Chinese Tattoos vs Japanese Kanji Tattoos
The Japanese Kanji are essentially Chinese words, the ancient Japanese borrowed and adapted it into their Nippon-Go language, thus the words and meaning are the same, only the pronunciation is different.
The ‘worm’ like Japanese words are originally Japanese, but not the Kanji words. As for the Koreans, they’ve totally abandoned the Chinese words and reinvented their own words and language system. The Korean words can be easily identified by their strong use of ‘box’ symbols, lots of boxes. Nippon-Go is more worm-like.
Continue ➤ 9 Most Beautiful Chinese And Japanese Kanji Words
Chinese Zodiac
There are 12 Zodiacs in the Chinese calendar, same goes with the Japanese. The only difference is instead of a goat, the Japanese substitute it with a sheep. Since the Chinese calendar uses a different system compared to the Georgian calendar, you will have to look up birth-date on Wikipedia (Chinese Calendar) for your Chinese Zodiac. As usual, always double check before you ink the tattoo.
Our 4 Favorite Tattoos
Below are 4 of their favorite Chinese Tattoos, they are dragon, patience, book and peace. The Dragon and Patience are all time favorites, the ‘Patience’ word is more meaningful in the sense that it is a combo of 2 Chinese words, Knife (top) and heart (down). When combined, it creates a new word and meaning – Without patience, the knife will strike the heart. Click on image for a higher resolution.
More Chinese Japanese Kanji Tattoos
Here are even more of the best Chinese Japanese tattoos symbols for men, women, girls, and more. From love to flowers, from koi to sleeves. Click on the image for the full resolution, to search for a specific word in English, hit ‘Ctrl’ + ‘F’ button on your browser. The search box will appear and you can perform a quick search for the word you’ve been searching for.
- Spirit, Men, Father, Child, Grandson, Sunrise, Sunset
- Soul, Contract, Divorce, Military, Power, Soldier, Ancestor / Clan
- Pray, Supreme Being, Immortal Being, Guard / Defend, Listen / Obey, Football, Boxing
- Holy / Sacred, Buddha / Buddhism, Temple, God, Minister, Heaven / Sky, Gate of Heaven
- Uncle, Sage, Talisman, Butterfly, Mantis, Spider, Centipede
- Husband, Elder Brother, Younger Brother, Rich, Gamble, Genius, Crown
- Laugh / Smile, Flower, Rose, Master, Teacher, Ruler / Monarch, King
- Cheerful, Eternity, Friends, Married Couple, Wife, Mother, Grandmother
- Win, Wolf
- Strong, Crazy
- Taboo, Treasure
- Shit, Battle
- Angel, Last
- Heaven, Jihad
- Space, Murder
- Sun, Doll
- Moonshine, C eschatology
- God, Goddess
- Kill, Rock
- Sound, Secret
- Evil, Daybreak
- Death, Metal
- Black, Master
- Foolish, Violate / Attack, Deceive / Bully, Mentally Deranged / Insane, Violent / Hot Tempered, Grave, Feareful / Intimidate
- Humble, Devious / Evil, Mad / Crazy, Kill, Slaughter, Strong, Fierce
- Defiance / Tough, Poison, Sinister / Secret, Interrogate, Beat / Torture, Butcher, Decapitate
- Obscene, Dirty / Filthy, Corpse, Prisoner, Execute Criminal, Fight, Barbarians / Savages
- Tragedy, Happiness, Wisdom
Top 50 Popular Japanese Kanji Tattoos
If you are looking for basic kanji characters that are popular and meaningful, here are 50 of them. To search for the calligraphy font, Google the word in brackets under Google Images. Here is an example of ‘The Code of Samurai (Bushidou)‘
- Ambition (Yabou)
- Beauty (Bi)
- Belief (Shinnen)
- Bravery (Yuukan)
- Buddhism (Bukkyou)
- Courage (Yuuki)
- The Code of Samurai (Bushidou)
- Desire (Yokubou)
- Dragon (Ryuu)
- Dream (yume)
- Enlightenment (Satori)
- Eternity (Eien)
- Freedom (Jiyuu)
- Friendship (Yuujou)
- God (Kami)
- Happiness (Koufuku)
- Honor (Meiyo)
- Hope (Kibou)
- Ideal (Risou)
- Illusion (Gensou)
- Justice (Seigi)
- Legend (Densetsu)
- Love (Ai)
- Loyalty (Chuujitsu)
- Meditation (Mokusou)
- Moon (Tsuki)
- Nature (Shizen)
- Ocean (Umi)
- Passion (Jounetsu)
- Peace (Heiwa)
- Perfect (Kanzen)
- Power (Chikara)
- Pride (Hokori)
- Promise (Yakusoku)
- Rainbow (Niji)
- Respect (Sonkei)
- Samurai
- Secret (Himitsu)
- Sky (Sora)
- Shogun
- Star (Hoshi)
- Soul (Tamashii)
- Spirit (Seishin)
- Success (Seikou)
- Sun (Taiyou)
- Truth (Shinjitsu)
- Universe (Uchuu)
- Victory (Shouri)
- Wisdom (Chie)
- Zen
Some Interesting Facts About Tattoo
Some truth, history and facts regarding tattoos.
