Why do I find multiple Japanese kanji for the same words in English?

[Ivan]

Long story short, I am trying to tattoo the Japanese kanji for different virtues I feel are integral to my path in martial arts and have "understood". So as I progress in life and develop my character, I aim to discover more virtues and understand them fully. I want to start off by tattooing "passion", but I find multiple kanji for it.
I know that the way English, or the other languages I speak, use one word to encompass all of its possible meanings, and in Japanese (correct me if I am wrong) there is different kanji for different meanings of the same "word". If I am correct, again I may have misunderstood when attempting to deepen my understanding on this topic, there is a different kanji for honesty with yourself, and with another person. I also know there are 3
"alphabets" used, with one having over 200 "characters".

So what I am asking is

• what is the Japanese Kanji for passion in terms of being passionate about what you do?
• to correct me on any of my information if it is wrong

Thanks in advance.

 

[isshinryuronin]

Ivan, I would strongly recommend you find someone very fluent in Japanese. The kanji "alphabet" has literally thousands (not just 200+) of characters, though it's not really an alphabet as each character denotes not sounds, but concepts/words. You don't want to have the kanji for "passion" on your arm that means you're wanting to screw, so watch out! (but I could be wrong about this - I was once your age. .) Trying to equate Japanese with English is extremely difficult as they are based on completely different origins and structure. I would not get a tattoo based on what someone says on the internet. Go to a true and trusted bilingual person for your answer. Try the local college Japanese teacher as one option.

 

[Ivan]

Ivan, I would strongly recommend you find someone very fluent in Japanese. The kanji "alphabet" has literally thousands (not just 200+) of characters, though it's not really an alphabet as each character denotes not sounds, but concepts/words. You don't want to have the kanji for "passion" on your arm that means you're wanting to screw, so watch out! (but I could be wrong about this - I was once your age. .) Trying to equate Japanese with English is extremely difficult as they are based on completely different origins and structure. I would not get a tattoo based on what someone says on the internet. Go to a true and trusted bilingual person for your answer. Try the local college Japanese teacher as one option.

Yes I have specifically looked for an artist who specialises in Japanese culture, and you've given me a great idea to email a Japanese teacher at my university. Thank you very much. The last thing I want to do, is get "i am an idiot" tattooed on my back in a foreign language

 

[Deleted member 39746]

Because they like to be difficult and have a complex langauge structure.

also, i thought there were only 200 characters (or so, dont know exact number) but the way words are made etc has those 200 have limitless combinations. Since it would mean somethign compeltely diffrent to mix the same characters togther, just in a diffrent way. First i am hearing of limtless characters, there is a hard number. If there isnt, im glad its not their langauge anymore as that seems overly and too complex to work.

 

[jobo]

Long story short, I am trying to tattoo the Japanese kanji for different virtues I feel are integral to my path in martial arts and have "understood". So as I progress in life and develop my character, I aim to discover more virtues and understand them fully. I want to start off by tattooing "passion", but I find multiple kanji for it.
I know that the way English, or the other languages I speak, use one word to encompass all of its possible meanings, and in Japanese (correct me if I am wrong) there is different kanji for different meanings of the same "word". If I am correct, again I may have misunderstood when attempting to deepen my understanding on this topic, there is a different kanji for honesty with yourself, and with another person. I also know there are 3
"alphabets" used, with one having over 200 "characters".

