Famous hieroglyphs. Japanese hieroglyphs. How to get a tattoo, how long does the procedure take?

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Chinese writing is hieroglyphic. There are hieroglyphs in other languages influenced by China - Japanese and, to a lesser extent, Korean. In Vietnamese, hieroglyphic writing was used until the 20th century. The question of how many hieroglyphs you need to know, how to remember them and, most importantly, not to forget, is especially acute for those studying these languages.

Hieroglyph in classical written language wenyan文言 usually meant a whole word. In modern Chinese, words for the most part consist of one or two, less often three or more hieroglyphs. Therefore, there are a lot of hieroglyphs.

In 1994, the dictionary "Sea of Chinese Characters" was published Zhonghua Zihai中華字海, which has 85,568 characters! True, the overwhelming majority of them can be found only a few times in classical literary works. Ordinary bilingual dictionaries number about 6-8 thousand hieroglyphs, among which there are also many rare ones. More complete explanatory dictionaries have about 10-20 thousand characters.

It is believed that for understanding 80% of modern ordinary Chinese text it is enough to know the 500 most frequent hieroglyphs, knowledge of 1000 hieroglyphs gives an understanding of about 91% of the text, and 2500 hieroglyphs - 99% of the text. In order to pass the exam for foreigners for knowledge of the highest level of Chinese HSK 6, you need to know a little less than 3000 characters. To read special scientific or classical literature, you need to understand more hieroglyphs.

However, one must bear in mind that even if all the hieroglyphs in the text are familiar to you, you will not always absolutely understand the meaning of what is written. You also need to know the words - various word combinations of hieroglyphs. In the Chinese language, quite a few abbreviations are used, when stable phrases from several characters are shortened to shorter ones.

So, for example, the phrase "Peking University" 北京大学 Běijīng dàxué shortens to 北大 Běidà which literally means "northern big". Another complication of the Chinese language is the use of chengyu 成语 is an idiom usually made up of four characters. With a literal translation of each of the signs, the meaning of what was said may be incomprehensible. There are special dictionaries of the Chenyuev, as well as collections of stories, where the meaning of the most famous idioms is explained. Chengyu translations can also be found in dictionaries.

V Japanese there is a mandatory list of hieroglyphs Joyo kanji常用漢字, accepted by the Japanese Ministry of Education as sufficient in everyday use. It consists of 2136 kanji(hieroglyphs) and includes 1006 kyoiku kanji which pupils study in 6-year elementary school and 1130 kanji who are taught in high school.

Hieroglyph structure

At first glance, a hieroglyph seems like a chaotic collection of various features and points. However, it is not. There are several basic elements that make up a hieroglyph. First of all, these are the traits that make up graphemes. Graphemes, in turn, form a more complex sign.

Traits

Any hieroglyph consists of a certain set of features. By themselves, traits have no lexical meaning or reading. In total, there are four types of traits and more than two dozen of their varieties:

Simple (basic) features: horizontal, vertical, inclined left and right, folding left and right, special points.
Hook traits: horizontal, vertical (can be with a hook to the left or a hook to the right), folding to the right.
Broken features: the line changes direction one or more times, has a complex configuration.
Broken lines with a hook.

There are also slightly different classifications of traits, but this does not change the general essence. Traits in hieroglyphs are written in a strictly defined sequence: "First horizontal, then vertical, first folding to the left, then folding to the right, first upper, then lower, first to the left, then to the right, first in the middle, then on both sides of it, first we go inside, then we close the door".

In the past, hieroglyphs consisted of a large number of features, and it was not easy to remember them. Therefore, one of the goals of the writing reform carried out by the Chinese government in the 60s of the XX century was to simplify the characters by reducing the number of features.

A similar simplification of hieroglyphs was carried out in Japan. However, simplified Japanese characters do not always correspond to Chinese characters, although by knowing the complete and simplified versions of Chinese characters, it is usually easy to understand simplified Japanese characters as well. For example, the word "library" in Simplified Chinese: 图书馆, Full Chinese: 圖書館, and in Japanese: 図書館. In Chinese it reads túshūguǎn, in Japanese - toshokan.

In Taiwan, Singapore and some other places, the full version of the hieroglyphs is still used. And in mainland China, you can find texts written in full hieroglyphs. In addition, hieroglyphs with several dozen features have survived to this day. As a rule, they are rarely used and therefore have not been simplified.

The most difficult to write is the hieroglyph biáng (bian), which consists of more than 60 lines. It means a type of noodle popular in Shaanxi Province. Outside the region, this hieroglyph is practically not used, and therefore it is absent in dictionaries and in computer fonts.

The hieroglyph "byan" is considered the most difficult to write. It is said that students from an institute in Chengdu were systematically late for classes. And the professor, angry with them, told everyone to write the hieroglyph "byan" a thousand times. Not everyone was able to do this. And all tearfully asked for forgiveness, promising not to be late for classes in the future.

Graphemes and keys

From the features are formed graphemes- simple hieroglyphic signs with stable lexical meanings. These are the basic characters of the Chinese hieroglyphic writing that make up the Chinese characters. They are the most ancient and express the basic elements of the surrounding world and man.

Examples of graphemes: human 人 rén, woman 女 nǚ, child 子 zǐ, sun 日 rì, sky 天 tiān, earth (soil) 土 tǔ etc.

In total, there are about 300 graphemes; linguists differ in their estimates regarding their exact number. Most of the graphemes are used in modern Chinese writing as the most common signs. Graphemes make up about 10% of the most commonly used hieroglyphs.

In addition to graphemes, there are the keys... Keys are the main classification marks. The standard list of keys is 214 characters long. It includes many graphemes and some features that do not have a fixed meaning. Thus, not all graphemes are keys and not all keys are graphemes.

For a long time, a list of 214 keys was the so-called hieroglyphic index, according to which the hieroglyphs in Chinese dictionaries were ordered. However, after the simplified hieroglyphic writing was introduced in the PRC, some signs underwent either partial simplification or structural changes.

For learners of languages with hieroglyphic writing, knowledge of the key table is a must.

Complex signs

Most hieroglyphs are composed of two or more graphemes. Traditionally, they are divided into two large groups: ideographic signs and phono-ideographic signs.

Ideographic signs

Ideographic signs (ideograms) consist of two or more graphemes. In them, the meaning of the hieroglyph is derived from the semantics of the graphemes included in it, but the reading of the hieroglyph is in no way connected with them. In modern Chinese, the share of ideographic characters is about 10%.