bad handwriting
Spirit, Men, Father, Child, Grandson, Sunrise, Sunset
Soul, Contract, Divorce, Military, Power, Soldier, Ancestor / Clan
Pray, Supreme Being, Immortal Being, Guard / Defend, Listen / Obey, Football, Boxing
Holy / Sacred, Buddha / Buddhism, Temple, God, Minister, Heaven / Sky, Gate of Heaven
Uncle, Sage, Talisman, Butterfly, Mantis, Spider, Centipede
Husband, Elder Brother, Younger Brother, Rich, Gamble, Genius, Crown
Laugh / Smile, Flower, Rose, Master, Teacher, Ruler / Monarch, King
Cheerful, Eternity, Friends, Married Couple, Wife, Mother, Grandmother
Foolish, Violate / Attack, Deceive / Bully, Mentally Deranged / Insane, Violent / Hot Tempered, Grave, Feareful / Intimidate
Humble, Devious / Evil, Mad / Crazy, Kill, Slaughter, Strong, Fierce
Defiance / Tough, Poison, Sinister / Secret, Interrogate, Beat / Torture, Butcher, Decapitate
Obscene, Dirty / Filthy, Corpse, Prisoner, Execute Criminal, Fight, Barbarians / Savages
This is certainly not my writing.
I think you are mistaken in your interpretation
休=Stop(not Divorce)
帝(XX大帝、皇帝)=King(King of XX)
宗=Clan(messy writing)
蚣not good(蜈蚣is Better)
玟different玫,Rose(玫瑰)
終末(Strange 盡頭is Better)
歪、艮、淫、慘劇What a joke???not good for Tatoo
知惠is japanese
Great job brother! 休みのたびに離婚してたらたまらんわ
I am wonder if any body knows what (mental strength)looks like in japanese kanji
Usually you wouldn’t find good words in Japanese/Chinese that corresponding to your English words.
What you think attractive is not as attractive for Japanese. (At the same time, what Japanese think is attractive is not attractive for you, because of cultural difference.)
I would descrive ‘mental strength’ as 忍 which means patiency in both Japanese and Chinese, also is a famous Kanji (for Non-Japanese people) because it is the first charactor of Ninja/忍者(Ninja literally means ‘a patient guy’) in Japan. Japanese people would think ‘Oh that is a typical foreigner who Japanese culture’. But at least nobody would think that is stupid.
Could you help me to decipher my friends tattoo she was told it meant beautiful but I can’t find it anywhere
美?it means beauty. I have 美 in my name ;)
綺麗 means beautiful, too but not so much as 美.
素敵、可憐、かわいい
なんだろね
How do you say “my birth is an error” in kanji
Many mistake and bad writings in 4×7 boxes
Brother, do you know what it will be “enrich the soul” in kanji ?
Hello,
Does anyone happen to know how “With Pain Comes Strength” would be written in kanji ?
I advice you to seek advice from a professor that is dual-lingual. Tattoo is permanent, you do not want a bad mistake.
雨降って地固まる
Sounds close.
It means
“The ground is stronger after rain.”
Close to
“A broken bone is the stronger when it is well set.”
Hi I’m new here, I do have 5 different cultures but I do have Japanese and Chinese..
