Rich in history and profound meanings, Chinese tattoo characters have become increasingly popular in the world of tattoos. These symbols are carefully chosen for their deep cultural and philosophical resonances, offering a timeless and profound representation for your tattoo choice.
Whether you seek to express values like strength, love, happiness or wisdom, the elegance and depth of Chinese characters can encapsulate your personal story and aspirations in a beautiful and meaningful way.
Below are the 20 most popular Chinese tattoo characters in simplified Chinese along with a short description of their meanings and significance. We hope they are useful for your next tattoo idea!
Note: If you want to obtain an image for the characters, you can find how to do it at the end of the page: How to Get the Image of the Chinese Characters for Your Tattoo.
1. 爱 (ài) – Love
- The Chinese symbol for Love represents affection, care, and deep emotional attachment. It symbolizes romantic love, familial love, friendship, and compassion. Love tattoos often convey sentiments of connection, intimacy, and positivity.
2. 生 (shēng) – Life
- The Chinese symbol for Life carries the meaning of being alive, living, or life in general. This character is fundamental in Chinese culture and philosophy, often associated with vitality, birth, growth, and the essence of existence itself.
3. 母 (mǔ) – Mother
- The Chinese symbol for Mother is used to refer to one’s biological or maternal mother, highlighting the respect and reverence for mother figures in Chinese society.
4. 龙 (lóng) – Dragon
- The Chinese symbol for Dragon represents a mythical creature that symbolizes power, strength, and good luck in Chinese culture.
5. 忠 (zhōng) – Loyalty
- The Chinese symbol for Loyalty represents the virtue of loyalty, faithfulness, and dedication.
6. 希望 (xīwàng) – Hope
- The Chinese symbol for Hope represents the optimistic expectation or desire for something positive to happen. In Chinese culture carries connotations of anticipation, aspiration, and looking forward to a better future.
7. 家庭 (jiātíng) – Family
- In Chinese culture, the Chinese Symbol for Family encompasses not only immediate family members but also the values, relationships, and responsibilities associated with the household unit.
8. 寿 (shòu) – Longevity
- The Chinese symbol for Longevity represents the concept of long life, health, and prosperity. In Chinese culture is often associated with celebrations of birthdays, particularly for elderly individuals, and is used to convey wishes for a long and fulfilling life.
9. 和平 (hépíng) – Peace
- The Chinese symbol for Peace signifies harmony, tranquility, and the absence of conflict. It can also symbolize inner peace and calmness.
10. 勇气 (yǒngqì) – Courage
- The Chinese symbol for Courage represents bravery, fearlessness, and the willingness to face challenges or danger. It embodies strength of character and resilience.
11. 朋友 (péngyǒu) – Friend
- The chinese symbol for Friend In simplified Chinese refers to a friend as an individual, a person who is considered a companion or a close associate, conveying the idea of friendship and camaraderie.
12. 战士 (zhànshì) – Warrior
- The Chinese symbol for Warrior refers to a fighter or someone who exhibits bravery and strength in battle or adversity. It can symbolize determination and a fighting spirit.
13. 友谊 (yǒuyì) – Friendship
- The Chinese symbol for Friendship symbolizes companionship, trust, support loyalty. 友谊 (Yǒuyì) refers to the relationship or bond between friends, rather than referring to an individual friend like the term “péngyǒu” does.
14. 幸福 (xìngfú) – Happiness
- The Chinese symbol for Happiness represents joy, contentment, and fulfillment in life. It symbolizes positive emotions and a sense of well-being.
15. 韧性 (rènxìng) – Resilience
- The Chinese symbol for Resilience represents the ability to bounce back from adversity, setbacks, or challenges. It denotes toughness, flexibility, and the strength to withstand difficulties and hardships.
16. 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ) – I love you
- The Chinese symbol for “I love you” In simplified Chinese are commonly used to express affection and love towards someone in Mandarin Chinese.
17. 信仰 (xìnyǎng) – Faith / Belief
- The Chinese symbol for Faith or Belief represents the concept of faith or belief in something, often used in religious or spiritual contexts.
18. 力量 (lìliàng) – Strength / Power
- The Chinese symbol for Strength represents inner and physical strength, resilience, and determination. Often associated with overcoming challenges and achieving goals.
19. 囍 (shuāng xǐ) – Double Happiness
- The Double Happiness Chinese symbol consists of two “喜” (xǐ) characters stacked side by side. Symbolizes double joy, happiness, and marital bliss. It’s commonly used in weddings and celebrations to wish for happiness and harmony.
20. 福 (fú) – Good Fortune / Blessing / Happiness
- The Chinese character for good fortune, luck, happiness, blessings and It is also widely recognized as the Chinese symbol for Prosperity. Is commonly used to convey wishes for prosperity, happiness, and good luck in various contexts, especially during festive occasions like Chinese New Year.
Keep in mind that tattoo trends evolve and individual tastes differ. It’s crucial to select a quote that has personal significance and will remain meaningful throughout your life. Additionally, ensure the accuracy of quotes and their attributions before committing to them permanently.
If you haven’t found one that resonates with you yet and need more Chinese character tattoo ideas, we highly recommend checking out the full list with 75+ Meaningful Chinese Tattoo Characters.
How to Get the Image of the Chinese Characters for Your Tattoo
When you have decided on the characters you want for your tattoo, you can easily obtain the image through this Chinese Calligraphy Image Generator. Here are the steps to follow:
- Select and copy the character(s) to the clipboard:
- Windows | Mac: Select the character(s) from the list, right-click and select “Copy” or (Ctrl + C for Windows | Cmd (⌘) + C for Mac).
- Mobile | Tablet: Press and hold the text until the selection option appears, then select “Copy“.
- Paste the Chinese character(s) into the corresponding text field of the Chinese Calligraphy Image Generator:
- Windows | Mac: Right-click on the text field, select “Paste” or (Ctrl + V for Windows | Cmd (⌘) + V for Mac).
- Mobile | Tablet: Press and hold the place where you want to paste the text, then tap “Paste” or the paste icon.
- Select the size, style, and the orientation for your tattoo and press the button ‘Generate the calligraphy’.
- Save the image by pressing the button ‘Download calligraphy’ or:
- Windows | Mac: Right-click on the image, ‘Save image as’.
- Mobile | Tablet: Press and hold on the image, ‘Save image’.
