Today I received another request for a translation of a few English phrases into Arabic for the purpose of an Arabic tattoo:
Hi Max,
I have been reading your blog from australia and its fantastic, i really enjoy it. I noticed that you did a translation for one of your readers. I was wondering whether you could do the same for me. I would really love to learn Arabic but am a bit flat out right now, but its something i would love to learn one day. I have been through a rough time lately and i want to get a tattoo (in my favourite language Arabic) to symbolise this.
The words i would love you to translate are;
From strength comes courage
Never give up
Unbreakable
My family, my heart, whom I love and cherish, I will protect foreverI hope thats not too much to ask
Millie
Unfortunately I’m rather busy currently, so I can only translate a selection this time. Hope you understand Millie.
Never give up
There are a few ways of saying this. I’ll try to make the nuances as clear as possible.
1. لا تستسلم (pronounced la tastaslim)
Literally, this translates as “no (you-)surrender”, i.e. “don’t surrender”. Coincidentally, the verb استسلم(istaslama) has the same root as the word Islam.
Here is the Arabic phrase in three different fonts:
"Don't surrender" in Arabic
2. لا تستسلم أبداً (pronounced la tastaslim ’abadan)
This is essentially the same version as in (1), with the addition of the word أبدا (abadan) which means “never”. So this would translate as “never surrender”.
3. لا تتخلى عن حلمك (pronounced la tatakhalla 3an Hilmik; the “3” sounds like a high-pitched version of the English <a> sound, but from the back of the throat; the “H” is similar to our <h> sound, but with more air and also further back from the throat; the “kh” is the sound in the English “loch” or in the German “ch” in “Sprache”)
This literally means “no (you-)give up on dream(-your)”, i.e. “don’t give up on your dream” or “don’t abandon your dream”.
Below is this sentence formatted in three different fonts and saved as a picture in case your PC mixes up the Arabic letters:
"Don't abandon your dream" in Arabic
4. لا تيأس (pronounced la taya’as)
Literally, “no (you-)despair, or, more elegantly, “don’t despair”.
"Don't despair" in Arabic
5. لا تيأس أبداً (pronounced la taya’as)
The same as in (4), but with the addition of the word word أبدا (abadan) which means “never”. So this would translate as “never despair”.
Unbreakable
In Arabic this concept cannot be captured in one word. The best approximation would be لا ينكسر (la yankasir), which literally translates as “no (it-)break”, or “it doesn’t break”.
It would certainly look odd to just have لا ينكسر (la yankasir) on its own as a tattoo, since everyone would ask themselves just what doesn’t break. So you’d have to think of a slightly longer phrase. For example, الحب الصادق لا ينكسر (al-Hubb aS-Saadiq la yankasir), which would be translated as “true love doesn’t break” or “true love is unbreakable”.
"True love is unbreakable" in Arabic
Strength And Courage
Strength: قوة (qoowa). This can refer to both physical strength and mental strength (e.g. قوة الارادة [quuwat ul-iraada] means “will power”).
Courage: شجاعة (shajaa3a).
If the two words are chosen as a tattoo it would be best to precede them with the article ال (al), so that would result in القوة (al-quuwa) and الشجاعة (ash-shajaa3a).
"Courage" in Arabic
"Strength" in Arabic
I hope this helps you Millie!
Related posts:
Hi! I know you’ve already posted the translation of ”the determination”, and there’s 3 styles, I wanna know if they’re all the same or if there’s one that is more correct than the others. I hope you understand what I mean!
Hi! The only difference is a difference in style. The meaning is the same.
Hi Genie.. just reading through the posts, it seems as if you know what you’re doing. I’m struggling to find the correct arabic translation for “Never back down” and “No excuses”. I would really appreciate the help.
i was wondering if you could translate this for me
Wasted Youth
&
I am Only Human
Hi. My husband is wanting to get mine and our childrens names tattooed on his arms, but I’ve searched for what feels like forever with no luck…could you please help??!!! The names are as follows… Rachel. Richard. Stefan. Louis. Emily. We would really apprciate your help, as he doesn’t want the incorrect spelling, as ‘forever’ is a long time!!! Many thanks
hi Max, I have been reading your blog from the united states and i think the arabic language is gorgeous and i would love a tattoo of my favorite quote in it. The reason i am writing to you is because my best friend speaks arabic and he doesnt know if the phrase will b correct. I noticed that you did a translation for one of your readers. I was wondering whether you could do the same for me. The quote is…
learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow!
Thank you so much in advance! I am very excited to hear back from you!
Brianna
Hi there,
I’m researching arabic lettering for a tattoo.
I would like the phrase “let your conscience be your guide” in arabic down my spine.
Can you please translate this and also let me know, how i would need to alter it to ensure it read properly, running vertically down my back?
