| The Chinese people have a highly developed | | | | easily be mean something other than intended. |
| writing system that evolved at least 3000 years | | | | Get the wrong one... and your new tattoo will be |
| ago. Ancient writing has been found written on | | | | a permanent source of embarrassment to you! |
| bone, brass vessels or pottery and bamboo strips. | | | | Another fact is that Chinese Calligraphy is a |
| The Chinese writing system has no alphabet, but | | | | precise art and sometimes strokes can be missing |
| relies on a large number of symbols that | | | | in your tattoo design. But don't panic! Your tattoo |
| represents spoken concepts or ideas. It is | | | | artist can easily fix those mistakes. |
| important to note that a Chinese symbol is NOT | | | | However, be warned that the artistic flair of your |
| a pictograph but represents the entire spoken | | | | tattoo artist can turn your Chinese characters into |
| word. | | | | gibberish. |
| And don't even look for the Chinese alphabet | | | | Another thing, Chinese names are written in the |
| because there isn't one. The alphabet is a Latin | | | | reversed order. Which mean your last name goes |
| invention, which is a whole new can of worms. | | | | before your first. |
| The Kangxi Dictionary was created in 1710 A.D. | | | | Let me pause here for just a minute... this is |
| by imperial decree to compile 47,035 symbols. | | | | where things may get a little more complicated. |
| Don't worry; the average Chinese person only | | | | Because your name is probably foreign to the |
| needs to know five thousand symbols to pretty | | | | Chinese language -- Chinese symbols will have to |
| much read anything that is written in the Chinese | | | | be picked out to pronounce your name. |
| language. | | | | Remember there are no Chinese alphabets. So |
| Now, let's talk about mistakes which is the biggest | | | | you will have to pick out one or more Chinese |
| block when someone thinks about getting a | | | | symbols that represent your spoken name. |
| Chinese symbol tattoo. What you think the | | | | Do you see what I mean? Getting a Chinese |
| Chinese symbol tattoo means, may not be | | | | symbol tattoo can become a nightmare if done |
| necessarily so. | | | | hurriedly without any thoughts whatsoever! |
| As you can imagine, before rushing off to get the | | | | Nonetheless, Chinese symbol tattoos are very |
| Chinese symbols tattooed on your skin - DOUBLE | | | | popular today because they are really beautiful. |
| CHECK with someone who CAN read and | | | | And because most of us in the Western |
| understand Chinese. And resist the urge to pull | | | | Hemisphere cannot read Chinese, Chinese symbol |
| over the Chinese waiter and ask him to write out | | | | tattoos becomes an "exotic" form of expression. |
| the Chinese symbol for you. He may not know | | | | And let's face the fact that the real reason most |
| exactly what meaning you really want and may | | | | guys probably want a Chinese symbols tattoo is |
| unintentionally give you the wrong symbol. | | | | because they are usually associated with martial |
| You see, Chinese symbols are complex and can | | | | arts or karate flicks. Men! |