True story. Got a tat loooong ago that was the Kanji (Japanese symbols) for “fighting spirit” (Tukon). Didn’t realize that the Japanese heavily borrowed symbols from China and modified most of them. Mine excluded. Was at a Chinese restaurant when the waiter inquired if I wanted a job. Slightly confused, I asked why. “Your tattoo! It clearly says. ‘GOOD COOK’ in Chinese!” After a small discussion, I discovered the symbol (Kanji/word) for “warrior, fighter, etc.” in Japan is translated as “Cook, chef, etc.” in China. The symbol for “spirit” in Japan (“steadfast attitude, perseverance”) is “proficient, accomplished” in Chinese. Thus, you’d better be sure of what you are getting when you get a tat in a foreign language. The misunderstandings can be comic, or perhaps lead to employment opportunities.
True story. Got a tat loooong ago that was the Kanji (Japanese symbols) for “fighting spirit” (Tukon). Didn’t realize that the Japanese heavily borrowed symbols from China and modified most of them. Mine excluded. Was at a Chinese restaurant when the waiter inquired if I wanted a job. Slightly confused, I asked why. “Your tattoo! It clearly says. ‘GOOD COOK’ in Chinese!” After a small discussion, I discovered the symbol (Kanji/word) for “warrior, fighter, etc.” in Japan is translated as “Cook, chef, etc.” in China. The symbol for “spirit” in Japan (“steadfast attitude, perseverance”) is “proficient, accomplished” in Chinese. Thus, you’d better be sure of what you are getting when you get a tat in a foreign language. The misunderstandings can be comic, or perhaps lead to employment opportunities.