Tattoo showing the character "平" which is one of the two character in words such as "peace" (和平) but which by itself can mean "flat" , "level", "calm", "equal" or "average"; in the Cantonese dialect, it can also mean "cheap".^[1]

Tattoo showing the characters for "Andy"

Chinese character tattoos or kanji tattoos are tattoos consisting of Chinese characters (hanzi or kanji). Even though they are based on the Chinese or Japanese writing systems, these tattoos are almost unheard of in China and Japan, and are instead a relatively recent phenomenon originating in Western countries which do not use these writing systems. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1920 × 2560 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 450 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1920 × 2560 pixel, file size: 1. ... A peace dove, widely known as a symbol for peace, featuring an olive branch in the doves beak. ... Cantonese is a major dialect group or language of the Chinese language, a member of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... For other uses, see Tattoo (disambiguation). ... Technical note: Due to technical limitations, some web browsers may not display some special characters in this article. ... Technical note: Due to technical limitations, some web browsers may not display some special characters in this article. ... Japanese writing Kanji Kana Hiragana Katakana Hentaigana Manyōgana Uses Furigana Okurigana Rōmaji   ) are the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with hiragana (平仮名), katakana (片仮名), and the Arabic numerals. ...   Japanese writing Kanji Kana Hiragana Katakana Hentaigana Manyōgana Uses Furigana Okurigana Rōmaji This article describes the modern Japanese writing system and its history. ... For alternative meanings for The West in the United States, see the U.S. West and American West. ...

Many such tattoos are unreadable or nonsense in the original language, and the forms of the Chinese characters are also often mistaken. Furthermore, as most tattoo artists are unfamiliar with Asian writing systems, the characters are often copied directly from a printed source (as if someone had a tattoo in the Times New Roman font), or else are improvised by the artists and often result in illegible or childlike penmanship. The blog Hanzi Smatter gives many examples of the mistaken use of Chinese characters in tattoos. It is for this very reason that any individual wishing to get a tattoo featuring Chinese characters should carefully research their intended design. The Times New Roman typeface, on top at 88. ... Hanzi Smatter is a blog that is dedicated to the misuse of Chinese characters in Western culture - the Western equivalent of Engrish. ...

Some tattoo artists have been caught writing foul or silly slogans on their clients, who are unaware of the actual meaning of the Chinese characters.^[2] In the third episode of the erstwhile NBC sitcom Committed, the character Bowie is on the receiving end of one. Also, in the ninth episode of the third season of the TV drama Lost, it is revealed that Jack Shepard's tattoo actually means "outsider". Committed is a television sitcom that aired on NBC from January 4, 2005 to March 15, 2005. ... Stranger in a Strange Land is the ninth episode of the third season of Lost. ... “LOST” redirects here. ... Jack Shephard is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost played by Matthew Fox. ...

Chinese character (in addition to Japanese kana) tattoos are commonly found on mixed martial artists who are familiar with Asian martial arts. Chuck Liddell, a former UFC champion trained in karate, tattooed his scalp to read "house of peace and prosperity". Georges St. Pierre, another former UFC champion as well as a practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and karate, has the kanji word for "jujutsu" on his chest. Jeff Monson has the characters for "Hero" on his upper back. Japanese writing Kanji 漢字 Kana 仮名 Hiragana 平仮名 Katakana 片仮名 Manyogana 万葉仮名 Uses Furigana 振り仮名 Okurigana 送り仮名 Rōmaji ローマ字 For other meanings of Kana, see Kana (disambiguation). ... For the fighting style, see hybrid martial arts. ... Charles David Chuck Liddell (born December 17, 1969 in Santa Barbara, California), also known as The Iceman is a mixed martial artist who currently fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. ... Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, currently recognized as the major MMA promotion in North America. ... For other uses, see Karate (disambiguation). ... Georges Rush Saint-Pierre (born May 19, 1981), often referred to as GSP, is a Canadian mixed martial arts fighter and the former UFC Welterweight Champion. ... Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting with the goal of gaining a dominant position from which to force an attacker to submit. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Jeffrey Jeff The Snowman Monson (born January 18, 1973) is a mixed martial arts fighter from Olympia, Washington and an anarchist. ...

References

1. ^ Cantonese.ca. Cantonese adjectives. Accessed 2007-06-15.
2. ^ Metro (Georgina Littlejohn) The ugly truth about this badly drawn boy 6 June 2002

External link

• Chinese Tattoos