Before you get a tattoo in any foreign language, make sure you double and triple check that the tattoo actually says what you want it to. Otherwise you end up with typos, mistakes, and gibberish like
this article explains.
I have my own story involving Chinese tattoos.
One day my friend was eating out at a Chinese restaurant when a big burly man came in with his friends. He was sporting some Chinese characters on his arm. After looking over the menu for a while, he called over the waitress. A small Chinese lady came up to him, smiling.
"You want chicken and broccoli?" she asked.
"What?" asked the man. "No. I want the sweet and sour pork."
"Not chicken and broccoli?" insisted the waitress. At this point my friend became aware of the other waitresses watching and trying hard not to laugh.
The man looked at his waitress in confusion. "Why do you keep asking me that?"
"Your tattoo."
At this point the others were laughing openly.
"What about it?" asked the man, beginning to get angry. "It says strength and courage."
The waitress shook her head. "It says chicken and broccoli."
Before you get a tattoo in any foreign language, make sure you double and triple check that the tattoo actually says what you want it to. Otherwise you end up with typos, mistakes, and gibberish like this article explains.
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Comments (114)
I really, really don't like Chinese symbols. Especially "strength". It's so silly to me. Not to mention a majority of the people are like the above, 0 research just "hey gimmie that one".
Wow you are so deep! You're tattoo says Spirit in chinese!! How unique!
Hahah. Poor guy.
If I were to get a tattoo in any other language, it would be Italian. Or French. I can read them both pretty well, since they're pretty similar to Spanish and whatnot.
I wouldn't get a tattoo in another language. And this article is the reason why.
Thats funny but really sucks. I might get a tat in a diff lang. but I would def. research and double check it.
I have stone tablets on my left arm with the Hebrew characters for 1-10 on them. I know they are correct because my tattoo artist grew up learning Hebrew, I've studied some Hebrew, I asked Jewish Rabbis, and did a fair amount of research.
I don't think I'll ever get something written out in another language though.
I'd never get a tat period. I HATE TATS.
haha-- NEVER ever would I get a tattoo in another language.
poor guy.
Ahahah that's funny.
I like tattoos that symbolize something, and aren't huge.
That's hilarious... I have a tattoo of a black and white dragon. If i will ever get a tattoo in the foreign language, I'll make sure I know exactly what it says.
If I don't know the language, then I won't get it. Too risky.
i would get a tat in german but that is because i know german well enough to pick it out
HAHAH priceless, I wonder if he had it corrected...
That's funny. But so sucks.
Not me. I don't need it tattoo'd on me to have strength.
It'd be hella funny if the tattoo artist was a Chinese guy.
- Kunoichi
lmfao @ the picture
I wouldn't want to be a guy with a tattoo saying "evil woman" on my back.
Maybe if he got it fixed from 女 to 魔, it could say "devil"? That would be MUCH better xD
i dont think i'd get a tat. but if so probably in chinese characters (i can read a bit ^_^)
so embarassing - courage and strenghth turns to chicken and broccoli
That happened to Britney Spears. She tried to get a tattoo in Hebrew that was supposed to say "new era", but the letters were in the wrong order so it was gibberish. haha
I don't know why I know that.
i know better. poor guys!
xo
I would never get a tattoo in a language that I could not understand, read and write myself. It is just asking for trouble.
@Beautifulwithoutreason@xanga - or without extensive research.
I have an idea of what I would get.. in French, Chinese, Japanese, and of course English. =D That is, if I wanted to get one in the first place. I don't really feel up for it though.
LOL, poor guy...
If I DO get a tattoo it will be a little tattoo in mandarin on my back that would say something poetic haha. I know how to read and speak mandarin, so I'll be sure no one tattoos the wrong thing on me.
Maybe, maybe not. That's the risk you take. Who really knows if it was actually "Chicken and Broccoli" or not? Trusting a waitress over the guy who did your tattoo is as silly as getting a tattoo in a foreign language. In any case, DYR (do your research) applies here, big time.
I would never get a tattoo in a language I couldn't speak --it just seems kinda weird, ya know? I'm not a fan of tattooing words on myself in any language really.
Best story I heard was someone who wanted a tattoo saying "free" (as in freedom/liberty), but instead ended up with the one that meant "free of charge".