Examples of ideograms:

好 hǎo(good): 女 nǚ(woman) and 子 zǐ(child)
明 míng(understanding, enlightenment): 日 rì(sun) and 月 yuè(moon)
休 xiū(rest): 人 rén(person) and 木 mù(wood)
众 zhòng(crowd): three people 人 rén
森 sēn(forest, thicket, dense): three trees 木 mù

Phonoideographic signs

About 80% of hieroglyphs are so-called phonoideographic signs, or phonoideograms. Hieroglyphs of this type usually consist of two parts. One part is called semantic factor, or hieroglyphic key... It indicates that a hieroglyph belongs to a certain group of semantically related signs and thus suggests an approximate meaning.

Another part of the hieroglyph is called phoneticist and suggests an approximate reading. After the reform of the Chinese writing system, the number of phonoideograms, consisting of two graphemes, increased significantly, which greatly facilitated the memorization of hieroglyphs.

Examples of phonoideograms:

妈 mā(mom): 女 nǚ(female - key) and 马 mǎ(horse - phonetic)
性 xìng(nature, character, gender): 心 xīn(heart, consciousness - key) and 生 shēng(birth - phonetic)
河 hé(river): 水 shuǐ(water, in the hieroglyph "river" the element "water" in the position on the left changes to a flap with two dots - key) and 可 kě(modal verb of opportunity or obligation - phonetic)

However, in the process of development, the reading of many hieroglyphs has changed and at present it is far from always possible to guess even an approximate reading of a hieroglyph. Moreover, when it comes to.

Easy ways to memorize the spelling of hieroglyphs

I think you are convinced that the hieroglyph has a clear structure, there can be no random elements in it. This makes it quite easy to remember the spelling and meaning of the hieroglyphs.

Graphemes go back to pictograms, representing modified, extremely simplified and abstract drawings. On the Internet, you can find many pictures showing how the image gradually became more and more abstract and abstract. It helps with quick memorization.

The most ancient hieroglyphs, from which modern ones descended, date back to the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. These are Yin fortune-telling inscriptions on animal bones and tortoise shells. Gradually, the images became more and more abstract until they acquired a modern spelling.

人 rén human: two legs and a body
大 dà large: man spread his arms
天 tiān sky: something big over a big man (option: One over a big man)
山 shān mountain: three peaks
口 kǒu mouth: keep your mouth wider
曰 yuē speak: tongue in mouth
竹 zhú bamboo: resembles two bamboos

When I first started studying Chinese at university, we first looked at a list of 214 keys. I wrote them down many times, trying to write beautifully, remember the correct order of the lines, which is strictly fixed. It is not worth the time for this.

Having studied the keys, it is not difficult to memorize complex signs - ideograms and phonoideograms. You can come up with a story that will allow you to forever remember full hieroglyphs with a lot of features.

Memorization examples:

妈 mā mom is a woman 女 nǚ that works like a horse 马 mǎ
好 hǎo good - when a woman 女 nǚ gives birth to a child 子 zǐ
江 jiāng river - water 水 shuǐ that does the job :) gōng(the hieroglyph "river" is an example of a phonoideogram, where the reading of the phonetics "work" has changed over time)
仙 xiān holy, immortal - human 人 rén who lives in the mountains 山 shān
怕 pà to be afraid is the heart 心 xīn turned white 白 bái because of fear
休 xiū rest - person 人 rén lay down to rest under a tree 木 mù
难 nán difficult - difficult with the right hand (again) 又 yòu catch a short-tailed bird 隹 zhuī
国 guó state - ruler with a spear 玉 yù(jade, symbol of imperial power) outside the fence 囗 (without reading).

The main thing is to give free rein to imagination. Over time it will become a habit and to memorize a hieroglyph, it will be enough just to remember the names of the graphemes that make up it.

And here is an example of memorizing the full spelling of the hieroglyph "love" 愛 ài... If you break it down into its constituent elements, add a little joke, you get the following phrase: "the claws have sunk into the heart, the legs buckled, and then the lid has come."

Or here's how you can memorize a hieroglyph 腻 nì... Its dictionary meanings are "grease, dirt, glossy, glossy, smooth." It consists of the graphemes "moon" (very similar to it - "meat"), "shell", "shoot a bow" and "two". You can think of a story: a man shot a game with an onion (shiny meat, fatty, shiny, with a lot of bacon), and sold it for two shells (in ancient times - money) to a Japanese. In fact, in Japanese, "two" reads nor.

The more funny, ridiculous the story turns out, the easier you will remember the hieroglyphs.

In addition, very often such an analysis of hieroglyphs helps to deeper clarify the meaning of the most complex and ambiguous categories of Chinese philosophy and culture. In my lectures on Chinese philosophy, I often use this method of explanation.

path, road, tract; track, road; on the way, on the way
path, route; tract; asters path of a celestial body, orbit; anat., honey. tract
ways, direction of activity; way, way, method; an approach; means; usually custom
technology, art; trick, cunning; trick
idea, thought; teaching; doctrine; dogma
reason, foundation; rightness; true, true
philosopher... Tao, true path, supreme principle, perfection
Taoism, the teachings of the Taoists; Taoist monk, Taoist
Buddhist teachings.

And these are not all the meanings! However, if you break the hieroglyph into graphemes included in it, then all the meanings will become intuitive. First grapheme - 首 shǒu, "Head, crown, beginning, main, main, essence." The second is to "move forward." That is, Tao is something basic that moves forward, is in motion.

Or, another example, the most important 仁 rén- philanthropy, humanity... The hieroglyph consists of two graphemes: person 人 rén and two 二 èr... And it reads the same as "man". That is, philanthropy is a relationship between people that is built on the basis of justice. As he said, "Only one who has philanthropy can love people and hate people" ("Lunyu", IV, 3).

One of the favorite activities of the Chinese is to write hieroglyphs with a brush moistened with water. And here, in addition, the hieroglyphs are written in mirror image!

How to remember reading hieroglyphs

Although in the Chinese language most of the hieroglyphs belong to the category of phonoideograms, nevertheless, the hieroglyph does not contain a direct indication of reading, like phonetic languages. Another difficulty of the Chinese language lies in the wide spread of the phenomenon of homophony: due to the limited number of syllables (a little more than 400), different characters can be read in the same way, which creates certain difficulties in understanding oral speech. However, it is very convenient to memorize a number of hieroglyphs that have the same reading.

