Arabic Genie » tattoo

Imperfection is Beauty

ArabicGenie — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:21:25 +0000

Christine asked me to take a look at a translation of “imperfection is beauty” which she obtained from a friend:

لعيب هو الجمال

It seems that this translation is accurate on the whole, but one letter probably got lost when copy and pasting the text. It should read:

العيب هو الجمال

This is pronounced: al-3aeeb huwa l-djamaal

Personally, I would have chosen a slightly different translation, namely:

النقص هو الجمال

This is pronounced: an-naqS huwa l-djamaal

And in picture format:

Arabic: Imperfection is Beauty

Compassion In Arabic

ArabicGenie — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:53:49 +0000

Randa asked for the translation of “compassion” in Arabic.

There are quite a number of Arabic words that have the meaning of “compassion”, for example:
الرأفة (ar-ra’fa)
الشفقة (ash-shafaqa)
الحنان (al-Hanaan)

However, the most standard way of translating compassion is probably الرحمة (ar-raHma). Below is this word in three different fonts:

"compassion" in Arabic

As a side note, this word shares the same root as two words in the opening line of the Koran (1st line of al-faatiHa):

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

The word الرَّحْمَـٰن (ar-raHmaan) is usually translated as “the beneficent”, sometimes as “the merciful”. In essence, however, it means “compassionate” too. This form is usually reserved as one of God’s 99 names in Islam.

The word الرَّحِيم (ar-raHeem) also means “compassionate”. Unlike رحمـان (raHmaan), رحيم (raHeem) is in common usage.

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Family in Arabic

ArabicGenie — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 11:01:18 +0000

Translation of family in Arabic

There are a lot of people asking me how to say “family” in Arabic, both for tattoo design and for general information. Arabic is a very rich language with a rich vocabulary. So it should come as no surprise that there is more than one way to say “family” in Arabic.

Perhaps the most common word for family is عائلة (‘aa’ila). This can refer to both the close family and extended family. The word أسرة (usra) on the other hand is arguably used more frequently to just refer to the immediate family. Another word that is sometimes used to refer to (extended) family is أهل (ahl), which can also refer to a people, kindred, or relatives. The term آل (aal) is similar and it too means (extended) family, kindred or relations.

Apart from the sometimes subtle differences in meaning between عائلة (‘aa’ila) and أسرة (usra), the terms are used interchangeably. Nevertheless, there are differences in usage as regards regions. I would venture as far as saying that عائلة (‘aa’ila) is used more frequently than أسرة (usra) in the dialects of the Levantine region (Syria, Leabanon, Jordan, Palestine/Israel). However, both terms are understood everywhere in all dialects and are also used in written Arabic / Modern Standard Arabic.

My personal preference is to use عائلة (‘aa’ila) in most cases. So here is “family” in Arabic in picture format for all those of you who have trouble displaying Arabic letters on your PC:

"family" in Arabic

In my Arabic Tattoos ebook there are six different high-quality designs for “my family” and four tattoo designs for “I love my family”. You can still get the book for my incredibly low introductory rate, so please feel free to check it out.

If you’re a native speaker, which word do you use to say “family” in Arabic?

No related posts.

Lion-Hearted Girl Tattoo

ArabicGenie — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 21:23:32 +0000

Arabic tattoo design for “lion-hearted girl” as requested by Vicky:

hello, you wouldnt happen to know what ‘lion hearted girl’ would look like in arabic? thank you!

The best translation of this concept is probably بنت ذات قلب الأسد (pronounced bint dhaat qalb ul-asad). This translates literally as ” [a] girl [that] possesses heart of the lion”.

Here is the phrase “lion-hearted girl” in Arabic in five different fonts:

"Lion-Hearted Girl" in Arabic

I hope you like the designs Vicky!

Guardian Angel – Arabic Tattoo

ArabicGenie — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:36:16 +0000

Vanessa asks for the following Arabic tattoo design:

CAN U TRANSLATE GUARDIAN ANGEL IN ARABIC FOR ME PLEASE?!

Sure I can. My first intuition was to translate it as “ملك حارس” (malak Haaris). However, it seems that the alternative spelling “ملاك حارس” (malaak Haaris) is more common. This is partly due to the fact that this latter translation is also the title of a popular song by Ihaab Tawfeeq. While both spellings would be correct, I neverthless prefer the second one, due to its wider popularity.

Arabic Tattoo Design “Guardian Angel”

Below is the Arabic for “guardian angel” in five different fonts. Pick the one you like.

Arabic Tattoo: Guardian Angel

Hope you like the Arabic tattoo designs!

My Name In Arabic: Lily

ArabicGenie — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:19:34 +0000

Update: Check out my new article on Arabic name translations.

Today I received a request for an Arabic tattoo via email from Lizzie:

Hello there

I was on your website and was wondering if you could possibly translate something for me.

