 滅...…..which means 'extinguish'
#34
Please dont use google translate to translate tattoos, i once saw “i once am a katana”
#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
#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.
setsuriseikou 3 years ago
I've been thinking of some obscure kanji (like 韲 in 韲え物, yes, a type of a Japanese cuisine dish) done in cursive script so that it's almost unreadable but cool-looking :D
#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.
setsuriseikou 3 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.
#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”
Cathelijne Van 3 years ago
?? Arsch schuh?? There is no direct word for glove, it is hand-shoe. So curious 😄
#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
#40
He wanted the Chinese character for mother, he pronounced it wrong so the tattoo artist wrote horse instead
jade s 3 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?
Kevin Teng 3 years ago
You're correct. "马" means horse, and "妈" means mom, so if you add the symbol for women, "女", then it will be fixed.
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David Kennedy 3 years ago
This is an odd post on your part. you have made a massive assumption that because mother and horse sound different in English this must be the case in all languages? As others have posted, Chinese is a "tonal" language and the "ma" sound has different meaning depending on the tone ( “horse,” “hemp,” “scold” or “mother.”) I have to question how realistic this parent post is.. "Ma" is the textbook example of the Chinese tonal system...
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#41
"Japanese people are so dumb" Written in Japanese.
Pumpkin Spice 3 years ago
lmao Richard Cranium...took me a bit to get that!
Load More Replies... #42
机 on his fist. I haven't taken Chinese but in Japanese it means 'desk'.
Escapist Panda 3 years ago
It's...on the fist that he uses to bang his desk in frustration as he works or games? Maybe?
#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...
#44
A woman who told me her tattoo meant angel. It was actually hermet.
Nonya Bidness 3 years ago
Every hermit I know doesn't care about religion, especially Abrahamic religions which were created to instill fear and control the masses. They'd rather be left alone & are in tune with nature & the earth. Can't say that for any religious followers.
Load More Replies... #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"
#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.
Peter Korsten 3 years ago
"Fat Man" is a rather awkward tattoo to have when visiting Japan, especially Nagasaki.
#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*.
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What do you think ?
Beth S 3 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
Random Anon 3 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".
UpQuarkDownQuark 3 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.
Justice 3 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. 🤷🏻♀️
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Craig Silberman 3 years ago
I love how many Pandas can read Chinese or Japanese, and are able to correct the entries.
Ray Heap 3 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.
David Kennedy 3 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.
LesAnimaux 3 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)
Ansi 3 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....
AK to LV 3 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.
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L̸1̶z̵ 3 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 😜😂
Beth S 3 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
Random Anon 3 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".
UpQuarkDownQuark 3 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.
Justice 3 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. 🤷🏻♀️
Load More Replies... Craig Silberman 3 years ago
I love how many Pandas can read Chinese or Japanese, and are able to correct the entries.
Ray Heap 3 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.
David Kennedy 3 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.
LesAnimaux 3 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)
Ansi 3 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....
AK to LV 3 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.
Load More Replies... L̸1̶z̵ 3 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 😜😂
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