At the beginning of my study of the Chinese language, I usually memorized the tone by some line: a horizontal line in the upper part of a hieroglyph meant the first tone, a slant to the left - a second tone, a horizontal line at the bottom - a third tone, an oblique or folding to the right - a fourth tone. Although there were hieroglyphs where the desired feature was not found.

A completely different situation develops in the Japanese language, where there are two types of reading hieroglyphs: onnoe which comes from the Chinese language, and kunnoe, traditional Japanese. Thus, one hieroglyph can have up to 5 or more different readings! In different phrases, hieroglyphs can be read in different ways.

For example, in Japanese, the words “yesterday” 昨日 and “tomorrow” 明日, which have the same sign 日 (day, sun), are read completely differently: kino: and ashita respectively. In the phrase "every day", "daily" 毎日 would be read mainichi, "Third number", "three days" 三日 - mikka... Although, in theory, all four words should end in the same way.

That's why the only effective way in both Chinese and Japanese to memorize the reading of hieroglyphs is by cramming: repeat them to yourself and out loud many times, try to memorize the melody. In Chinese, it is easier to do this, in my opinion, due to the presence of phonoideograms and the general repetition of syllables, in Japanese it is a little more difficult.

Is it easy to learn Japanese characters after Chinese?

For those who speak Chinese, Japanese seems to be easier from the outside, at least in terms of hieroglyphics. Indeed, a significant portion of Japanese characters are spelled the same or very similar to Chinese. Especially if you know the full spelling of Chinese characters. However, as always, the devil is in the details. I'll tell you what I discovered in the early stages of my Japanese language studies.

The hieroglyph is a sign of writing, used in ancient times, when there were no alphabets and letters, each symbol meant an object or phenomenon. Literally, its name translates as "sacred carved", carved in stone. The first mention of hieroglyphs refers to ancient Egypt, in those days and to this day they convey not only individual signs and syllables, but whole words and meanings, or, as they are called, ideograms. Today, hieroglyphs are used only in Chinese; in Japanese and Korean dialects and writing, varieties of kanji, kokuji and hancha are used.

Chinese characters: a history of origin

People have been using Chinese writing since ancient times. The first surviving mentions of it date back to 1400 BC, which falls on the reign of the Yin Dynasty. The writing of hieroglyphs has become a kind of art of calligraphy in China, handed down from generation to generation since their inception. This business requires a lot of concentration and skills, knowledge of all the rules and fundamentals. For example, all parts of a hieroglyph must be written from left to right and from top to bottom, first vertical lines, and only then horizontal.

Meanings of Chinese Characters

Each sign usually means a word, so there are a huge number of them, which is growing every day. Today it has reached eighty thousand characters. Even the indigenous people of China, who speak and study the language from birth, cannot grasp and study it completely and completely in their entire life, therefore they always indicate Chinese characters with translation for better understanding. Most often, their images bear a resemblance to the things they denote, this is due to the fact that hieroglyphs are a kind of pictograms that depict an object due to its main features and shape.

Chinese alphabet

There is also such a thing as the Chinese alphabet. Hieroglyphs with translation indicate thanks to him, since its creation is aimed at learning and understanding the language, as well as for simplified communication in it, because it is quite difficult to study the language in detail. The alphabet was romanized not only for foreign citizens, but also for Chinese people who want to communicate outside the country. Thanks to the alphabet, a system such as pinyin appeared, which allows you to record the sounds of the Chinese language in Latin letters. Unlike the alphabet, pinyin is officially recognized and studied by all international students.

Key Chinese characters with Russian translation

Let's consider some familiar to most words in Chinese with Russian translation, which are key, that is, the basis for other hieroglyphs. The hieroglyph for the sun is 日. One of the most ancient and widespread signs, it also exists in the Japanese and Korean languages. Previously, it was drawn round, not rectangular, but due to its chaotic appearance, it was given a clear shape, like other rounded signs. The hieroglyph of the sun is a component in others, denoting "dawn" - 旦, "ancient" or "old" - 旧. One of the keys - 人, which means "person", is part of words such as 仔 - child, 亾 - death, 仂 - remainder. The meaning of this symbol is also the same for Japanese and Korean. The hieroglyph 厂 means "cliff" and is 厄 - disasters, 厈 - cliff. The symbol 土 is earth or soil, it is used in the words: 圥 - mushroom, 圹 - grave, 圧 - crush. These are the four main symbols that make up a large number of words in the Chinese language.

Chinese character "Qi"

Hieroglyphs have long been part of something more than simple writing. They are given special importance not only as words, but also as symbols that affect life itself and space. For this reason, they began to be used in interior decoration, things and applied to the body. There are well-known Chinese characters with translation, which are especially popular. One of these is 氣, meaning "Qi" - life energy. This symbol is firmly embedded in Chinese philosophy, at the basis of everything and even the universe. There are three main meanings of this sign: the substance of the Universe, vital energy, harmony of body and spirit. In another way, they can be called three forces: heaven, earth and man. The hieroglyph is also used in feng shui - the symbolism of the organization of space, as well as in medicine.

Popular Chinese characters

The values of the most popular ones will be useful for those who want to get a tattoo. Chinese characters with translation are in demand, especially if their meaning is important to a person. Probably the most popular hieroglyph can be safely considered "Fu" - 福. It denotes as many as three important aspects of our life: happiness, wealth, well-being. To celebrate the New Year, every family in China hangs this sign on the front door, and in combination with the hieroglyph "family" it means "family happiness." The symbol can be depicted twice, which would mean "double happiness", and can be used in marriage and love relationships. The 富 sign also has the sound "Fu", it is used to add wealth. The symbol "gian" - 钱 has a similar meaning. The hieroglyph "yangkang" stands for health and is depicted as 健康. Prosperity, good luck and success will be presented by the symbols "Fanrong" and "Chenggong", and longevity "Changshou". The rest of the symbols: "ah" - love, "xin" - the soul, "qing" - feelings, "zhun" - loyalty, "ren" - endurance.

Hieroglyphs for tattoos

Chinese characters with translation are often used to make tattoos. People believe that signs stamped on the human body have great power and influence. Usually, the most common hieroglyphs are used for this, for example, "xi", which means happiness. "Ji" means good luck, the hieroglyph "mei" - attractiveness, "he" - harmonious, "de" - virtue. Some have gotten ideas for tattoos in oriental films, so it is not uncommon to meet someone who wants to prick himself a dragon "moon" or a warrior "Changsha".

