I suffered. I learned. I changed.

[Ummmok]

I have been through a tough time recently and I want a tattoo as a permanent reminder to not let me slip back to the ways that got me there in the first place.

 

I have browsed thousands of ideas and many short quotes resonate with me in english, but I don't want something permanent that I'd always be answering questions about. If it were in chinese it would mean something to me but nothing to my circle.

 

My heritage is 50% chinese but unfortunately I've had little connection to that half of my heritage.

 

I have searched extensively for this tattoo in chinese but can only find it in arabic but it would mean more to me in chinese.

 

I have attached the google translation which I would never trust.

 

Any help would be appreciated a great deal, this would be permanent and if there are many characters to this, I guess i would need three rows, vertically.

 

Not only am I requesting a translation but also how it should be placed. Ie one line from left to right. 3 rows vertically or how the correct placement would be.

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

[LinZhenPu]

I'll take a stab.

吃苦了，学了，改变了。

This doesn't really carry the meaning though. So dont choose these words for the tattoo.

[Flickserve]

Although my own Chinese is limited, I don't think the words really fit into a tattoo. Those Chinese words just don't quite seem profound enough.

 

There might be a Chinese idiom that fits it. Perhaps if you look up something like 'Heaven bestows suffering before  wisdom/enlightment', that might give you some better options. 

[lips]

吃得苦中苦，方为人上人

 

Literally:  If you have tasted the bitterest of the bitter, you will become the greatest of the great.

 

Not quite what you want, but you get the drift.

 

(Disclaimer:  Not meant to be a recommendation for a tattoo).  

[Publius]

I see a parallel between "I suffered. I learned. I changed" and "veni, vidi, vici". Have you considered Latin? I'm no expert, but it's probably only 3 or 4 words. Looks more elegant than three rows of Chinese ending in "了了了".

[roddy]

There's got to be a decent Chinese idiom for that. Off the top of my head,  百炼成钢 is in the right direction , but I'm sure there are better ones. 

[Publius]

Well, there's 吃一塹長一智 but I don't think it's suitable for a tattoo.

Sure the ancients must have said something about suffer, learn and change but not necessarily the same meaning the same format.

I'm not a particularly idiomatic man I give up.

 

[Ummmok]

Thanks for all the replies.

 

I would really prefer chinese characters over the roman alphabet. Although I may opt for it in arabic, just not for as promoment a location as I had originally planned.

 

I guess I would need to research harder for a suitable chinese idiom as suggested.

 

Aesthetics are also important as it would be permanent.

 

Still open to suggestions of any chinese idioms that would be of similar resemblance.

[arrow]

Classical quotes

穷则变，变则通，通则久 (from 易经)

 

Chinese Idiom

痛自创艾

痛改前非

幡然悔悟

幡然改途

洗心革面

革心易行

穷极思变

惩前毖后

 

Just a few thoughts. If you'd like the characters to be traditional, use this tool.

 

 

[Kenny同志]

I suffered. I learned. I changed. = 覆轍不蹈。

[Ummmok]

Kenny, 

 

Sorry to be ignorant but how would that be displayed vertically?

 

 

[Kenny同志]

Vertically, it would read:

覆

轍

不

蹈

 

[Ummmok]

Thanks so much kenny.

 

How does it look to you?

 

Would you look at it and think, idiot ?

[abcdefg]

Quote

I guess I would need to research harder for a suitable chinese idiom as suggested.

 

Take a second look at the one Roddy offered, above. 百炼成钢 

 

That has a good ring to it and is pretty close to what you were seeking, according to the English meaning you gave. To be "tempered into steel" (from some lesser raw metal.)

[Kenny同志]

14 hours ago, Ummmok said:

Thanks so much kenny.

 

How does it look to you?

 

Would you look at it and think, idiot ?

You are welcome. It's classical/literary Chinese meaning (I) I will not make the mistake that (I) made before. If I want a tattoo that has a similar meaning to that of 'I suffered. I learned. I changed', I would go for something like this.