I came across these at Slope Day today, where they were doing airbrushed tattoos. My girlfriend tells me they’re nowhere close to correct:

This is just perfect for hanzismatter!

19 Responses to “Bad Chinese Tattoos”

1. John says:

   5/13/2005 at 4:00 am

   I�d like to know, how to write DIEGO and MARCO, names for a tattoo.

   Reply
2. ivy says:

   5/16/2005 at 9:24 pm

   There are many different ways to translate “Diego”, but “Marco” is usually translated as “??”.

   Reply
3. ananth says:

   5/19/2005 at 1:31 am

   i need the word “FIFA” “SHRUTHI” ,”SHU” in chinese language
   thank u…….

   Reply
4. ananth says:

   5/19/2005 at 1:35 am

   i want to make a tatoo as the word given already to u please send me that name,thank u…..

   Reply
5. erik says:

   7/19/2005 at 3:00 pm

   I wonder who comes up with these translations? I have a friend that got a really sweet tat that he was told meant “faith.” When I told him it really meant “to teach,” he freaked out and said “That’s what the Japanese exchange students kept telling me! I thought they were just messing with me!”

   Poor guy. Should at least get his money back.

   Reply
6. Shelly says:

   8/29/2005 at 1:43 pm

   I am looking for the word Stinger in Chinese for a bee tattoo. Can you help me?

   Reply
7. Michelle Christie says:

   1/15/2006 at 9:37 pm

   i need to know how to write “and forever yours” in japanese writing. thank you very much!!!

   Reply
8. Ashley Saggau says:

   2/24/2006 at 3:02 pm

   I would like to know how to tranlate “Daddy’s Girl” in chinese writing

   Reply
9. trina says:

   3/13/2006 at 7:33 pm

   hi i need to know how to write” promise ” and to “stay strong” in chinese

   Reply
10. Elliott Back says:

    3/16/2006 at 10:44 pm

    Try taking a look at http://www.zhongwen.com for all your definitional needs.

    Reply
11. Ron says:

    3/17/2006 at 7:38 pm

    Could you tell me if there is any significance of a rose tatoo on a chinese woman’s hand

    Reply
12. Cornell Blog: An unofficial blog about Cornell University » SLOPE DAY 2005 says:

    4/3/2006 at 7:55 pm

    [...] … as well as some correct-looking airbrushed tattoos [...]

    Reply
13. baigujing says:

    6/7/2006 at 12:26 pm

    Wow, not only are many of the translations wrong, but the they are written like chicken scratch. These are some of the worst I’ve seen, well not really, but pretty close.

    Reply
14. kp says:

    10/15/2006 at 12:56 pm

    I would like to know how to say stay strong in chinese

    Reply
15. sarah says:

    2/3/2007 at 6:35 am

    i would like to now how you write sarah in japanese and chinese pls and thank you …

    Reply
16. Cat says:

    3/23/2007 at 11:09 am

    would like to know how Brandon,Emily and Randy are done thx

    Reply
17. Blake says:

    3/28/2007 at 2:56 am

    34 – fŭ – Trust (close)
    35 – měi – Beautiful
    36 – pīng – Peace (correct)
    37 – wēi – danger (close)
    38 – a bad version of 35
    39 – not a chinese symbol i can either recognize or find in a dictionary.
    40 – looks like “ai” which means Love. But that is an absolutely horrid looking attempt.
    41 – close, but no cigar.

    Reply
18. Blake says:

    3/28/2007 at 3:04 am

    Oh and you should tell all these persons that there’s no direct translation for any of the names they’re requesting.
    There is a useful tool at http://www.mandarintools.com/ that will give you a “Translation” of your name.
    And for the rest, i just wouldn’t even try some of the things you’re suggesting. They’ll come out very weird and the connotations behind them are vastly different in other cultures. Be warned.

    Reply
19. Lisa Clutton says:

    1/7/2010 at 1:02 pm

    all of the excessive remarks that go through the computer is incredible….yet crazy!
    but for some people i think marshal mathers should walk the torch of fire down to kentuky

    Reply