Chinese symbol tattoos are rapidly growing in popularity all round the world. In fact, more than six thousand people search for the phrase “Chinese Tattoos” on the internet every single day.

But that’s not surprising as Chinese symbol tattoos are extremely beautiful and mysterious. Thanks to the movies and popular culture, most people in the west can recognise these Chinese symbols but can’t understand them. So that makes these tattoos a rather exotic form of self expression.

But beyond that, there are other more gender specific reasons for the popularity of these tattoo designs.

Women are attracted to the numerous subtle meanings and over-arching themes that the Chinese symbols can express, such as hope, freedom and love. Men, on the other hand, are drawn to Chinese symbol tattoos because in western culture they’re strongly associated with martial arts movies.

So if you’re considering getting a Chinese tattoo, here’s a quick beginners guide to Chinese symbols.

The system of Chinese writing began more than 4000 years ago and doesn’t have an alphabet. This is perhaps the biggest difference for non Chinese people to understand.

Instead, Chinese writing relies upon a large number of symbols that represent spoken ideas or concepts. Each symbol represents a different spoken word.

In 1710 AD the Kangxi Dictionary was created by imperial decree and contained more than 47,000 symbols. However, since then that number has risen to more than 70,000 symbols to represent the growing number of nuances and meanings in the modern language.

But having said that, the average Chinese person only needs to know around 5,000 of these Chinese symbols to be able to read and understand anything that’s written in Chinese.

Can anything be written in Chinese symbols?

Thanks to the sheer number of symbols available, anything can be translated into Chinese. Even the most subtle meanings and nuances can be achieved using a combination of symbols.

What is Kanji?

Kanji is the term used to describe Chinese symbols that have been adapted to mean Japanese words. The meaning of the symbols in Chinese and Japanese can be the same but they may be pronounced differently. Alternatively, they may express completely different ideas.

Can I get my name, or someone else’s name, translated into Chinese Symbols?

Yes, of course. But it’s worth bearing a couple of things in mind. First, Chinese names are written in reverse order, which means that your last name appears before your first name. Second, if your name is foreign to the Chinese language, symbols will have to be selected that represent your spoken name.

As you can see, the whole issue of Chinese writing is extremely complex, so the first major rule when you’re getting a Chinese symbol tattoo is to…

Make Sure That Your Chosen Words Are Correctly Translated

Before you allow anyone to put a tattoo needle anywhere near your skin, make sure that you have discussed your chosen design with someone who can understand Chinese writing. And make sure that they are used to advising people about the meaning of Chinese symbols for use in tattoos.

Whatever happens, resist the temptation to ask the first Chinese person that you know to check the meaning of your intended design. They may not know the exact meaning that you want and provide you with the wrong symbol.

For example, one women asked a waiter at her local Chinese restaurant to draw the Chinese symbol for free on a napkin. Unfortunately, this English word can be translated into Chinese in one of two ways. She wanted “Freedom” he gave her the symbol for “Free of charge”.

So consult a Chinese speaking tattoo specialist and you’ll avoid the permanent embarrassment of a Chinese tattoo that doesn’t mean what you thought it did.

The second rule of getting a successful Chinese symbol tattoo is to…

Get A Custom Design

To create a high quality tattoo, your artist will need a quality design to work from. So it’s important to spend some money on getting a custom design professionally made to your order. This will provide you with a crisp, clear Chinese tattoo that means what you think it does.

Okay, you could search the internet and find a free translation service, but in most cases the end result will be a small and poorly defined image which is unsuitable for creating a quality tattoo. If you find a tattoo artist who is prepared to use such a poor design you’ll end up with a blurred mess which may have lost its meaning.

Chinese symbol tattoos represent a highly individual and beautiful way to express your personality. If you follow these basic guidelines you will be rewarded with a unique piece of body art which will last you for the rest of your life.

Click here for free tattoo designs.

changed thanks to a new wave of celebrities and tattoo artists who have recognised the attraction of these intriguing tattoo designs. Every day thousands of people are looking for information about chinese tattoos, as the Chinese culture continues to spread around the modern world.

Part of the popularity of tattoo designs based on Chinese writing is due to the fact that most people in the West won’t understand what it means. Chinese tattoos, more than any other type of tattoo design, are a great way to get speaking to people. Not only will people ask what the characters say, but you’ll also be able to tell them why you choose to display such a message.

Most Chinese tattoos represent ideas, values or beliefs, such as happiness, love, peace etc, which are easily understood all round the world. However, if you decide to get tattooed with Chinese characters, here’s a serious warning; (i) make sure your consult someone who speaks Chinese as their first language about your chosen design, and (ii) make sure you trust them.

There are so many subtle meanings and nuances in the Chinese language that one slight alteration to the design or mistake in translation can leave your body displaying a message that’s vastly different from what was intended.

For example, you might think that your design says one thing when it really means something entirely different and pehaps extremely insulting. It’s not been unknown for an artist’s mistake or a practical joke to cause years of humiliation. Let’s face it, would you like to walk around with a tattoo that’s insulting to a quarter of the world’s population?