Thanks
Clare
Hi Genie Im looking to finish up a tattoo that I have on my forearm of a diamond and I was looking to to get either no break or unbreakable strength to go underneath could you help me out at all
HEY GENIE COULD YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHAT IS “LIVE AND YOU LEARN” IS IN ARABIC !!!!! PLEASE THIS IS MY NEXT TATOO…
hello can you translate never give up hope please!!!! and thank you Jessi
Hi, how do you write “your will be done” in arabic? i got this phrase from the lord’s prayer..
Please Genie ,how can I translate the sentence: blessed by God.
Thank you so mutch!!!
Ciao!!! I am thinking of getting the bible quote ”faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” tattoo but I will love to get it in Arabic characters!!! Also the name ” Cairo” ( just like the capital of Egypt)…..thank you…
Hi, I’ve been searching for a long time how to spell some of these quotes. I will be very thankful if you translate in arabic the sentence “Never back down and be unbreakable”. Thanks a lot!
Hi my name is briana and I wanted to know how to spel Fawzi omar in arabic? Its my uncle and he passed away and I want to gf et his name in arabic
What about translation for I am unbreakable?
hi..could you translate to me in arabic the word..HAVE FAITH….
Abençoada por Deus
hi ther!
please could you translate “follow your heart”
i just got my “strenght” tattoo this week!! and im loving it !!!!!! thanks for this blog!
How do i translate strength?
Hi my name is belle and I am about to get a tattoo next week
Can you please translate
that which doesnt kill me makes me stronger
Hii
ill be getting my tattoo in 2 week can you please translate (Protect me from what I want) and (time will tell)
Hi I have been wanting to get this saying tattooed for ages but I don’t trust the translations I have been given.
فشل أبدا! دائما درسا
Does the above translate to ” Never a failure, Always a lesson” ? if not please could you help me to translate it to the correct translation please
hi max. just wondering if you can help confrim which one is the correct translation for “all we have is now” كل ما لدينا الآن and وكل ما يجري الآن . thank you!
please, someone help me … i need the word ” happiness” in arabic … thanks in advance ( :
Hi! I am getting a tattoo in a few days, and I have been wanting to get a tattoo that says “Strength of will”. I have came across many different translations, and I just wanted to ask you which one of them is right? Please help! Thank you.
قوة الإرادة
قوة الإرادة
You see how some of the letters are switched?
Which one is correct?
Thanks again.
Hi Max I want to get some arabic script on my inner upper arm to go with a guardian angel tattoo on my outer upper arm. I want it to say “to love and protect.” Thanks Max, Kevin.
Hi! Since unbreakable cannot be translated. I want to get unbreakable tattoo but maybe something to say I am unbreakable..something along those lines? Thanks!
Hello, i am Ricardo, i just love your work here.
would you give me the arabic script for ” what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger “, thanks for everything
Hi. I’d like u to translate ” beauty of the soul” for me please
hello !! .. im really interested in a arabic tattoo ” beauty “..i have really been interested for a while now & iam acturally arabic ijust dont know how to write & speak it… but please let me know how to spell ” beauty ” in the arabic symobls in the 3 different fonts if you can please ..thank you
..
@Leigh
I have previously made a calligraphic rendition of this phrase: beauty of the soul in Arabic
Hey guys im Arab…. if you want any help >>>> im here
But may you learn me English too !!!
E-mail address removed for security reasons [ArabicGenie]
Beauty = الجَمال
E-mail address removed for security reasons [ArabicGenie]
what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger = الشَيء الّذي لا يَقتُلني يَجعلُني أقوى
Good luck
E-mail address removed for security reasons [ArabicGenie]
I am unbreakable = أنا لا أُكسَر or لا يُمكِنُكَ كَسرِي or لَن أنكَسر
chose wat u want!
to love and protect = لِتحبّ ولتحمي or للحُب والحِماية or لأُحب وأحمي
the pest one سأُحبك وأحميك
Good luck
If the Arabic letters doesn’t appear in your machine >>> say to me and i’ll try to upload it to you as an image ! so you can see it
قوة الإرادة
قوة الإرادة
Both of them are 100% right
it can be written in a different way like
this قُوّة الإرادَة
or this قـــــوة الإراده
or this too قــــــــ الإرادَة ـــــــوة this is the best for me
happiness means السَّــــعادَة
Beauty of the soul = جَمَال الّرُوحْ or جَمـــــــَـــــــــ الّرُوحْ ــــــــــــــــال
Hi!help me, please!
“I’m happy”, “live love be happy”, “Aigerim- happy soul”
I’m happy = أَنا سَـعِـيدْ or أنــَـــــ سَـعِـيدْ ــــــا
live love be happy = عِـشْ وَ أحِـبْ وكُنْ سَعيداً
Aigerim is just a name !!! so i just wrote it in Arabic letters !
Aigerim- happy soul = آيغِريمْ – الرُوحُ الْسَعـِيـدَة
only good can judge me in arabic for a tattoo
only god can judge me in arabic for a tattoo
Only god can judge me = الله فقطْ يَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ يُحَاكِمَني or لا أحَدْ يُحاكِمُني إلّا الله
GOOD LUCK