紋身 / 纹身
man⁴ san¹
The English word 'tattoo' is 紋身 / 纹身 (man⁴ san¹) in Cantonese. Wiktionary also lists 刺青 (ci³ ceng¹).
Meaning: an image made in the skin with ink and a needle (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 紋身 / 纹身 | man⁴ san¹ |
| 刺青 | ci³ ceng¹ |
The term 紋身 / 纹身 refers to an image made in the skin with ink and a needle. It can be used as a noun to refer to the tattoo itself, or as a verb to describe the act of tattooing someone.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 紋身 / 纹身 literally means 'patterned body'.
Which one should you use?
紋身 / 纹身 is the most common everyday term used by speakers. In contrast, 刺青 is a more formal or literary way to refer to a tattoo.
How do you pronounce it?
man⁴ san¹
Did you know?
- The formal term 刺青 literally means 'piercing green', reflecting the traditional use of indigo-based inks in East Asia.
- Historically, some tattoos in the region were used as 'punishment tattoos' (刺面), where criminals were branded on the face to permanently mark their crimes.
- While 紋身 is the standard term, some elderly Cantonese speakers may avoid it in formal settings due to a long-standing cultural stigma associating tattoos with 'unfilial' behavior.
Examples in context
- 你有冇紋身？Do you have a tattoo?
- 你對刺青有冇興趣？Are you interested in tattoos?
- 你有冇咩紋身圖案呀？Do you have any tattoo designs?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tattoo” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
