New Members antonio.parra Posted March 28, 2026 at 09:42 PM New Members Report Posted March 28, 2026 at 09:42 PM Good evening everyone: Recently I came across the expression 歲寒知松柏 (simplified: 岁寒知松柏), which apparently comes from Classical Chinese and can be translated as “In the cold of winter, one comes to know the pine and the cypress.” (meaning that in times of difficulty, a person’s true character is revealed, considering that during winter the pine and cypress, unlike deciduous trees, do not lose their leaves). The other day I got it tattooed, and now I’m not sure whether I made the right choice or if it might seem ridiculous if I travel to China or if any Chinese person sees it in my country. Could any Chinese person answer my question? Or have I misunderstood the meaning of the tattoo? It would have been a good idea to ask here before getting it, but it didn’t occur to me until after it was already done... Thank you in advance (and crossing fingers)! Quote
Tomsima Posted March 30, 2026 at 08:19 PM Report Posted March 30, 2026 at 08:19 PM The meaning of the tattoo is correct, and the brushwork is pretty good if you ask me, though it has been done in a typically Japanese style (not particularly important, just interesting to note). The size of the characters and the oldness of the phrase will perhaps raise a few eyebrows, but that's about it id say... could be a good conversation starter, you never know! 2 Quote
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