The Definitive Guide for Beautiful, Attention-Grabbing Chinese Tattoo Translation — Think Before You Ink!

Chinese calligraphy tattoos have become a raging phenomenon in the west since the 1980s. Just take a stroll down the street, you would often spot people whether old or young, black, or white wearing Chinese calligraphy tattoos in diverse styles, colors, and meanings.

Chinese tattoo translation often comes with a much deeper meaning than what lies on the surface. Whatever your reason is for choosing a Chinese calligraphy tattoo and having it permanently etched on your body, you should think about what’s important for you beforehand and always make sure your Chinese tattoo translation is correct.

What’s Chinese Calligraphy Tattoo?

Chinese calligraphy tattoo refers to the tattoo of Chinese characters in an artistic and stylized form that is known as Chinese calligraphy. The Chinese word for a tattoo is “Cishen 刺身” or “Wenshen 纹身”, which means “puncturing the body”.

The History of Chinese Tattoos — Tattoo or Taboo?

In Ancient China

The art of tattooing has existed in China for thousands of years, however, it’s not a common practice. Throughout Chinese history, tattoos are often considered a brutal form of art that could lead to defamation of the body.

At some points in Chinese history, tattoos were treated as signs of punishment, and as taboos for many. Tattoos were stamped on the faces of criminals who were convicted of severe crimes, then they’re exiled to remote places. It’s a form of punishment known as “Cipei 刺配”, which means tattooing and exiling.

In China Now

In modern China, tattoos are still somewhat associated with organized crime and the criminal underworld. However, with time passing by tattoo art is gradually being more socially accepted thanks to the influence of celebrities and sports stars.

The most renowned Chinese tattoo comes from the patriotic national hero Yue Fei (岳飞), a South Song Dynasty military general who resigned and returned home after a battle with the northern enemies.

His mother was angry upon his return home, telling him he should serve the country with boundless loyalty. To remind him of the mission she tattooed four Chinese characters “精忠報國 (traditional Chinese, Jing Zhong Bao Guo, ‘serve the country with ultimate loyalty’)” on his back with her sewing noodle.

Why Do People Get Chinese Calligraphy Tattoos?

Why do people across the globe prefer tattooing exotic Chinese/Japanese symbols and patterns permanently on their bodies in a language they don’t understand? There’re numerous reasons.

• They’re different from normal language. People get tattoos because they want to be different and need something unique. The Chinese characters with completely different writing systems from Latin languages fit people’s motivation of getting tattoos that distinguish them from others.
• They’re more mystical. There’s a long-held stereotype in the West about Chinese characters as they’re often associated with traditional practices, for instance, Fengshui, Yin, Yang, Taichi, meditation, etc.
• They’re artistic. There’re five basic script types of Chinese calligraphy: Seal, Clerical, Cursive, Semi-Cursive, and Regular. Calligraphy is the fine art of stylized writing converting characters into expressive images using different techniques to produce an aesthetically pleasing script.
• For people who are interested in Asian culture. For people who are obsessed with Asian culture or plan to travel to Asia, it’s cool to get a Chinese or Japanese calligraphy tattoo. It would become a conversation starter and an eye-catcher as people would be attracted by your tattoo in their language.

5 Celebrities and Their Chinese Tattoos

#1 David Beckham

Unlike the common way of using short tattoos, Beckham chose a long Chinese proverb in a fancy calligraphy style to sweep along his abdomen. The old Chinese proverb, “生死有命富贵在天” means “Death and life have determined appointments/Riches and honors depend upon heaven”.

💡 This is also one of my favorite proverbs.

#2 Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber has an extensive amount of 56 permanent symbols and drawings covering his body, and the most eye-catching one is on his left arm. The generic Chinese character “曲” has multiple translations depending on its context and other characters it’s matched with. It can mean song, or wrong, bent, or crooked.

💡 From a first glance, I would think the tattoo “曲” shows his passion for music.

#3 Britney Spears

Much like Bieber, Britney tattooed a single character “奇” on her pelvis, believing that it means “mysterious”. However, there’re multiple translations of “奇”, it can also mean “weird” or “freakish” if paired with “怪”.

#4 Nicki Minaj

The tattoo of Nicki Minaj is in traditional Chinese, “上帝与你常在”, which means “May God always be with you”.

#5 Kenya Martin

The NBA basketball player has a Chinese idiom “患得患失” tattooed in his left arm. “患得患失” refers to a state of mind, worrying about personal gains and losses.

💡 What do you think about the above tattoos? Please tell us in the comment section.

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