A question to anyone who knows Japanese / Tattoo Discussion

Post Reply New Topic

Could anyone tell me what the correct symbols are for spelling out the word "Duality" in Japanese hiragana?
I'm aware that there are several variations of the symbols in the Japanese language but I'm simply looking to find the general translation.

I've been considering getting a tattoo for a while now and whilst I'd love to have a massive pair of wings on my back, my Mom's not keen on the idea and thus suggests I get a small one first to test the water.

So, after some thought about design and how it relates to me, I've settled on a simple Yin/Yang design with the word "Duality" running through it in Japanese writing.
I just want to ensure that the symbols are correct before I get it inked on my skin (which should be whenever I can find an artist I consider worthy enough to ink me ) so that I don't end up with a tattoo that translate into something entirely different altogether!

While I'm on the subject, I'd like to ask anyone here who has tattoos if they would kindly share their experiances.
What did you have done? Who did it for you? Where did you get it done? what part of the body? What was the pain like? Was it a memorable experience? (Etc)

I'm considering getting the tattoo on the back of my neck as it can be easily hidden by hair, though again my mother maintains that it has to be easy to cover up so prospective employers don't "get the wrong idea".

-____- It's not as if that epic dragon on your shoulder is suddenly going to spring to life and eat someone, so I can't really see why there's such a stigma about tats in the work-place.

People bewilder me 99.9% of the time....

im sorry but that made me lol, personally i think tatoos are tacky but goodluck with whatever you choose to get

Well, I don't really speak Japanese, but I could help. Do you have a translation for this? Nihongoresources.com gives the translation "nigen"; hiragana: にげん Kanji: 二元 (literally looks like the characters mean something like "two origins"), but for example Japanese Wikipedia's first few hits are for the philosophy of mind 二元論 and that stuff.

And the hit for the other translation 双対 has to do with abstract algebra...

I'm not so sure, we might need to get someone who can actually speak Japanese in here; I wouldn't go solely on my advice anyway...

Yeah, I cannot stress how much you should double-check and triple-check with learned people on this before getting one. Many people's tattoos in script they can't read end up saying "prostitute".

Before getting inked, you may want to look at these links. Getting a tatoo in a language you don't understand is highly ill-advised.

http://www.hanzismatter.com

http://s152453462.onlinehome.us/w/index.php?title=How_do_I_say_%22....%22_in_Japanese%3F
http://s152453462.onlinehome.us/w/index.php?title=Why_we_don%27t_do_Japanese_tattoos

i agree about the language you dont understand kinda thing. japanese writing/kanji is generally looked upon as rather played out. everyone has it, and most dont know what it really says. unless you speak the language, or have relatives/heritage in that area, stick with your primary spoken tongue. just MHO.

the back of the neck may be a jump for your first ink. it all depends on your pain threshhold. the side of the neck/jawline is WAAAAAY worse. i didnt think the spine was too bad. i kknow people who strongly disagree with me on that, though.

do you know an artist already? do you know what to look for in one if you dont know an artist yet? i was always pickier about my artists than i was about who i dated. *laughs*

i'm not really any kind of authority, but i have 20 something ink sittings behind me and have a bit of a passion for the tat discussions. feel free to pm me if theres anything i can help ya with.

hello. my name is Kiera, and i'm a thread killer.



*goes back to lurking*