Someone thought "outsider" sounded cool and rebellious. The Chinese characters they got basically say "I am a clueless tourist."
The Story
"I wanted to be a mysterious outsider. I became a permanent tourist instead."
Being an "outsider" sounds cool in English – it evokes images of lone wolves, rebels, mysterious figures who don't conform to society. James Dean. The Outsiders. Cool.
So naturally, someone wanted this concept tattooed in Chinese. What they got was 老外 (lǎo wài), which means... "foreigner." Specifically, it's casual slang Chinese people use to refer to non-Chinese people, particularly Westerners.
The Linguistic Breakdown
- 老 (lǎo) = Old (but here used as a casual prefix)
- 外 (wài) = Outside, foreign
- 老外 = Foreigner (colloquial, somewhat informal)
While 老外 isn't necessarily offensive, it's definitely not the "mysterious outsider" vibe anyone was going for. It's more like walking around with a t-shirt that says "TOURIST" or "NOT FROM HERE."
The Irony
The ultimate irony: getting this tattoo essentially proves you're a 老外 who doesn't understand Chinese culture or language. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy of cluelessness.
What They Actually Wanted
For a "mysterious outsider" or "lone wolf" vibe:
- 独行者 (dú xíng zhě) = Lone traveler, solitary one
- 异类 (yì lèi) = Different kind, nonconformist
- 浪人 (làng rén) = Wanderer, ronin
- 局外人 (jú wài rén) = Outsider (to a situation)
Key Takeaways
- Slang terms have cultural baggage
- The "coolness" of a word doesn't translate
- Some tattoos make you look exactly like what you didn't want to be