Question about my tattoo

Customer · Post by **Customer** » Nov 4, 2007 9:59 am

Can you please look at this tattoo and tell me his meaning?

I would REALLY appreciate it!!!

http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d143/ ... uff012.jpg

Thanks so much!!

Julie

Post by **Gary** » Nov 4, 2007 10:25 am

The first character means "birth" or "life" in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Hanja.

The second character means "appearance", "present", "now" "existing" or "current" in Chinese, Japanese and Korean Hangul.

Here's the problem:
Together, these characters do not make a real or common word in CJK languages. I am guessing that somebody made it up.

Oddly, in reverse order, this would make a colloquial term that means "real money" or "cash" in Japanese.

Disclaimer: Please note that while I studied Japanese for a few years, Chinese is our real specialty. I can not say for sure that this is not a rare word in Japanese. I can say for sure that it is not a common "dictionary word" in Japanese.

Cheers,
-Gary.