The names of relatives are also common, for example, mother - "muqin" or father - "fuqin". Chinese characters with translation are suitable for those who have not yet decided on the choice. If they don't want to think too much about the meaning, they simply translate their own names or lovers into Chinese. For this, there are special tables in which the hieroglyphs corresponding to the desired name, usually the most common, are indicated.

But before going to the tattoo parlor, there is one important detail to keep in mind. It happens that the same character is found in Japanese, Korean and Chinese, but has completely different meanings. It is a deliberate act to check the meaning of the sign in all languages, so as not to get into an uncomfortable position.

Phrases in Chinese

There are people who do not want to be limited to one word or one hieroglyph; for this there are whole phrases where Chinese characters are used. Photos with the translation of such phrases can be easily found on the Internet, but there are common and well-known ones. For example, the famous Buddhist covenant: "Do not speak evil, do not listen to evil, do not see evil." There are other word combinations that are pleasant to the ear: autumn flower, new strength, superiority of heart and soul, strength of mind and many others. All of them are depicted with several symbols, such tattoos will fit well on large areas of the body. You can also use whole sentences or sayings: "Respect the past, create the future." The expression "Concentrate your heart and develop your spirit" is known. All these expressions have already been translated, but if you want to use a phrase of your own composition, then it would be best to turn to professional translators from Chinese and not trust the translation of the Internet.

Chinese characters: tattoos and their meaning

Among the popular sketches for tattoos, Chinese characters make up a special category. They have been in demand mainly in the West for several decades. The desire to draw precisely oriental symbols on the body can be explained by the fact that they look very sophisticated and exotic. A few graceful lines can mean a whole saying, and only the owner of the tattoo will know about it.

Chinese characters and their meaning, which remains a mystery to others, are an excellent option for depicting on the body.

These ancient written signs have a deep meaning. When choosing hieroglyphs to apply to the body, be careful. This is the real magic of symbols that will stay with you for life. Studying these signs, look first of all not at their beauty, but find the meaning of Chinese hieroglyphs-tattoos in Russian. Think about what is most important to you in life or what you want to show with a tattoo. Then the Chinese character will become your talisman. And besides, you will not get into a mess, because it often happens that people choose just a picture, without thinking about its meaning. As a result, several unrelated symbols appear on their bodies without any interpretation. Are you serious about choosing a tattoo? Then read on about the main oriental signs and their meanings.

Chinese characters: an image with meaning

Most importantly, the drawing on your body should have a positive meaning. If the image is applied carelessly, not fully drawn, or, worst of all, it is generally embossed incorrectly, this can only bring misfortune and problems. Be careful: in Chinese culture there are a huge number of signs that practically do not differ from each other. Just one uneven line - and the drawing has a different meaning. It is recommended to consult in advance with a native speaker and a connoisseur of oriental culture. Only a specialist can give the right advice on choosing an image, help you choose the right Chinese characters. Tattoo in this case will really bring only positive moments into your life.

Popular neck tattoos

If we talk about the parts of the body, where tattoos with Chinese characters are most often stuffed, the neck definitely takes the first place in this rating. One or more symbols can be placed in this zone. For large inscriptions, the back of the neck is most often chosen, and a small sign will look harmonious from the side.

There may be several options for placing Chinese characters in a tattoo on the neck:

One small hieroglyph representing a word or a whole phrase.
Two or three characters representing a whole sentence. They are stuffed into a row or a column.
Five or more signs, the interpretation of which can turn into a whole story. In this case, the symbols are arranged in a column one under the other along the ridge line.

What hieroglyphs should be stamped on the neck?

An angel is a spiritual patron who will take care of you in any situation. Helps to make the right decisions and always gives wise advice.
Wealth - will help to gain both material and spiritual well-being.
Renewal - helps to develop and change for the better, enhances sensuality and thinking. Suitable for people who are in search of themselves and the meaning of their life.
Bamboo - symbolizes health and longevity. Helps to resist life's adversities and achieve spiritual truth.
Purity - fills with internal energy, eliminates negative thinking, strengthens health.

Original Chinese Characters: Arm Tattoo

Before applying a drawing on your hand, clarify its meaning - this is much more important than any fashion trends. Thinking about a tattoo? Chinese hieroglyphs with a translation that any connoisseur of oriental culture will tell you will become not only an exotic decoration, but also a real talisman. Remember that any sign has a certain power. The whole message can be succinctly encrypted in one symbol. It is recommended to fill the following signs on the hand:

Love - in Eastern culture there are two designations for this feeling. They both symbolize the flame of love that burns forever in the heart of a person.
Harmony - suitable for people who want to find harmony with themselves and their surroundings at home and at work.
Wisdom - helps to accumulate knowledge and experience.
Money - is responsible for the energy of wealth. It is believed that this symbol should be stamped on the hand. It contributes to the emergence of new sources of income and increased profits.
The tiger is a real masculine sign, symbolizing power, nobility, strength and courage.

As for the placement of the picture on the hand, men most often choose several symbols that represent a whole phrase. Do you like these tattoos? Chinese characters with translation will help you avoid mistakes and choose the right combination of characters. Their placement will be harmonious along the forearm or from the hand to the elbow. Girls tend to have more concise tattoos - for example, one sign on the forearm or hand.

Mysterious tattoos: Chinese characters and their meaning for the image on the legs

On the legs are often stuffed with hieroglyphs that have a special meaning for a person.

This part of the body can always be covered, and your tattoo will not be displayed. The following signs are best applied in this area:

Health.
Happiness.
Luck.

These are the symbols that are important in the life of every person, and it is not customary to tell everyone about them.

What hieroglyphs to choose for a tattoo?

Thanks to the art of calligraphy, any name can be displayed in the form of an oriental sign. If you choose Chinese characters for your tattoo, names are a good idea. However, be careful and entrust the translation of your name only to a trusted master who understands all the intricacies of the Chinese language. Otherwise, there is a risk of stuffing something on the body that does not have an adequate translation at all.

Also in tattoo parlors, symbols denoting a worldview and lifestyle are in demand:

Eternity.
Karma.
An eternal journey.
Emptiness.

These are mystical signs that leave an imprint on a person's life. They symbolize the path of man, his development.

For those wishing to choose a less mysterious option, hieroglyphs for animals are ideal.

