Never Use Google Translate to Generate the Text of Your Tattoo

By John Farrier in Body Modifications on Jan 28, 2010 at 12:53 pm

Good advice, right? Because you wouldn’t want a typo in something permanent. J. Harker, a graduate student in the classics, often gets requests for English to Latin translation by people who want to get tattoos. He has a blog post describing the various errors that people make when attempting to translate a language that they don’t understand, and pictures of the inked results. The text above translates as “He is better as I appear hated on behalf of what I am than as I appear I like on behalf of what not I am.”

Link via reddit


Email This Post
Tweet This Post 
Share This Post on Facebook

Tags: ,


Neat stuff from the NeatoShop:


  1. Criar site
    Jan 28th, 2010 at 1:21 pm

    Cool, Google can wrong too.

  2. The Revolutionary
    Jan 28th, 2010 at 1:28 pm

    If I had a nickel for every time I tattooed a typo in a different language somewhere on my body, I would have enough money to take a bus to a tattoo removal clinic.

  3. Zaulankris
    Jan 28th, 2010 at 1:51 pm

    The fact that it’s lopsided just further adds to the “lol” effect.

  4. Shannon
    Jan 28th, 2010 at 3:04 pm

    I’ve never understood why people want a tattoo in a language they don’t understand… It seems to me like you’d want a deep connection with your tattoos, and for that to happen, you need to understand it.

    I feel like this is what happens when something that should be profound is reduced to posturing… Not that tattoos HAVE TO be profound, but these errors really scream poseur.

  5. Neal
    Jan 28th, 2010 at 3:20 pm

    Even better thought…don’t get a tattoo period.

  6. Manticore
    Jan 28th, 2010 at 5:46 pm

    Even better, get tattoos that aren’t words!

  7. Vic
    Jan 28th, 2010 at 9:59 pm

    Who cares? These people don’t. They were stupid enough to get a tattoo in a language they don’t speak. I speak several languages, and I make grammatical errors in everyone! These people get to show their friends and sound smart as they translate the profound message.

  8. tsevenut
    Jan 28th, 2010 at 11:01 pm

    I just figured out my next tattoo!

    “Lorem ipsum dolor est…”

    In braille.

  9. tsevenut
    Jan 28th, 2010 at 11:02 pm

    Er.

    …dolor sit…

    too much wine…

  10. ted
    Jan 28th, 2010 at 11:08 pm

    It is better to be hated for what I am than loved for what I am not? I think that’s what he was going for.
    That’s a stupid phrase for a tattoo, anyways.

    The whole idea of using Latin is because it sounds important and mystical to people.

    That’s why magicians used pretend Latin phrases, like “abra-cadabra” and “hocus-pocus”. It was the awing effect of the fake Latin.

    That’s why you always see Latin in horror movies.

  11. theindiestonerdude
    Jan 29th, 2010 at 10:02 am

    I know some dude that says that he has egg-fried rice on his arm. I can’t be sure it actually does, because I don’t speak chinese!

  12. chas
    Feb 1st, 2010 at 11:01 am

    Google doesn’t translate Latin, the last I checked. He must have gotten his mistranslation from some other source. Not that it matters, really.


Keep track of the comments with Comment RSS

Don't Miss: New Stuff | Bestsellers | The Cute Store
                   Funny T-Shirts

Need a gift? Get unforgettable gifts for:
Geeks | Pranksters | Kids | Hipsters | Shutterbugs

Lijit Search

Old school? Bookmark us! RSS Feed Twitter Facebook Page