Please help translate this picture.

[82ndCowboy]

Yes I read the info about tattoos.

But this is a little different story.

I've fallen in love with a girl I'm friends with. And she has this tattoo on her back.

I was hoping to find out what it says and the meaning of it without asking her. So that I may find something special for her that relates to the tattoo in some way, if I can.

I have spent a few hours on the internet trying to decipher what the characters are and the only thing I could come up with, is one means harmony.

But that is all I could find on my own.

So how bout it...

Can someone help out a love sick fool?

[chrix]

"peace"

in Chinese 和平 and Hebrew (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shalom)

Actually this is quite interesting, if the Chinese characters were read from right to left like the Hebrew script, it would actually be the Japanese for peace, using the same characters, just reversed: 平和.

[Kenny同志]

Traditional sings read from right to left. So 平和(mild, not fierce) makes sense if it is on a sign.

[82ndCowboy]

Thank you very much.

I truly appreciate your help.

Now I just have to figure out what gift I can get that relates to peace.

My quest continues.

[trien27]

Both 平和 [Chinese / 中文 written from right to left] & שָׁלוֹם [Hebrew / עִבְרִית ] mean "peace".

和平 = שָׁלוֹם

should be 平和 = שָׁלוֹם if you want them to be written in the same direction: right to left [1970-1980, Chinese started to be written from left to right]

By the way it's on the tattoo it seems like:

和 = שָׁל(shal)

平 = וֹם(om)

But it doesn't:

和 doesn't = שָׁל(shal)

平 doesn't = וֹם(om)

Actually this is quite interesting, if the Chinese characters were read from right to left like the Hebrew script, it would actually be the Japanese for peace, using the same characters, just reversed: 平和.

Chrix, did you forget that the Japanese borrowed Kanji when Chinese writing was still written from right to left? Due to English or such languages, the Chinese characters gradually were written from left to right [late 1970's or early 1980's]. If you watch very old Chinese movies with subtitles [1970 or earlier], it'd be from right to left, not left to right.

Edited March 17, 2010 at 04:38 AM by trien27

[chrix]

Chrix, did you forget that the Japanese borrowed Kanji when Chinese writing was still written from right to left? Due to English or such languages, the Chinese characters gradually were written from left to right [late 1970's or early 1980's]. If you watch very old Chinese movies with subtitles [1970 or earlier], it'd be from right to left, not left to right.

the time when Japanese borrowed kanji has nothing to do at all with the way a person today has it tattoed on their back. There are some words where the Japanese word has a reversed order, and that's not due to directionality of writing but just due to the fact that these are usually coordinate compounds, just like 平和・和平　(actually both languages also use the reversed form as well, in a slightly different meaning)

[Lu]

Now I just have to figure out what gift I can get that relates to peace.

My quest continues.

If she's still into characters, perhaps a necklace with 平 or 和.

But actually, it might be a nice idea to just ask her about the tattoo. Hey, that's interesting, looks like it's both Chinese, Japanese and Hebrew! What made you pick that tattoo? She probably has a story to tell about it, and will be pleased you are interested in her and her thoughts (and impressed that you recognize Chinese, Japanese and Hebrew :-) ).

Anyway, good luck!