Moreover, you can choose both real and mythical characters:

The horse is a symbol of loyalty, hard work, grace and optimism.
The snake is the personification of femininity, beauty and eternal renewal.
Green dragon and white tiger - serve as protection from enemies, fill with energy and contribute to success in business and material well-being.
The rat is a sign of prosperity and well-being.
The dragon is the patron saint in family and financial affairs, symbolizes strength and power.

Tattoos that reflect the state of mind

There is a separate category of Chinese characters that can be printed on any part of the body. They show the essence of a person, his goals and desires. Do you want to show your uniqueness? Choose these Chinese characters.

Tattoos in Russian will sound no less interesting than in Chinese.

Yin-yang is one of the most important signs in oriental culture. It symbolizes harmony and harmony in the world.
Faith is suitable for people who want to gain confidence in themselves and everything that surrounds them.
Kindness enhances this quality, gives selflessness and the ability to forgive.
Mountain water is a symbol of material well-being.

Famous people with tattoos with Chinese characters

Cher (singer) - the sign "Strength" is stuffed on the right shoulder.
Allen Iverson (basketball player) - has 20 tattoos on his body, including 2 Chinese signs: "Faithful" on his neck and "Respect" on his arm.
Natalia Imbrulya (singer) - the "Courage" symbol on the left leg.
David Beckham - on his left side, a whole proverb is written in hieroglyphs: "Life and death depend on fate, and wealth and nobility depend on Heaven."
Melanie Brown (singer, lead singer of Spice Girl) - Dragon tattoo on the back.

The choice of a pattern for a tattoo is a responsible business. Think about what you want to capture on your body for life, and then make sure that the master 100% conveys all the lines of the selected symbol for the tattoo. Chinese hieroglyphs and their meaning should be learned from a specialist in oriental culture. In Chinese calligraphy, every stroke has its own meaning. Let your sign protect you and bring only joy and pleasure.

Hieroglyphs are what? Chinese and Japanese characters and their meaning

Some writing systems have a special sign on which they are based, the hieroglyph. In some languages, it can denote a syllable or sound, in others - words, concepts and morphemes. In the latter case, the name "ideogram" is more common.

The picture below shows the ancient hieroglyphs.

History of hieroglyphs

Translated from Greek, the name "hieroglyph" means "sacred letter". For the first time, drawings of a similar plan appeared in Egypt before our era. At first, hieroglyphs denoted letters, that is, they were ideograms; a little later, signs appeared that denoted words and syllables. At the same time, an interesting fact is that only consonants were represented by signs. The name comes from the Greek language, as they were the first to see letters on the stones that they did not understand. Judging by the Egyptian chronicles and some myths, the hieroglyphs were invented by the god Thoth. He formed them in order to preserve in writing some of the knowledge acquired by the Atlanteans.

An interesting fact is that in Egypt the symbolic writing appeared already fully formed. Everything scientists and the government did only simplify it. For a long time, hieroglyphs and their meaning were incomprehensible to the European people. Only in 1822 Chapollion was able to fully study the Egyptian signs on the Rosetta stone and find their decoding.

In the 50s of the XIX century, some of the artists working in the style of Expressionism and Tachism were greatly attracted by the East. Thanks to this, they created a trend associated with the Asian sign system and calligraphy. In addition to the ancient Egyptian, Chinese and Japanese characters were common.

Hieroglyphic art

Thanks to the brush (the object with which it is customary to write signs), it is possible to decorate the hieroglyphs and give them a more elegant or formal form. The art of writing beautifully is called calligraphy. It is common in Japan, Malaysia, South and North Korea, China, Vietnam. Residents of these countries affectionately call this art "music for the eyes." At the same time, exhibitions and competitions dedicated to beautiful writing are often held.

Hieroglyphs are not only the writing system of some countries, but also a way to express yourself.

Ideographic writing

Ideographic writing is currently only common in China. Initially, it arose in order to simplify the spelling, to make it more accurate. But in this method, one drawback was noticed: such a writing system was not coherent. Because of this, she gradually began to leave the everyday life of people. Now ideographic writing characterizes Chinese characters. And their meaning is in many ways similar to the ancient ones. The only difference is the way of writing.

Chinese letter

Chinese writing consists in writing hieroglyphs, which represent individual syllables and words, as mentioned above. It was formed in the 2nd century BC. At the moment, there are more than 50 thousand characters, but only 5 thousand are used. In ancient times, such a script was used not only in China, but also in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, exerting a tremendous influence on the formation of their cultures. Chinese characters formed the basis of national sign systems. And they are still widely used today.

The origin of Chinese characters

The development of Chinese writing not only affected the whole nation, but also had a huge impact on world art. In the 16th century BC, hieroglyphs were formed. At that time, people wrote on the bones and shells of turtles. Thanks to archaeological excavations and well-preserved remains, it became easier for scientists to make out the ancient letter. More than 3 thousand characters were found, but comments were given only about 1 thousand. This writing acquired its modern form only after the complete formation of oral speech. Chinese characters are an ideograph that means a word or syllable.

Japanese letter

Japanese writing is based on syllabic and alphabetic characters. About 2 thousand hieroglyphs were borrowed from the Chinese peoples to use those parts of words that do not change. The rest are written using kana (syllabic alphabet). It is divided into two varieties: katakana and hiragana. The first is used for words that come from other languages, and the second is for purely Japanese. This technique seemed to be the most appropriate.

As a rule, Japanese characters in writing are read from left to right, in the case of horizontal writing. Sometimes the direction is from top to bottom, as well as from right to left.

The origin of Japanese characters

The Japanese writing system was formed through trial, error, and simplification. It was difficult for the people to use only Chinese in documents. The formation of language is now a subject of constant controversy. Some scientists attribute it to the time of the conquest of the Japanese islands, while others - to the Yayoi era. After the introduction of Chinese writing, the nation's oral speech underwent dramatic changes.

In the 90s of the XIX century, the government revised all hieroglyphs that combined several types of writing at once, and allowed the use of only 1800 pieces, when in fact there were much more of them. Now, due to the influence of American and other Western cultures, official speech has practically disappeared, slang is acquiring more meaning. Thanks to this, the difference between dialects has decreased.

The emergence of the writing system in Japan

When the Japanese government decided to create a language system, the first characters (this is its main tool) were taken from the Chinese script. This event happened due to the fact that in ancient times the Chinese often lived on the Japanese islands, who brought various things, objects, and books. It is unknown how Japan's own hieroglyphs developed at that time. Unfortunately, practically no data have been preserved on this matter.

