Ever since getting Chinese characters as tattoos became a mainstream trend in America in the late 80s and early 90s (and really taking off in the 2000s) there have been stories of people thinking they got profound mantras like “serenity” and “courage” permanently etched into their skin only to realize they actually got gibberish…or worse.
And somehow, these tattoo snafus never fail to be amusing. Recently, a woman named Jessie, who teaches Chinese online, had viewers cracking up as she translated “Westerner’s Chinese tattoos” that could not have possibly meant what the tattoo owners thought.
In one video, which quickly racked up over three million views, Jessie pointed out tats that said some almost inspiring phrases like “star, laugh, love,” “captain my destiny,” and “cancer” (as in the disease, not the astrology sign), as well as straight up nonsense like “cockroach,” “low quality coal,” “pee,” “more failure,” and “coffin man”…which somehow appeared twice?
However, folks were in agreement that the “I don’t know I don’t speak Chinese” and “check you” with the image of a bowl of soup tattoos were actually successes.
It was also pretty hilarious that, at least in the examples used in this video, women were either far luckier, or did their research, and actually came out with tattoos like “beauty strength love.”
In a follow-up video, which already has nearly 750,000 views, things seems to take an even more deranged turn, with tattoos that translated to “Oedipus Complex,” “groundhog’s true color revealed,” “dog fly to the sky dragon of,” and “kitchen paper towel,” among others.
“The Oedipus complex one is diabolical,” one viewer wrote. On the other hand, a different viewer commented, “ok but groundhog’s true color revealed slaps.”
Does this make for a warning against cultural appropriation? Perhaps. But as some viewers noted, the hilarious aftermath of language barriers goes both ways. You can definitely go to places in China and Japan and see failed attempts at English phrases on t-shirts, snacks, storefronts, etc.
Now, if you’re someone who has one of those unfortunate tattoos, keeping it a secret might not be as easy as you think. According to Babbel, it is the most spoken language in the world, with approximately 1.3 billion people who speak it as their first language. So, there’s a good chance someone might have seen your “chicken soup” tattoos and is secretly snickering behind your back.
But hey, life is short and we all need something to “star, laugh, love” about. So, if a silly nonsense tattoos floats your boat, go for it. But if you do care, Jessi recommends confirming with a native speaker. Oh, and considering the font apparently goes a long way.
