Calligraphy isn't really my forte (or even neat handwriting, in any language ;) ) but apart from the hopelessly confused meanings many of the characters - particularly on the sheet on the top left and the one in the bottom centre - are pretty darn ugly.
My New Year's resolution: to carry around a small camera with which to take photos of hanzi / kanji tattoos.
Damn. That stuff is shameful. Those characters look like they were drawn by me on my first day of Chinese class. You know, I take that back: even then my writing was probably better looking than that.
Well, taking photos of strangers' tattoos may be kinda scary, for that some people might noy like their picture taken. I had seen a beauty of a jacket once. A triple smatter. At the back of the jacket there were three lines involving Hanzi, Hangul and guess what...Hebrew! I named that "The Ultimate 3H smatter" but alas I had no camera with me, only a cell phone that can take photos...however the wearer was walking and I had to come near her to get a good view, and she might not have been happy with that. I had taken the photo of a boxer short with misused kanji by my cell phone pretending to write a text message. Many stores have a no-photo policy here in Turkey
I've seen women with 安 tattooed on them. While in Chinese it may mean "peaceful," it means "cheap" in Japanese. I can't help but grin or laugh when I see that. So funny.
A meaningful word in Chinese are usually formed by TWO or more Chinese characters. A single character has it's own meaning, but no one else translate the characters each by each.
Example: 陳 - It can be a surname - It has the meaning of old
When it is used to form a word, the meaning may vary. 陳年 - aged 陳醋 - aged vinegar 陳舊 - old 陳述 - describe
It would help if people would find this site BEFORE they get inked.
ReplyDeleteBut then there wouldn't be as much material... KF
ReplyDeleteCalligraphy isn't really my forte (or even neat handwriting, in any language ;) ) but apart from the hopelessly confused meanings many of the characters - particularly on the sheet on the top left and the one in the bottom centre - are pretty darn ugly.
ReplyDeleteMy New Year's resolution: to carry around a small camera with which to take photos of hanzi / kanji tattoos.
Damn. That stuff is shameful. Those characters look like they were drawn by me on my first day of Chinese class. You know, I take that back: even then my writing was probably better looking than that.
ReplyDeleteLOL... looks like the asian font is never going to stop haunting us.
ReplyDeleteWell, taking photos of strangers' tattoos may be kinda scary, for that some people might noy like their picture taken. I had seen a beauty of a jacket once. A triple smatter. At the back of the jacket there were three lines involving Hanzi, Hangul and guess what...Hebrew! I named that "The Ultimate 3H smatter" but alas I had no camera with me, only a cell phone that can take photos...however the wearer was walking and I had to come near her to get a good view, and she might not have been happy with that. I had taken the photo of a boxer short with misused kanji by my cell phone pretending to write a text message. Many stores have a no-photo policy here in Turkey
ReplyDeleteI've seen women with 安 tattooed on them. While in Chinese it may mean "peaceful," it means "cheap" in Japanese. I can't help but grin or laugh when I see that. So funny.
ReplyDeleteA meaningful word in Chinese are usually formed by TWO or more Chinese characters. A single character has it's own meaning, but no one else translate the characters each by each.
ReplyDeleteExample:
陳 - It can be a surname
- It has the meaning of old
When it is used to form a word, the meaning may vary.
陳年 - aged
陳醋 - aged vinegar
陳舊 - old
陳述 - describe