The development of Buddhism in the country had a strong impact on writing. This religion came thanks to the Korean embassy, which arrived in the state and brought various sculptures and texts of the Buddha. The first time after the full introduction of Chinese writing into the life of Japan, people used foreign words when writing. However, after a few years, discomfort appeared, since the nation's own language was somewhat different and simpler. Problems were also created when writing proper names where Chinese characters would be used. This worried the Japanese for a long time. The problem was the following: in the Chinese language, the words and sounds that needed to be entered into the document did not exist.

The idea of breaking special Japanese words into several parts that make sense was completely unfortunate. In this case, one had to forget about correct reading. If not to be distracted by the meaning, then these parts of the word had to be highlighted so that the reader understands that he is dealing with words whose meaning can be neglected. This problem existed for a long time, and it had to be solved without going beyond the boundaries of the Chinese script.

Over time, some scholars began to come up with special signs with which one could read a text written in Chinese in Japanese. Calligraphy implied that each hieroglyph must be placed in a conditional square in order not to violate the boundaries of the entire letter. The Japanese, on the other hand, decided to divide it into several parts, each of which played its own functional role. It was from this time that the characters (Chinese) and their meaning for Japan began to slowly fade into oblivion.

Kukai is the man who (according to legend) created hiragana (the first Japanese script). Thanks to the development in the field of hieroglyphs, special writing systems based on phonetics were created. A little later, by simplifying the form of hieroglyphs, katakana appeared, which has firmly come into use.

Japan already at that time borrowed an ordered writing system from China because of their territorial proximity. But developing and changing iconic symbols for themselves, people began to invent the first Japanese hieroglyphs. The Japanese could not use the original Chinese script, if only because there is no inflection in it. The development of the language did not stop there. When the nation became acquainted with other systems (based on hieroglyphs), it, taking their elements of writing, made its language more unique.

The relationship of hieroglyphs with the Russian language

Nowadays, tattoos in the form of Japanese and Chinese signs are very popular. That is why it is necessary to find out the meaning of the hieroglyphs in Russian before stuffing them on your body. It is best to use those that mean "prosperity", "happiness", "love" and so on. Before visiting a tattoo artist, it is best to check the meaning in several sources at once.

In Russian-speaking countries, a parody of Asian characters is also popular. Russian hieroglyphs do not exist officially, but only appear on the pages of social networks. They are created thanks to the huge imagination of Internet users. Basically, these signs do not carry a special semantic load and exist only for entertainment. Games have also been invented that are based on guessing which word is encrypted in a particular hieroglyph.

The term "tattoo" was brought to Europe by Captain Cook. Before he introduced the first "savage" to the public with a lot of tattoos on his face and torso, "drawings on the skin" were not very common among the population of Europe. Mostly they were made by sailors and odious personalities from the underworld.

Even in the recent past in Russia, the so-called "gentlemen of fortune" were carriers of tattoos. Tattoos (portacas) are applied by inmates of penitentiary institutions not only for beauty. There is a whole system of signs and their location on the body, by which you can learn a lot about the owner of prison tattoos.

Now more and more often with a tattoo on the body you can find a media personality or a representative of bohemia. These small works of art (and body art already has a cultural status and gathers its fans and masters at annual festivals) can be seen on the body of a housewife, businessman or student.

Patterns, portraits, images of real and mythological animals, inscriptions - all this not only adorns a person, bringing uniqueness to his image and image, but also carries information about the owner to those around him.

Sometimes a tattoo is done as a reminder to yourself of some significant event or person. In such cases, inscriptions in an incomprehensible (for most people) language are chosen - that is why they are so popular tattoo hieroglyphs, their meaning the idle onlooker will not understand, but they remind the owner of the important.

The masters recommend that the Russian-speaking public be sure to find out the meaning of the hieroglyphs of the tattoo in Russian, before proceeding with the application. After all, the result will not be easy to remove later, and because of the specificity of the language of hieroglyphs, embarrassment can occur. For example, someone wants to do tattoo - hieroglyphs with meaning your name. In Chinese and Japanese, each character is not a letter, but a word or even a phrase or sentence. A European should be very careful when trying to reproduce his name in hieroglyphs - sounds consonant with the name can mean something impartial or even carry an offensive meaning.

Are hieroglyph tattoos popular in the homeland?

There are very few hieroglyph tattoo lovers among native speakers of the language - Chinese and Japanese. And this is understandable - for them hieroglyphs are not beautiful and mysterious pictures that carry a sacred meaning, but just words, text. For them, the inscription in their native language seems as banal and vulgar as for the Russians: "Vasya was here" or "love to the grave." Therefore, the Chinese who understand meaning of chinese characters, tattoo more often they choose with the image of exotic plants and fantastic animals - dragons, unicorns, two-headed snakes.

The history of tattooing in Japan dates back to antiquity. Members of the Japanese mafia - the yakuza - acquired indelible drawings. The tattoos carried information about belonging to a criminal clan, status, regalia, luck. Now the tattoo is a success among the respectable and law-abiding citizens of Japan. The inhabitants of the Japanese islands rarely use Japanese hieroglyphs in tattoos, preferring not to deviate from tradition and meaning tattoos to convey images of mythical animals - dragons, sirens, sea monsters.

Among Europeans, hieroglyphs are popular not only because of their aesthetics (in the eyes of a Russian, these "krakozyabry" look very nice), but also attracts a moment of mystery. Looks especially good tattoo hieroglyphs on the neck. Meaning they are incomprehensible to those around them, but it has a sacred meaning for the owner or proprietor.

No matter which one was chosen tattoo: hieroglyph meaning love, loyalty or strength, it is worth carefully considering the sketch for visual appeal. There is no rush in such a matter - after all, only a beautiful and meaningful drawing will never stop liking, but will bring good luck to the owner. At least many tattoo wearers (including celebrities such as Angelina Jolie) are confident that their unusual, unique and stunning tattoo also contributed to their success.

female tattoo - hieroglyph on the lower back

tattoo hieroglyphs on the ribs of a man - vertical inscription
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Japanese characters

history of occurrence

Meanings of Chinese Characters

Each sign usually means a word, so there are a huge number of them, which is growing every day. Today it has reached eighty thousand characters. Even the indigenous people of China, who speak and study the language from birth, cannot grasp and study it completely and completely in their entire life, therefore they always indicate Chinese characters with translation for better understanding. Most often, their images bear a resemblance to the things they denote, this is due to the fact that hieroglyphs are a kind of pictograms that reflect an object due to its main features and shape.

