Tattoos are called “wen shen” or “chi shen” in Chinese, and literally means “to puncture the body.” While tattooing has been practiced in China for hundreds of years, it has never been quite elevated to an art. Neither has it reached the same prestige it enjoys in other parts of the globe. Chinese culture deems the human body a perfect creation on its own, and tattooing the skin is a grave mutilation. Regardless of how they view the practice, Chinese tattoo lettering is being used now more than before and has steadily grown in demand across the globe.
The first consideration for most people when choosing a tattoo is the design’s aesthetic appeal. Consequently, the elusive beauty of Chinese calligraphy and the deep spiritual symbolism of its characters render Chinese designs one of the most popular choices for tattoos today. However, the most common error that people make is overlooking the translation compatibility of words between two languages. Using free online or offline translation programs may formulate direct literary interpretation of the words you wish to use but fail to phrase them in their proper context. For instance Anne had the Chinese character “Freedom” tattooed on her arm. But the tattoo artist had it translated into “Free Love.” She now bears a tattoo whose meaning is totally different from what she wanted. It’s the classic example of a tattoo translation horror story.
Another potential pitfall is that Chinese symbols have individual meanings; their connotations rely on the milieu of present times. As a result, Chinese tattoos get outdated quickly. What’s more, Chinese characters are meticulous to tattoo. Mistakes such as forgetting a tiny single brush stroke or tattooing lines backwards result in a pretty but senseless character etched on your skin.
To avoid the embarrassment of wearing a Chinese character tattoo incorrectly, you might want to do the following before having anything done to your skin:
- Choose concepts that are universal and easily understandable across cultural barriers. The most commonly-used Chinese tattoos represent ideas and qualities like love, peace or strength. If you are adamant to use phrases and other more complex words, check first if their meanings can be translated correctly into Chinese.
- Familiarize yourself with the various styles of Chinese calligraphy. There are many to choose from. The most popular is the grass style, which executes characters swiftly with strokes running together.
- Always ensure that your tattoo translation has been carried out by fully qualified translators, be it by actual persons or online programs. If the translation is literally correct, it is best to be on the safe side and still check its context with a friend or resource person who is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.
- Be careful in choosing your tattoo artist. Be sure that he or she understands what you exactly want and is capable of inking the character correctly. Many Chinese tattoos end up defaced, tattooed backwards, or missing strokes because of the artist’s ignorance.
