I could use a bit of help

[rava6e]

Hello all you beautiful people!

Ok here goes:

Im getting a tattoo friday, i want it to say "freedom forever". Im pretty sure i got the correct letters(if you even call them that ><).

Problem is as follows, and i really hope i can get some help:
I dont know what way to put the letters on my arm.. the correct way to read it is from right to left right? Im still not sure about anything hehe.. if someone could take a quick look at the image and give me some input as to which way to put it on my arm ill be truly grateful! Do i put forever or freedom closest to my hand?

Sorry! for having to put a url inhere, even though i dont have the postcount to do so.. but i dont know how to write the actual letters as text ><

I really hope someone can help me out here <:

 

[undrentide]

Hm, personally I do not like the idea of tattoo in a language you do not understand. You might get what you do not really intend to have and you cannot tell because you do not know the language yourself... I've seen a lot of awful kanji tattoo on internet (a lot of people make themselves a laughing stock without knowing) and the problem is, unlike T-shirt you cannot change or delete the tattoo once you've got it, whether you like or not.

But after all it's your skin so if you really want it, I just put some information for that:

1. Japanese usually read from left to write when written horizontally. (Same as English and other European languages.)
2. 永遠 (eien) means eternity.
3. 自由 (jiyuu) means freedom, liberty.
4. Putting these two words together does not make a sentence or phrase.
People can understand that you have two words on your arm, "eternity" and "liberty" but it does not have the same effect/connotation as the English phrase "freedom forever".
5. If you still want to have it, 永遠に自由 meaning "(I'm) free forever" might be one of the options. Japanese langauges does need particles and okurigana which are not kanji but kana, it cannot be written with kanji only. (If you want a phrase/sentence all in kanji, I'd recommend to go for Chinese not Japanese.)
But hiragana （に in this case） among Kanji do not really look cool.

 

[rava6e]

Thanks for the quick reply

What im looking for is actually the phrase "freedom forever" and not "im free forever". But i dont want it in plain english.. thats why i choose to try and get it in japaneese.

Would you maybe know what i can use instead of 永遠 ? That is if there is anyhting that means "forever".

Edit: If everything fails can you tell me how to write "freedom forever" in chineese? Because that really is the phrase im aiming for, i just dont want it written in plain english hehe.

Again thanks for the assistance.

 

[undrentide]

As I already explained in my previous post, it is impossible to have the same/similar effect/connotation in Japanese without using kana as the phrase in English "freedom forever".

So my answer is go for Chinese language where everything is written in kanji (hanzi).
And for that, please post the question at Chinese subforum or Chinese language related forum outside JREF - this is learning Japanese forum and I do not know Chinese.

Sorry if I sound harsh, no offense meant - just I do not want to see anyone with Japanese words/phrase printed permanently on their body which is not really what they want/believe.

 

[rava6e]

No no it is perfectly OK, and i thank you for your time

How would one write "freedom forever" in japaneese, with kana as you say?

 

[louis89]

I agree that 永遠に自由 is a good translation of "freedom forever".

It isn't the word "freedom" next to the word "forever", no. That's because this isn't English. The same rules do not apply. You can't put the word meaning "freedom" next to the word meaning "forever" and have it mean something in Japanese like you can in English.

Show it to a Japanese person and see what they think.

 

[Emoni]

You realize that almost everyone who CAN read what you write will simply roll their eyes right?

It's like the guy I saw at the gym a month ago with 足 on his right arm. Then the other guy with 苺 on his shoulder.

Instead of 永遠に自由 I recommend putting 右 if you are tattooing your left arm, or put 左 if you are tattooing your right arm.

Have fun... sigh

 

[stymo]

freedom forever

What im looking for is actually the phrase "freedom forever" and not "im free forever". But i dont want it in plain english.. thats why i choose to try and get it in japaneese.

Strictly speaking, If you want to have something like that in Japanese, "永遠の自由" would be more understandable to native Japanese speakers.

Here is the image of that:

Hope it helps!

 

[rava6e]

thanks for the assistance yet again.. the arttist was sick so i dont have the atattoo yet.. i feel like i should tell you that japanese was my last choice and i have been looking into hieroglyphs, celtic sings and runes and stuff like this... but its very difficult to get anything coherent out of that >< but once again thank you.

 

[becki_kanou]

If you really like the phrase so much, why not get it done in English in a nice font, (or in Danish, as it appears you're from Denmark.)

 

[butakun]

Ok, to be honest, I find 永遠の自由 (or 永遠に自由) very corny/cheesy. If you don't plan on coming to Japan perhaps it's okay. But if I see someone proudly presenting 永遠の自由, to me the effect would be more like a comic relief, than anything resembling coolness... No offense, but that's I'd see it.

 

[nice gaijin]

There are so many reasons a kanji tattoo is a bad idea, I can't believe people are still getting them.

 

[Emoni]

For the amusement and eye-rolling exercise of those who can understand them?

 

[nice gaijin]

Don't forget to read the fine print!


For the price of a regular tattoo, you too can be the proud owner of ink that tells the people around you your life philosophy*. Examples below!

This woman thought this word meant "b****," when it apparently means "cheap whor*" in Chinese. ouch.

Check out the lovely characters!

Another example from an artist that doesn't understand how kanji/hanzi is written, none of these characters exist!

WARNING: Side effects may include but are not limited to scorn, derisive laughter, an unwarranted sense of worldliness, regret and buyer's remorse. Try to keep your tattoo hidden from anyone who can read the characters you've chosen to inject into your skin, for they will gleefully point out how you have either mistranslated the phrase, or that it simply doesn't mean what you intended, or that it's complete gibberish that you're stuck with for the rest of your life. Checking the internet for appropriate translations of your favorite phrase or motto does not really count as research, and while some tattoo artists are capable of recreating the impression of Chinese or Japanese calligraphy, just as many are terrible at it and you may suffer further derision when it becomes apparent that your artist forgot a stoke, wrote a character backwards, or just drew them plain ugly. But who cares about all that, you're young!

*well, chances are the people around you can't read Chinese or Japanese, so you have the added pleasure of explaining what the characters mean, or what you think they mean. Just cross your fingers and hope they don't know more Chinese or Japanese than you!

 

[Tomii515]

Not another tattoo...

 

[Emoni]

Honestly, we need a tattoo section of the forum. Complete with a disclaimer warning anyone who is ignorant enough to get one about the reasons why with NG's picture examples up. That way these posts can clutter up that area and the rest of us can simply ignore that part of the forum.

I know that the poster isn't malicious, however despite that the poster is extremely ignorant and naive about what they are doing. Anyone can do anything with their body that they want I guess; however, understand that as long time members we get really sick of these, ultimately ignorant, tattoo threads.

If you are going to write something on you for life... learn the language and do the research. Don't make random posts on Japan forums on the internet or just cross your fingers and hope.