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Symbol for Happiness... Need Tattoo Help!!
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elmsoc -

Hi all, I am very interested in getting the Chinese symbol for "happiness" tattooed on my ankle.
The only problem is I cannot be sure about which symbol means happiness and which doesn't! I have
no knowledge of the Chinese language, no experience speaking/writing it, no nothing. so this is
why I need your help!! I have searched online many times and come up with different results and
symbols each time. If anyone can confirm, deny, or even post a picture of this symbol, i would be
very grateful! and please, no guessing! this thing is going on my body for life!!

Below is a picture of two symbols of "happiness" I found on the internet.




Thanks!



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liuzhou -

Why you would want to disfigure yourself with writing in a language you know nothing about is a
total mystery, but here we go.

The character (not symbol) for happiness is 喜. However if you want to be more authentic and look
like slightly less idiotic, you should probably go for 'double happiness' 喜喜 which is the
traditional way to deal with the character - one happiness being a bit mean. This is usually seen
at weddings - not often on ankles.












Lu -

You posted four characters in two words. The top word, huanxi, I know only as the Shanghainese
work for like, love. Afaik it doesn't mean happiness. You can use the second character of it, xi,
that doubled makes 'double happiness', like liuzhou says, used at weddings not on ankles.

You could also consider the second character of the second word, fu, meaning happiness. I've seen
it used on anything from tea cups to curtains, in the west mind you, rarely in China, so why not
on your ankle.

Lastly, perhaps you'd want to reconsider getting a tattoo in a language you have no knowledge of
nor connection with. Have a look at hanzismatter.com for some illustrations of why this is not
necessarily a good idea. And if you're really sure, bring someone with some knowledge of Chinese
to the tattoo parlour, to make sure you don't get it upside down or badly written.










wai ming -



Quote:


Originally Posted by Lu

The top word, huanxi, I know only as the Shanghainese work for like, love. Afaik it doesn't mean
happiness.


Taiwan's 教育部國語辭典 has as the first definition for 歡喜 "快樂、高興。"










Lu -



Quote:


Originally Posted by wai ming

Taiwan's 教育部國語辭典 has as the first definition for 歡喜 "快樂、高興。"


I stand corrected then, if the 教育部國語辭典 says it, it does mean happiness. Still not
the best way to put that idea on your ankle though, I think.










aeon -

Many hanzi tattoo's on westerners are also badly drawn, even if the characters inked are the ones
intended - you need someone who can do the calligraphy properly to get the proportions right.

Please, for the sake of our eyes: don't do it.










dalaowai -

I know loads of Chinese that have something in Hanzi tatooed. A lot of the ones I've seen in
mainland were done in Traditional characters.

I told one of my friends that I'd never get anything written in French or English as I thought it
would look silly and asked him why he wrote something in Mandarin. He replied, "hanzi is not only
a written language, it's also an art." After looking at it that way, I warmed up to the idea of
Hanzi tattoos.

Do be careful, as many others have mentioned, if the tattoo artist isn't native Chinese, the
characters might not look that good. If you do get a native Chinese tattoo artist, be careful that
he's not disgruntled. ;)










greedycat -

[quote] Taiwan's 教育部國語辭典 has as the first definition for 歡喜 "快樂、高興。"

have no idea why use the Taiwan's dictionary as the standard, i think most of chinese would choice
幸福 or 福 to express happiness.










Quest -

囍 is usually reserved for weddings, where you have 2 happy people together.

imo, 幸福 is the least silly of the aforementioned words, not that it's not though to be put on
your ankle..
幸福 means being blessed with success and satisfaction in one's life, and therefore happy.










thph2006 -

I can't help but think of this lovely girl who was recently featured in a news report. She got a
tattoo across her back in a moment of romantic abandon. Some time later after realizing the
mistake she made and just before her wedding she went to a laser tattoo removal clinic and ended
up with a disfiguring 1/2" thick raised scar across her back in the shape of the tattoo. Might be
worth thinking about before taking the plunge.

On the lighter side, when I see 囍 I immediately crave Chinese food since the only place I ever
see it is in giant-sized gold characters on the wall at the restaurant.












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