Hi! Numerous opportunities to observe foreigners with kanji tattoos arise in Japan, both via the internet and when walking around town. Being Japanese, this makes me very happy and I admire their wonderful designs and the messages contained therein. However, you can also often see designs that make no sense whatsoever or contain mistakes in the characters themselves. I created this website because I think that if youʼre going to inscribe something permanently on your body, it is better to thoroughly understand the meaning of it, and to be certain that these are enduring words to live by or an important message. I will be happy if my site is even slightly helpful to anyone thinking about getting a kanji tattoo design.
I’m looking for the same word that means warrior in Japanese and chinese
戦士、兵士、武士、武者、侍samurai、
As a Japanese, 武者 looks cool.
I would like to know what faith, love and hope are in kanji. I’ve seen them together written in a total of 3 characters. But i’ve also seen hope and faith written in 2 characters each.
愛 for love. There’s only one word.
信 for faith but more like “trust”.
希望、希 for hope. 希望 is a noun. 希 actually needs み but we can understand the meaning. We like to put 希 for names.
Hey hi my friend is having a tatoo but he really doesn’t know the meaning of it . Will you help me out to find it
I want to throughly understand the eternity kanji tattoo
Brotherhood in Kanji
It’s “兄弟愛” nothing wrong with it we can totally understand what you mean and you have lovely siblings BUT it is Google translated word. We don’t say it . I never said it.
Instead, how about “絆” the bond or “繋”the connection? It doesn’t mention any family members unfortunately, but we do use to describe our family or friendship and we write one on our photos. We like to keep it between us, not showing it all off.
I love the Japanese culture…and kanji !
We love you!
What is granddaughter sign in Japanese
孫娘
Miserable symbol in kanji please
There’re too many words and kanjis for miserable and it all mean different. Would be easier for us to pick some up If you have any backstories.
貧 means poor. No money. No food. Have only 2 when others have 1000.(ex
不幸 means unhappy, unhappiness. Bad things will come to you if you choose it to get tattooed.
哀 means sad. Are you crying? What happened?
I would like to know the right characters for( Family forever) in kanji….. I’m getting my sons foot prints on my arm and I want these characters by them
How do you say “With pain, comes strength” in Chinese symbols?
I need help how to write and translate the work BLESEED in Japanese. I looking into getting blessed as a tattoo and want to be 100% before get it done.
How do you write ” always with you”in kanji?
I am Japanese.(I’m using a translator.)In Japan, “always together” will use the following kanji.
①一蓮托生(Translated literally, it means that you are born into one lotus. Buddhist teachings, good and bad, refer to me and you having the same fate and staying together until death.As a side note, I feel that more than half of the Japanese are not religious and are not Buddhists. I think the words are cool, but I’m just extracting the meaning and using it, not as a Buddhist word.As a side note, I feel that more than half of the Japanese are not religious and are not Buddhists. I think the words are cool, but I’m just extracting the meaning and using it, not as a Buddhist word.)
②運命共同体 (In literal translation, 運命= destiny, 共同体= community. I don’t feel any discomfort when I hear this word in Japan.)
③ズッ友(=ずっと友達。 All the time friends。This word has a lot of laughter, so people who can’t make a joke will laugh at it. I like it, but I don’t want it to be a tattoo. As a side note ズッ=japanese Katakana, 友=kanji)
Well, it doesn’t matter which one you choose.
To add my advice, it seems that using two or more collocations for kanji is better for Japanese sensibility than one kanji.
For example:
good 空(sky),
so good 蒼穹 or 蒼天(蒼=blue,穹or天=sky)
Recommendation level ① ≫ ②
If you choose ③, everyone in Japan will respect your sensibility. But it is inevitable that you will be laughed at.
How do you write the word positive or positivity
陽
It also means “the sun. the blight side”
I’m Japanese living in Shizuoka.
Oh wow it also has a meaning of “root of the space”! Wow so cool! You should go for it!
It actually needs one more kanji(気) but that sounds you’re not so smart. Can’t explain so well, but somehow I feel so. And feels like missing a noun after 陽気 since it is adjective.
What is the kanji for “My birth was an error”
Hello Guys,
I want to get my first tattoo in Kanji/hanzi.
I want two words Life Death written on my wrist.
生死 are these the right words for translating life death.
Please Confirm if you know the meaning of these words. And also is it okay to get these?
Thank you
How do you write ~FIRE LUST GODDESS~? In Kanji or Chinese?