Chinese alphabet

There is also such a concept as Hieroglyphs with translation indicate thanks to him, since its creation is aimed at studying and understanding the language, as well as for simplified communication in it, because it is quite difficult to study the language in detail. The alphabet was romanized not only for foreign citizens, but also for Chinese people who want to communicate outside the country. Thanks to the alphabet, a system such as pinyin appeared, which allows you to record the sounds of the Chinese language. Unlike the alphabet, pinyin is officially recognized and studied by all foreign students.

Key Chinese characters with Russian translation

Chinese character "Qi"

Hieroglyphs have long been part of something more than simple writing. They are given special importance not only as words, but also as symbols that affect life itself and space. For this reason, they began to be used in interior decoration, things and applied to the body. There are well-known Chinese characters with translation, which are especially popular. One of these is 氣, meaning "Qi" - life energy. This symbol is firmly embedded in the basis of everything that exists and even the Universe. There are three main meanings of this sign: the substance of the Universe, harmony of body and spirit. In another way, they can be called three forces: heaven, earth and man. The hieroglyph is also used in feng shui - the symbolism of the organization of space, as well as in medicine.

Popular Chinese characters

Hieroglyphs for tattoos

Phrases in Chinese

There are people who do not want to be limited to one word or one hieroglyph; for this there are whole phrases where Chinese characters are used. Photos with the translation of such phrases can be easily found on the Internet, but there are common and well-known ones. For example, the famous Buddhist covenant: "Do not speak evil, do not listen to evil, do not see evil." There are other word combinations that are pleasant to the ear: autumn flower, new strength, superiority of heart and soul, and many others. All of them are depicted with several symbols, such tattoos will fit well on large areas of the body. You can also use whole sentences or sayings: "Respect the past, create the future." The expression "Concentrate your heart and develop your spirit" is known. All these expressions have already been translated, but if you want to use a phrase of your own composition, then it would be best to turn to professional translators from Chinese and not trust the translation of the Internet.

Moreover, the first 1,000 characters make up 80% of the texts. This is great news, but this brings up the next question. Which hieroglyphs are included in the list of these 3-5 thousand?

What hieroglyphs should we focus on learning?

Of course, if you follow the traditional logic - take any. Ultimately, you will reach a certain level where you can easily read first simple, then more complex, and then deeply professional texts. Everything is quite clear.

On the other hand, it is important to understand which hieroglyphs are used often, and which ones are found only a couple of times in several hundred thousand texts.

In the late 90s - early 2000s. v Middle Tennessee State University was carried out. This joint Sino-American project studied Chinese characters using statistical methods. Linguists and programmers collected a huge array of Chinese modern and classical texts, available at that time in digital form, and ran them through computer programs.

Interesting facts in the research results:

♦ In total, we analyzed texts with a total of 258.8 million characters (of which classical texts - 65.3 million characters, and modern texts - 193.5 million characters).

♦ As a result, the researchers received 2 lists: a list of 11115 unique characters in classical texts, and a list of 9933 unique characters in modern texts.

♦ The most common modern hieroglyph 的 (de) occurs in texts 7.9 million times, and makes up 4.09% of the total number of hieroglyphs (out of 193.5 million).

♦ The most common classical hieroglyph 之 (zhi) occurs in texts 850 thousand times and makes up 1.3% of the total number of hieroglyphs (out of 65.3 million).

♦ In modern texts, 1100 hieroglyphs are found only once (for 193.5 million characters).

♦ In classical texts, 956 hieroglyphs are found 1 time (for 65.3 million characters).

What are the most common hieroglyphs? We read on.

Top 10 Most Common Chinese Characters

1. 的 de

The first place is taken by the possessive particle 的. This service hieroglyph is the most frequently encountered hieroglyph in modern texts, it is used 7.9 million times and makes up 4.09% of the total number of hieroglyphs ( hereinafter, the results of the above study on the analysis of modern texts for 193.5 million characters are used)

The particle 的 denotes belonging, and is also used to describe the property or quality of an item.

For example:

孩子的玩具 (Háizi de wánjù) Child's toy

这是你的电脑，那是我的手机。 (zhèshì nǐde diànnǎo, nàshì wǒde shǒujī).This is your computer, and that is my mobile.

黄色的花 (Huángsè de huā) Yellow flower

这是我爸爸买给我的摩托车。 (Zhè shì wǒ bàba mǎi gěi wǒ de mótuō chē.)This is the bike my dad bought me.

2. 一 yī

The hieroglyph "一" means "one". It occurs 3.05 million times and makes up 1.57% of the total number of modern hieroglyphs.

The reason “一” is so common is that it is part of a vast array of words, phrases and Chinese idioms.

For example:

我吃了一个苹果。 (wǒ chīle yīgè píngguǒ).I ate one apple.

我拿了第一名。 (wǒ nále dìyī míng).I won first place.

你是我的唯一。 (nǐ shì wǒde wéiyī).You are my only one.

百闻不如一见 (Bǎiwén bù rú yíjiàn).It is better to see once than hear a hundred times.

3. 是 shì

The hieroglyph "是" closes the three most common modern hieroglyphs, occurs 2.6 million times and makes up 1.35% of the total.

“是” means “to be, to be, to be” and is usually omitted in Russian translation (which makes “是” very similar to the English verb “to be”). Used as a predicate-link between nouns and / or pronouns.

For example:

我是中国人。 (wǒ shì zhōng guó rén).I [am] - Chinese.

这是一本书。 (zhè shì yī běn shū).This [is] a book.

她的鞋是红色的。 (tā de xié shì hóng sè de).Her shoes [are] red.

4. 不Bù

The hieroglyph "不" means "not", "no" and how it is used as a negative particle. “不” occurs in modern texts 2.2 million times and accounts for 1.15% of the total number of hieroglyphs.

For example:

他不是澳大利亚人。 (tā bú shì ào dà lì yà rén).He is not Australian.

我不想去。 (wǒ bù xiǎng qù). I do not want to go.

5.了 le

The auxiliary particle "了" occupies the honorable fifth place among the most common modern hieroglyphs, occurs 2.12 million times and accounts for 1.09% of the total.

The “了” particle can have several functions; as a rule, it denotes the past tense, shows that the situation has changed, can strengthen the meaning of an adjective, etc.

For example:

我吃晚饭了。 (wǒ chī wǎn fàn le). I had dinner.