Alternatively but less dramatically, the meaning of certain Chinese symbols can change quickly, causing your tattoo to become irrelevant and out of date within a short space of time. So please consult someone who speaks Chinese about your chosen design before you get started. Find out what the characters mean and what they symbolize.

In my opinion, the most impressive Chinese tattoo designs include both writing and an image. Men generally opt for a Chinese dragon, while women look great wearing a phoenix tattoo. Both of these mythical creatures are worshipped in China as they represent power and luck.

Alternatively, you may decide that you only want a Chinese calligraphy design. However, it’s important to bear in mind that these written characters can look rather bland and uninspiring unless the artist is extremely talented. So if you want your tattoo to consist entirely of Chinese writing make sure that you find an artist who has experience in writing Chinese calligraphy.

But whatever you choose, make it your aim to create a design of lasting importance to you, instead of just hopping on the latest fashionable bandwagon. Check out tattoo designs here.

Chinese symbol tattoos are very popular today because they are really beautiful. And because most of us in the Western people cannot read Chinese symbol, Chinese symbol tattoos become an exotic form of expression.

My Name is Yingying and I am a Chinese Tattoo Artist. I have been providing custom Chinese tattoo translation and design service during the past three years.
Western people sometimes ask me some questions when they are planning to get Chinese symbols tattoos.

I have listed some of the most FAQs as below. you may find the answers are very useful information if you are planning to get one soon.

Can anything be translated and written in Chinese symbols?
Yes, anything can be translated and written in Chinese symbols. Chinese has more than 4000 years history. The most ancient Chinese symbols called oracle were written on animal bones. Chinese is a fully developed writing system with over 70,000 symbols (characters), capable of recording all nuances of contemporary language.

What are the differences between kanji and Chinese symbols?
Kanji is the term for Chinese symbols that are used in the Japanese language. Kanji in Japanese are typically characters from the Chinese language that have been adapted to mean Japanese words. The meanings in Chinese and Japanese can be the same but pronounced differently, or they may have entirely different meanings.

Why do I need the custom designs for a Chinese tattoo?
Your tattooist needs the design as a clear reference while inking. If you get free translation from web or somewhere else, it is usually a small and blur image which can not be used for inking purpose. If the tattooist does use it for inking, then your Chinese tattoo is worse than do not have one at all. (You may find some vivid samples of both bad and good Chinese tattoos on my website). Comparing the free crap, the custom tattoo design is large clear image come with stencil outline which your tattooist will use it to ink a high quality Chinese symbol tattoo on your body.

Can one English word be translated into either one symbol or two symbols?
The answer is it depends on the English word to be translated. Some English words can be translated into either one symbol or two symbols. For example, beauty can be translated into either one or two symbols, and the meaning is the same. Whereas, some words must be translated into two symbols, hope is an example, there is no single Chinese symbol which can be express the meaning of hope.

Having your body inked can be a very rewarding experience which can last for the rest of your life. Many people who have Chinese symbol tattoos feel that they are very much symbolic representations of their inner feelings and personality. That is the power of choosing a Chinese symbol tattoo that represents your true self, so it is of the up most importance to select the Chinese Symbols perfect match the meanings you want to express through your tattoos.

Chinese symbol tattoos are very popular today because they are really beautiful. And because most of us in the Western people cannot read Chinese symbol, Chinese symbol tattoos become an exotic form of expression.

The following is a list of FAQ questions asked of a tattoo artist called Yingying from people thinking of getting a chinese tattoo.

Can anything be translated and written in Chinese symbols?
Yes, anything can be translated and written in Chinese symbols. Chinese has more than 4000 years history. The most ancient Chinese symbols called oracle were written on animal bones. Chinese is a fully developed writing system with over 70,000 symbols (characters), capable of recording all nuances of contemporary language.

What are the differences between kanji and Chinese symbols?
Kanji is the term for Chinese symbols that are used in the Japanese language. Kanji in Japanese are typically characters from the Chinese language that have been adapted to mean Japanese words. The meanings in Chinese and Japanese can be the same but pronounced differently, or they may have entirely different meanings.

Why do I need the custom designs for a Chinese tattoo?
Your tattooist needs the design as a clear reference while inking. If you get free translation from web or somewhere else, it is usually a small and blur image which can not be used for inking purpose. If the tattooist does use it for inking, then your Chinese tattoo is worse than do not have one at all. (You may find some vivid samples of both bad and good Chinese tattoos on my website). Comparing the free crap, the custom tattoo design is large clear image come with stencil outline which your tattooist will use it to ink a high quality Chinese symbol tattoo on your body.

Can one English word be translated into either one symbol or two symbols?
The answer is it depends on the English word to be translated. Some English words can be translated into either one symbol or two symbols. For example, beauty can be translated into either one or two symbols, and the meaning is the same. Whereas, some words must be translated into two symbols, hope is an example, there is no single Chinese symbol which can be express the meaning of hope.

Having your body inked can be a very rewarding experience which can last for the rest of your life. Many people who have Chinese symbol tattoos feel that they are very much symbolic representations of their inner feelings and personality. That is the power of choosing a Chinese symbol tattoo that represents your true self, so it is of the up most importance to select the Chinese Symbols perfect match the meanings you want to express through your tattoos.

Check out some free designs here.