So what I am asking is

• what is the Japanese Kanji for passion in terms of being passionate about what you do?
• to correct me on any of my information if it is wrong

Thanks in advance.

i think the first virtue you need to develop is common sence and not deface your body , i know a lit of middled aged peopke woth tats and not one of them doesnt regret an act of stupidity when they were young.
well there a guy down thw pub, with most of his teeth missing and alcohol induced brain damage, he seems happy with them

what exactly do you feel the benifits of writing these on your body are?

i mean in what way is it better than memerising them, writing them on a peice of paper or painting them on the wall

do you think you will develop greater passion if its writen on your arm? as that seems unlikely to be honest

 

[Ivan]

i think the first virtue you need to develop is common sence and not deface your body , i know a lit of middled aged peopke woth tats and not one of them doesnt regret an act of stupidity when they were young.
well there a guy down thw pub, with most of his teeth missing and alcohol induced brain damage, he seems happy with them

what exactly do you feel the benifits of writing these on your body are?

i mean in what way is it better than memerising them, writing them on a peice of paper or painting them on the wall

do you think you will develop greater passion if its writen on your arm? as that seems unlikely to be honest

Your grammar alone shows me your questions or statements don't deserve to be dignified with an answer.

 

[jobo]

Your grammar alone shows me your questions or statements don't deserve to be dignified with an answer.

yea ok, apart from the logocal contradiction that you did infact answered me ?????
its clear you havent considered this beyond a childish need to make a statement by inking words in a foriegn language that you can never remove, that no one else can read

your going to spend a big chunk of your life telling people what they mean or covering them up.

at least have the sense to embrioder your body in a place that is easiliy covered

then when regret sets in, try and rember i did try to warn you

 

[Ivan]

yea ok, apart from the logocal contradiction that you did infact answered me ?????
its clear you havent considered this beyond a childish need to make a statement by inking words in a foriegn language that you can never remove, that no one else can read

your going to spend a big chunk of your life telling people what they mean or covering them up.

at least have the sense to embrioder your body in a place that is easiliy covered

then when regret sets in, try and rember i did try to warn you

I'll live my life and embroider my body however I damn well please. Given my home country's close relationship with Japan, and the fact that the tattoos are meant for me, not others, I won't care if others can read it or not.

 

[jobo]

I'll live my life and embroider my body however I damn well please. Given my home country's close relationship with Japan, and the fact that the tattoos are meant for me, not others, I won't care if others can read it or not.

well of course you can, im all for people having the constutional right to self mulilate, that doesnt mean fair minded people shouldnt council against it, in the near certainity that you will develop intellectually and emotionally and regret it

if they are just for you, youl need to have them tattood upside down, or you spend the rest of your life seeing them the wrong way round, which is odd

im still failing to understand what possible benifit you think youl derive from it, but it seems clear you havent thought it though that far

 

[_Simon_]

well of course you can, im all for people having the constutional right to self mulilate, that doesnt mean fair minded people shouldnt council against it, in the near certainity that you will develop intellectually and emotionally and regret it

if they are just for you, youl need to have them tattood upside down, or you spend the rest of your life seeing them the wrong way round, which is odd

im still failing to understand what possible benifit you think youl derive from it, but it seems clear you havent thought it though that far

Yeah. It's pretty clear you haven't thought very clearly. Clearly have a judgement against people who get tattoos that you're unwilling to examine. And you thought you'd jump in to criticise, and not only that, jump ahead to the fabricated conclusion that he'll "regret it". Seriously man, get a new hobby.

 

[jobo]

Yeah. It's pretty clear you haven't thought very clearly. Clearly have a judgement against people who get tattoos that you're unwilling to examine. And you thought you'd jump in to criticise, and not only that, jump ahead to the fabricated conclusion that he'll "regret it". Seriously man, get a new hobby.

well yea, totoos are the preserve of the emotionaly imature or people in crisis, its also fairly likly that if or when they gain emotional maturity and stop being in crisis they regret it, this is a poll of the numerous peopke i know with tatoos.
.this of course depends on what they have had tatooed and where as to how much they regret it and how soon.

grown men or women who are proud of their tatoos are rare and are all most with out question at the lower end of the iq curve

this is self evidently true if you look around and mingle in circles where tats are the norm

 

[elder999]

Long story short, I am trying to tattoo the Japanese kanji for different virtues I feel are integral to my path in martial arts and have "understood". So as I progress in life and develop my character, I aim to discover more virtues and understand them fully. I want to start off by tattooing "passion", but I find multiple kanji for it.
I know that the way English, or the other languages I speak, use one word to encompass all of its possible meanings, and in Japanese (correct me if I am wrong) there is different kanji for different meanings of the same "word". If I am correct, again I may have misunderstood when attempting to deepen my understanding on this topic, there is a different kanji for honesty with yourself, and with another person. I also know there are 3
"alphabets" used, with one having over 200 "characters".

