Chinese symbol for peace
The Chinese symbol for peace, in the sense of peace of mind, is 安然 (ān rán), the same in simplified and traditional writing. 和平 almost always means peace as the absence of war. Duane checked this reading. The picture is a sample stencil, not a design made for your own words, but feel free to download it if it suits your needs.
Characters
Simplified is mainly used in mainland China and Singapore. Traditional is used in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and classic Chinese calligraphy, including Ou style (歐體). Readers in all these places generally recognize either.
For this word, the simplified and traditional forms look the same.
Simplified and traditional look the same here.
Classic uses 汇文正楷 (Huiwen Zhengkai). It is a modern font copied from 汉文正楷 (Hanwen Zhengkai), a regular script (楷书) metal type used to print books and papers in China in the early 1900s. It was copied from a printed sample sheet of the small size of that type. The slightly rough edges and small nicks are marks of that old printing, not mistakes. Smooth uses LXGW WenKai, a newer font with clean edges. Prefer smoother strokes? Choose Smooth, or just ask.
This sample uses 汇文正楷 (Classic) or LXGW WenKai (Smooth), both regular script (楷书) fonts. Both are in the same brush-style family as the 欧体 Duane has practiced since childhood, but neither is 欧体 and neither is his own brush writing. Want it closer to classic 欧体 calligraphy? Choose Hand-brushed by Duane in the form.
Meaning
安然 is inner peace, the feeling of being at ease. 心安 (xīn ān) is a heart that feels settled. 淡然 (dàn rán) is a calm, light way of meeting things, without being pulled around by them. These three look the same in simplified and traditional writing.
Common mistakes
和平 on its own almost always means peace as the absence of war. That is misleading for a peace-of-mind tattoo. 平 alone means flat, level, or ordinary. It does not mean peace.
Also check the final stencil before you ink: a flipped (mirrored) character, a look-alike with one stroke changed, or a whole English sentence put through a machine translator are the mistakes Chinese readers spot first. See how to avoid a wrong Chinese tattoo.
Before you tattoo this
Say whether you want to feel at ease, to have a settled heart, or to meet life calmly. Those are 安然, 心安, and 淡然.
Want this in your own words or name? Tell Duane the meaning you're after.
Checked by Duane, who grew up in China and lives in Ottawa. About Duane. Reviewed .