Someone born under the Cancer zodiac sign wanted to celebrate their astrological identity. They accidentally got the word for the deadly disease tattooed instead.
The Story
"I'm a proud Cancer. My tattoo says I have terminal illness."
People born between June 21 and July 22 are astrologically "Cancer" – the Crab. Many are proud of their zodiac sign and want it commemorated in a tattoo.
One person typed "Cancer" into a translator and got 癌症 (ái zhèng).
That's not the zodiac sign. That's cancer the disease.
The Linguistic Reality
In English, "Cancer" refers to:
- The zodiac sign (constellation/astrology)
- The disease (malignant tumor)
In Chinese, these are completely different words:
- 巨蟹座 (jù xiè zuò) = Cancer zodiac sign (literally "Giant Crab Constellation")
- 癌症 (ái zhèng) = Cancer the disease
Why This Is Particularly Bad
Having 癌症 (cancer/disease) tattooed on your body is horrifying to Chinese speakers because:
- It's associated with death and suffering
- Cancer is still heavily stigmatized in many Asian cultures
- It looks like you're declaring you have terminal cancer
- Or worse, wishing cancer upon yourself
The Correct Way
For zodiac signs in Chinese:
- 巨蟹座 (jù xiè zuò) = Cancer
- 白羊座 (bái yáng zuò) = Aries
- 金牛座 (jīn niú zuò) = Taurus
- 狮子座 (shī zi zuò) = Leo
Key Takeaways
- The same English word can have completely unrelated Chinese translations
- Translators default to the most common meaning
- Always specify context when translating