So what I am asking is

• what is the Japanese Kanji for passion in terms of being passionate about what you do?
• to correct me on any of my information if it is wrong

Thanks in advance.

Whatever your motivation, in addition to getting this from someone who is fluent in Japanese, get a quality tattoo artist.

well yea, totoos are the preserve of the emotionaly imature or people in crisis, its also fairly likly that if or when they gain emotional maturity and stop being in crisis they regret it, this is a poll of the numerous peopke i know with tatoos.
.this of course depends on what they have had tatooed and where as to how much they regret it and how soon.

grown men or women who are proud of their tatoos are rare and are all most with out question at the lower end of the iq curve

this is self evidently true if you look around and mingle in circles where tats are the norm

You....are.....so.....precious!

 

[Graywalker]

well yea, totoos are the preserve of the emotionaly imature or people in crisis, its also fairly likly that if or when they gain emotional maturity and stop being in crisis they regret it, this is a poll of the numerous peopke i know with tatoos.
.this of course depends on what they have had tatooed and where as to how much they regret it and how soon.

grown men or women who are proud of their tatoos are rare and are all most with out question at the lower end of the iq curve

this is self evidently true if you look around and mingle in circles where tats are the norm

I can't even begin to explain how ignorant this statement is. The only people I see that regret this are and have always been posers.

 

[jobo]

I can't even begin to explain how ignorant this statement is. The only people I see that regret this are and have always been posers.

well clearly lot and lots of people regret them, otherwise there would not be a multibillion dollar tattoo removal industy

 

[Ivan]

well clearly lot and lots of people regret them, otherwise there would not be a multibillion dollar tattoo removal industy

That doesn't mean I will regret it myself. And if I do, that is my mistake to make, and not yours to correct.

 

[jobo]

That doesn't mean I will regret it myself. And if I do, that is my mistake to make, and not yours to correct.

well you can carve a swastika on your forehead with a hunting knife if you want, id council against it, as you havent ywt made the mistake, i cant correct it, problem you cant when youve done it either,

as you wont take caring advice in the spirit is was given, i think il just mock you for being dumb as a bag of rocks

so if these are only for you, why are they in japanese, which you clearly dont read and why does it matter if they are spelt right, when you cant read them anyway ?

 

[Ivan]

well you can carve a swastika on your forehead with a hunting knife if you want, id council against it, as you havent ywt made the mistake, i cant correct it, problem you cant when youve done it either,

as you wont take caring advice in the spirit is was given, i think il just mock you for being dumb as a bag of rocks

You're calling me dumb because I don't agree with you, and then proceed to equate the writing of a modern language on my back to a hate symbol on my forehead. Putting aside the plethora of errors you make every time you write, do you see how ironic it is to call me dumb?

 

[jobo]

You're calling me dumb because I don't agree with you, and then proceed to equate the writing of a modern language on my back to a hate symbol on my forehead. Putting aside the plethora of errors you make every time you write, do you see how ironic it is to call me dumb?

qed, your getting a tattoo in a languidge you dont speak, how is that not dumb ?

 

[Ivan]

qed, your getting a tattoo in a languidge you dont speak, how is that not dumb

Because I am getting the tattoo in the language of where the martial arts I have trained are from?

 

[jobo]

Because I am getting the tattoo in the language of where the martial arts I have trained are from?

that all right then makes perfect sense,

you still cant read what they say though