Help Translating for a Tattoo

[unoriginal]

Hi,

I want to have "Freedom" translated to Chinese and get the characters as a tattoo. I know 自由 = Freedom but personally, I think 自由 is uninteresting so I was looking for more elaborate characters to convey the same meaning. My Chinese teachers TA told me 逍遥自在 is popular in China at the moment because apparently 逍遥 is the name of some character in a video game. However, I get the impression that this translates more to "carefree" than "freedom". So if anyone has some suggestions on characters involving more strokes that mean freedom please let me know. Thanks

[外国赤佬]

Try these two:

無拘無束

無牽無掛

[yialanliu]

The first one I wouldn't recommend since that freedom is used frequently for carefree, not the type of freedom I'd tattoo.

The second one even more so.

Although you need to clarify what type of freedom you want. Is it the freedom of speech type of freedom? Or is it freedom from wants/needs? Or is it freedom to vote or something?

[kdavid]

I had a colleague who got "Free Bird" 自由小鸟 tattooed on her ankle. She "chose" the translation on her own.

Her problem, however, was that she couldn't speak Mandarin very well, and instead of saying "xiao niao" she said "xiao niu," (小牛) which is often a term mothers using (endearingly) for their (young) son's penis.

It cracked me up the first time she said, "I just got 'free penis' tattooed on my ankle. Come take a look."

[skylee]

she said "xiao niu," (小牛) which is often a term mothers using (endearingly) for their (young) son's penis.

But this is not that common, is it? I mean it is not used nation-wide, is it?

PS - For this meaning, shouldn't it actually be 小鳥 not 小牛?

[Shelley]

Having done a bit of research i don't think you wil find anything better than 自由 for the actual meaning you want.

In a nice font, well done, it could look quite good.

But I understand what you mean, its not very exciting.

Maybe something else? choice = 选择 xuǎn zé. Just a thought:)

[edelweis]

Freedom is not exactly a Confucean virtue, is it? I don't find it really surprising that there is no traditional, beautiful, rich in history way to write it... try filial piety or something...

[kdavid]

But this is not that common, is it? I mean it is not used nation-wide, is it?

I'm not sure about nation-wide, but I hear mothers say this all the time here in Harbin about their sons under 4 - 5 years old.

PS - For this meaning, shouldn't it actually be 小鸟 not 小牛?

She wanted to say 自由小鸟 but instead pronounced 自由小牛.