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Chinese character tattoos · checked by a native speaker

Make sure your Chinese tattoo says what you think it says.

Real meanings, correct simplified and traditional forms, pinyin, and the mistakes native speakers see all the time, explained in plain English by a native Chinese speaker.

Get the 50 designs · $5 launch price Free 5-word sampler
Chinese love character shown as simplified 爱 in brush style and traditional 愛 in serif, with pinyin ài. Save to Pinterest

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Grid of 12 Chinese character tattoo designs with English meanings, titled 50 meaningful Chinese tattoo words.

50 Chinese Character Tattoos and Their Real Meanings (Checked by a Native Speaker)

50 Chinese character tattoo ideas with simplified and traditional forms, pinyin and the meaning a native speaker actually reads, from love 爱 and strength 力 to 上善若水.

Chinese characters for love, strength and peace with pinyin: 愛 ài, 力 lì and 平安 píng'ān.

Chinese Tattoo Ideas for Love, Strength and Peace

Chinese tattoo ideas for love (爱 / 愛, 缘, 永远), strength (力, 勇, 坚韧) and peace (平安, 宁静, 顺其自然), with pinyin, real meanings, style comparisons and mistakes to avoid.

Pin explaining three common Chinese tattoo mistakes with correct examples 自由, 戰士 and 緣.

Common Chinese Tattoo Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Machine-translated words, mixed simplified and traditional characters, Japanese forms, look-alike characters and mirrored stencils: the Chinese tattoo mistakes native speakers see, and how to avoid them.

Why trust these meanings?

Chosen by a native speakerEvery word is the one Chinese people actually use for the idea: idiomatic Chinese, not word-for-word translation.
Simplified & traditional, never mixedEach word is given in both systems, and the notes flag Japanese forms that are sometimes sold as Chinese.
Pinyin double-checkedTone marks and tricky readings such as 重 chóng, 乐 lè and 平安 píng'ān were cross-checked word by word.
The mistake to avoidEvery word comes with its trap: look-alike characters, awkward translations, stroke errors.

Browse by theme

Love Chinese tattoo ideas boardLoveStrength Chinese tattoo ideas boardStrengthNever give up Chinese tattoo ideas boardNever give upPeace Chinese tattoo ideas boardPeaceFamily Chinese tattoo ideas boardFamilyLuck & joy Chinese tattoo ideas boardLuck & joySpirit Chinese tattoo ideas boardSpiritAnimals & symbols Chinese tattoo ideas boardAnimals & symbols
What is inside the 50 Chinese character tattoo designs pack: PNG, SVG, mirrored stencils and PDF guide.

The 50-design pack

50 Chinese Character Tattoo Designs — Meanings Checked by a Native Speaker.

  • 50 words, simplified and traditional, with pinyin and real meanings
  • Brush, kai calligraphy, serif and bold sans styles
  • Transparent PNG (3000 px) and SVG vector files, plus mirrored and outline stencils
  • 14-page PDF guide with every meaning and its common mistake
Get it on Gumroad · $5 launch price