Two best friends got matching Chinese tattoos to symbolize their bond. Instead of friendship, they got characters meaning "ugly" and "shameful."
The Story
"We got matching BFF tattoos. Mine says ugly."
Two best friends decided to cement their bond with matching Chinese character tattoos. They wanted something that represented their deep friendship, their connection, their loyalty to each other.
One of them ended up with 丑 (chǒu), which means "ugly."
The Character
- 丑 (chǒu) = Ugly, hideous, shameful
- Used in: 丑陋 (ugly), 丑闻 (scandal), 出丑 (to embarrass oneself)
There is absolutely no connection between this character and friendship. This appears to be either:
- A deliberate prank by whoever provided the "translation"
- A mix-up with a completely different character
- Looking at the wrong line in a dictionary
What Friendship Actually Looks Like
Proper Chinese characters for friendship:
- 友 (yǒu) = Friend
- 友谊 (yǒu yì) = Friendship
- 友情 (yǒu qíng) = Friendly feelings, friendship
- 挚友 (zhì yǒu) = Best friend, close friend
The Devastating Irony
Imagine the moment of discovery:
"Hey, what does your tattoo actually say?"
"...it says ugly."
"But we got matching ones..."
"..."
Key Takeaways
- Never trust a random source for translations
- Both people should verify before getting matching tattoos
- If it seems too easy, it's probably wrong