I’d like the name ‘Lily’ in Arabic as a tattoo, and was hoping you could help! I’ve looked on plenty of translation websites and the translation which keeps appearing is زنبق but it would be great if you could verify this for me. I know that Arabic is read and written from right to left so I’m not sure if the above translation reads the right way?

Thankyou!

The Arabic translation of the English word “lily” (referring to the flower) is indeed زنبق (pronounced zambaq). However, this is a translation of the word, not a transcription of the name. Generally, when rendering English names into Arabic, one doesn’t go for the meaning of the name, but for the sound of it. So here is how I would transcribe the name “Lily” into Arabic: ليلي . Unfortunately this is also a proper word in Arabic, meaning “in the evening, or nightly”. Additionally, it looks like a misspelling of the Arabic name “Layla” (ليلى).

So the result of this transcription of the name into Arabic is not really ideal. Personally, I’d rethink about getting this name in Arabic as a tattoo.

Nevertheless, here is the name “Lily” in Arabic in four different fonts:

The Name "Lily" In Arabic

In case you would prefer to have the meaning translated and would like to stick with the Arabic word for the flower lily, here it is:

The Arabic Word For The Flower Lily

Sorry I couldn’t be of any more help this time…

Arabic Tattoos – The Latest Celebrity Must-Have

ArabicGenie — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:18:31 +0000

Arabic tattoos are definitively in fashion in the world of the rich and the famous. And I don’t mean temporary tattoos done with henna. This is perhaps surprising, because there are hardly any tattoos to be seen in the Arab World. In the West, however, tattoos have come a long way from the time when they were essentially associated with sailors and soldiers. Nowadays, having a permanent inking on your skin is no longer a sign of low class.

Recently, celebrities like actress Angelina Jolie, football player Zlatan Ibrahimović, and pop star Rihanna have been getting Arabic phrases and words tattooed on their bodies. But, do they really know the meaning of the words they are eternalizing on their skin? Let’s take a look at the tattoos and their meanings:

Angelina Jolie: the firm will

First off is Angelina Jolie who it seems has already filled every inch of her skin with some writing or other. Her latest addition is this Arabic tattoo:

Angelina Jolie's Arabic Tattoo

Taking a closer look we can make out the Arabic word العزيمة (al-‘azeema), meaning “the determination” or “the firm will” on her right forearm. Jolie certainly strikes me as a woman who knows what she wants – so it seems that this tattoo is quite fitting. However, the word can also mean “the incantation” or “the spell”.

While the Arabic script chosen for the tattoo is pretty plain, Angelina (or one of her assistants) has at least done enough research to ensure that the word is spelled correctly – no slipups here.

Zlatan Ibrahimović

Moving on to Zlatan Ibrahimović, the top football player:

Zlatan Ibrahimović's Arabic Tatoo

For those learning Arabic, the tattoo might be pretty confusing. Fear not, the solution is simple: the inscription is simply a transliteration of Ibrahimović’s surname – in Arabic إبراهيموفيج (ibraaheemoofeedj).

Since the Arabic letters don’t correspond one-to-one with our English letters, the tattooist (or someone who speaks fluent Arabic) had to choose something that is as close as possible to the actual pronunciation of the name Ibrahimović. For example, there is no “v” in the Arabic alphabet. The next best thing is the “f” sound.

Maybe the egocentricity demonstrated by Ibrahimović’s choice of word is not to everyone’s taste. But, at least the tattoo is spelled and written correctly.

Rihanna

Finally, let’s see what singer Rihanna has engraved on her waste:

Rihanna's Arabic Tattoo

The Arabic reads الحرية في مسيح (al-horriya fi maseeh), or in English “the freedom in Messiah”. Huh? Seems like Rihanna is quite a religious one, but why hide the message of salvation in Arabic rather than show it off to her (supposedly) bigger English-speaking audience? Perhaps her religious convictions are more of a private thing for her after all?

Well, be that as it may. What is certain, is that the phrase should have read correctly الحرية في المسيح (al-horriya fi al-maseeh), or “the freedom in the Messiah”. Not all is lost, though, since there still is ample space to insert the Arabic article AL before the word Messiah. So, Rihanna, another visit to the tattooist?

If you want to follow the celebrities’ example and get an Arabic tattoo yourself, then make sure that you know exactly the meaning of the words you are engraving for life. Better yet, why not learn the Arabic alphabet yourself so that you can be sure that the words are written correctly?

Watch out for my next post to be published soon on embarrassing errors to avoid when you are getting an Arabic tattoo.

Get over 1400 sizzling hot and accurate Arabic tattoo designs

If you’re looking for accurate and unique Arabic tattoo designs, then check out my new Arabic Tattoos collection.

Update: The second article about Arabic tattoos is up.

Update: If you want to see some good examples of tattoo templates, check out my two blog posts where I fulfill reader requests:

Arabic Tattoos: Happiness And Scorpio

Arabic Tattoos: Never Give Up, Unbreakable, Strength And Courage