How can I say...?

[MeGaBiTe]

My girlfriend really want tatto means "Angels do not sleeping".
Is that japan version correct? Which one?:

天使は寝ていない。
天使は眠ってない
天使は眠らない
不寝天使

Thanks a lot .

[MissMisa]

'Angels do not sleeping' doesn't even make sense in English. I'm not sure about the Japanese, someone will be along to help soon more than likely.

[MeGaBiTe]

...or something like Angels dont sleep :/

[MissMisa]

Originally Posted by MeGaBiTe

...or something like Angels dont sleep :/

Yeah that's right

[kenshiromusou]

Hum, I would use:
"Tenshi wa nemurimasen." (天使は眠りません)
Please, wait for more versed people.

[KyleGoetz]

Originally Posted by MeGaBiTe

My girlfriend really want tatto means "Angels do not sleeping".
Is that japan version correct? Which one?:

天使は寝ていない。
天使は眠ってない
天使は眠らない
不寝天使

Thanks a lot .

Those are all either hideous or wrong. I would suggest not getting any tattoo. It's pretty much guaranteed the artist will screw it up even if he has the correct translation. see: Hanzi Smatter 一知半解

Also I consider getting a tattoo in a language you do not speak as being borderline racist (exception may be made of course if you are expressing your own cultural heritage). Your girlfriend is objectifying an entire culture or two, and that is offensive.

[MeGaBiTe]

So now I dont know what I can do . My girl want this tattoo, is that hard say "Angels dont sleep" in jp?

so, version 天使は眠りません mean what?

[KyleGoetz]

Tell your girlfriend she's an idiot for wanting a tattoo in a language she doesn't speak, and she's being borderline racist by objectifying a culture like that.

We get tattoo requests here all the time. We don't like to help because it's stupid to get kanji tattoos about 99% of the time.

Go to this website and see why: hanzismatter.com

Even if you get a correct translation, it will almost undoubtedly get messed up by the tattoo artist anyway, looking ugly forever.

[duo797]

Originally Posted by kenshiromusou

Hum, I would use:
"Tenshi wa nemurimasen." (天使は眠りません)
Please, wait for more versed people.

I think this is a nice try, but unless I'm horribly wrong this is actually more like 'The angel isn't asleep'. Also, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong as I very well could be on this part, you might want to use 寝る when you're saying 'to sleep' instead of the verb you chose.

Also, Kylegoetz, while I agree with your sentiment about the futility of getting a tattoo in language that isn't your own or you don't even know, I think you could tone down the anger a bit. I understand that it's annoying how tattoo requests get posted fairly often here, but telling someone to call their significant other an idiot is a poor way to deal with the situation. My experience with the internet is that starting such an argument is almost never ever fulfilling.

[kenshiromusou]

Duo797, I was not sure about, so I was waiting for more versed people.
Weird, I think I saw "nemuri" already reading mangas.
Anyway, you must be right, my NJStar does not show this difference between acceptions.
I said the same thing to KyleGoetz; he's very skilful, but he's irascible. If he does not like people that want tattoo, if he thinks it's racism, he shouldn't to participate in.