我住校已经两年了。 (Wǒ zhù xiào yǐjīng liǎng niánle).I have been living on campus for two years now.

我的手表太旧了。 (Wǒ de shǒubiǎo tài jiùle).My watch is very old.

6. 在 zà i

The hieroglyph "在" occurs in modern texts a little over 2 million times, accounting for 1.03% of the total number of hieroglyphs.

“在” can have several meanings. It can be translated as a preposition of location "in", "on", etc. If “在” comes after the verb, it denotes the place where the action takes place. It is also used as an auxiliary particle to indicate a long time.

For example:

我在机场等你。 (wǒ zài jīchǎng děng nǐ).I'm waiting for you at the airport.

你住在哪里？ (nǐ zhù zài nǎ lǐ). Where do you live?

我在学习。 (wǒ zài xué xí). I am studying right now.

7. 人ré n

Another frequent hieroglyph “人” occurs 1.8 million times, and means “person”, “people”, “citizen”. It is often used to refer to a person from a specific country. For example, if we add 人 “Human” to the word 中国 “China”, we get 中国人 “Chinese”.

Also, this hieroglyph is found in the words "夫人" (Fūrén) - lady, "男人" (Nánrén) - a man, and many other words denoting people.

The character "人" is also a constituent part of the word "人民" - the people, which is quite often used in modern Chinese.

For example:

人民币 (rén mín bì) National currency

你是外国人吗？ (nǐ shì wài guó rén ma). You are a foreigner?

8. 有 yǒ u

The hieroglyph “有” occurs 1.7 million times and means the word “to have”, “to have”. The negative form is formed by the particle "没有" - not to have.

Also, “有” often means that “there is something somewhere, there is something”.

For example:

你有问题吗？ (nǐ yǒu wèn tí ma).Do you have a question?

我没有钱。 (wǒ méi yǒu qián).I have no money.

这里有个错误。 (zhè lǐ yǒu gè cuò wù).There is a mistake here.

9. 我 (wǒ)

The pronoun "我" occurs 1.69 million times and means "I". Unsurprisingly, this is a fairly common word. It is also an integral part of the pronouns "we", "us", "our".

Examples:

我回家了。 (wǒ huí jiā le).I am back.

我们一起去吧。 (wǒ men yī qǐ qù ba).Let's go together.

10. 他 (tā)

Closes our top ten, which is found in modern texts 1.59 million times. This hieroglyph is also an integral part of the pronouns "they", "them", etc.

For example:

他们是新婚。 (Tāmen shì xīnhūn).They just got married.

他们也问他好。 (Tāmen yě wèn tā hǎo).They say hello to him too.

Successful practice!

Svetlana Khludneva

P.S. Take care of yourself!

Tattoos in the form of Chinese and Japanese characters are very popular in European countries. The hieroglyphs of the tattoo carry originality and mysticism, since their meaning is practically unknown to anyone except the owner himself. But, despite this, under a seemingly simple symbol, deep meaning and powerful energy can be hidden. In fact, only Europeans apply Chinese and Japanese characters to their bodies, while the inhabitants of these Asian countries prefer English inscriptions, moreover, written with grammatical errors. Anyway, hieroglyphs are very difficult to translate.

It is important to remember before applying a tattoo

Before settling on any sketch you like, take a little time to find out the exact meaning of the symbols. Otherwise, you can get into an unpleasant situation, for example, the one that happened two years ago with a German teenager. After paying 180 euros, the young man asked the tattoo artist to apply Chinese characters to him, meaning "to love, respect, obey." Having made the long-awaited tattoo, the guy went on vacation to China. What was his surprise when Chinese waitresses in restaurants constantly paid attention to him. The young man decided to ask why his tattoo has such an effect. Having learned the correct translation of his hieroglyphs, the young man was shocked. On his arm was the inscription "At the end of the day, I become an ugly boy." Returning home, it turned out that the tattoo parlor was closed. The unlucky boy had to get a laser tattoo removal for 1200 euros.

If you nevertheless decide to make hieroglyphs of a tattoo, find out their meaning in advance in authoritative reference books, or choose from the most popular and demanded symbols.

The meaning of hieroglyphs

Chinese hieroglyphs tattoo

Zi is the name of the traditional Chinese script used in writing official documents in Hong Kong, Taiwan and other Chinese settlements. The Chinese "alphabet" (let's call it that conditionally) contains 47,000 letters-symbols tzu. In order to improve the literacy of the population, the government passed a law to simplify the writing system. Many dashes, sticks and dots have disappeared from everyday life. The Chinese themselves say that it only takes 4,000 characters to speak and write fluently in Chinese. Yes, hieroglyphs are really difficult to write and translate. However, there is already a definite trend for tattoos. The most popular and demanded hieroglyphs for tattoos are symbols that mean love, strength, family, luck, peace, fire. This does not mean that your choice is limited to only these words. With the help of Chinese tattoos, you can express your positive or negative emotions, inspire yourself with encouraging words, or capture a pleasant moment in your memory.

such tattoos look very beautiful on any part of the body

meaning of katay hieroglyphs

meaning of chinese characters

Japanese hieroglyphs tattoo

Japanese hieroglyphic tattoos, like Chinese ones, are popular almost everywhere, except for these countries themselves. Writing in Japan is divided into three systems: kanji, katakana, and hiragana.

Kanzi is the most common of the three. Symbols from this system came from the Chinese writing. However, the spelling of Japanese characters is easier. In total, the alphabet has 50,000 characters, most of which belong to nouns.

Katakana is used primarily for loan words, internationalisms, and proper nouns.

Hiragana is responsible for adjectives and other grammatical phenomena. Tattoos based on the symbols of this system are much less common than from the previous two.

meaning of Japanese characters

Below is a list of the most popular tattoos based on Japanese characters. Many celebrities have chosen Japanese characters as their tattoo designs. For example, Britney Spears has chosen a character that translates to "strange". However, in reality, the singer wanted to get a tattoo with the words "mystical". Melanie C, ex-peppercorn, has never hidden her maiden power. The phrase "Girl Power" was the band's motto. It was these words that Mel C had tattooed on her shoulder. Pink expressed her happiness with a Japanese tattoo of the same name.

Mel C

Britney Spears

Chinese characters meaning "real woman"

Chinese characters meaning "faith"

Chinese characters meaning "wife"

Japanese characters meaning "most desired"

Chinese characters meaning "love"