Chinese character & motif tattoo preview
Pick a character or phrase with a meaning you love, try it in different calligraphy styles, or layer traditional motifs like clouds, yin-yang and lotus, all on a photo of your own skin.
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Chinese characters (click to add, hover for meaning)
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Describe your idea in one sentence and AI draws 2 original designs you can try on right away.
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Sample designs
Popular Chinese tattoo characters and their meanings
Every phrase comes with pinyin and a plain-English meaning, so you know exactly what you're getting inked.
福
fú
Blessing, good fortune
忍
rěn
Endurance, patience
静
jìng
Stillness, serenity
勇
yǒng
Courage
爱
ài
Love
自由
zì yóu
Freedom
平安
píng ān
Peace and safety
无畏
wú wèi
Fearless
初心
chū xīn
Your original intention
随缘
suí yuán
Let things be as they are
知足常乐
zhī zú cháng lè
Contentment brings lasting happiness
上善若水
shàng shàn ruò shuǐ
The highest good is like water (Laozi)
宁静致远
níng jìng zhì yuǎn
Inner calm takes you far
生生不息
shēng shēng bù xī
Life goes on, endlessly renewing
天道酬勤
tiān dào chóu qín
Heaven rewards the diligent
海阔天空
hǎi kuò tiān kōng
Boundless sea and sky: an open mind
Traditional motifs and their symbolism
Add any of these from “Sample designs → Chinese” in the editor.
Auspicious cloud
Xiangyun clouds carry good fortune and the blessing of heaven.
Yin and yang
Taiji: opposite forces in balance, each holding a seed of the other.
Lotus
The lotus rises clean from the mud: purity and rebirth.
Koi
A koi swimming upstream: perseverance, luck and success.
Bamboo
Bamboo bends but never breaks: integrity and resilience.
Plum blossom
Plum blossoms bloom in winter snow: courage through hardship.
Meander (Huiwen)
Huiwen: an endless square spiral for lasting fortune.
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Chinese knot
The Chinese knot ties together luck, love and reunion.
Ink mountains & moon
A Shanshui landscape: calm, distance and a quiet mind.
Chinese tattoo tips
- Characters with many strokes need room: keep a single character at least 2.5 cm (1 in) tall or it will blur as it heals.
- Wild cursive looks great but is hard to read; choose regular script or serif if you want people to read it.
- Four-character phrases suit vertical layouts down the spine, inner forearm or ribs.
- Ask a native speaker to check the characters before your appointment. Online translations are often wrong.
