How we verify the characters we publish
Every character page on this site carries the same short line: character data from Unihan, words from the HSK list and CC-CEDICT, wording checked by a native reader. This page explains what each part of that means, and — just as importantly — what we do not claim.
1. Where the character data comes from
| Data | Source | What we use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning, pinyin, stroke count, radical | Unicode Unihan database | The factual fields on each character page |
| Word lists and levels | HSK vocabulary lists | The "words using these characters" table |
| Compound definitions | CC-CEDICT | Meanings shown next to each compound |
These are the same public reference datasets that input methods, dictionaries and language tools rely on. Using them means our fields are checkable — you can look up the same character in the same sources and compare.
2. What the native check actually covers
Data confirms a character's properties; it does not confirm that a phrase reads the way a designer hopes. Our review covers three things a database cannot:
- Is this a real expression? Many two-character combinations are grammatically possible but never actually said. We only present phrases that exist in use.
- Does it read oddly? Some expressions are dated, literary, or carry a tone a non-reader would not expect.
- Is it appropriate for a permanent marking? Phrases about misfortune, parting, or illness are unsuitable regardless of how they look.
3. What we do not guarantee
We would rather say this plainly than let it be discovered later:
- We are not a translation service. If you need a legally or commercially binding translation, use a professional translator.
- A checked character is not a guarantee about your tattoo. Placement, sizing, healing and line quality are the artist's decisions — see our tattoo guide.
- Language changes. Usage and conventions shift; an expression that reads naturally today may read dated in twenty years.
- We can be wrong. If you find an error, we want to know — see below.
4. How to check us
You do not have to take our word for any of it. Three checks anyone can do:
- Look the character up in a Unihan-based dictionary and compare meaning, pinyin and stroke count.
- Search the expression you are considering and see whether it appears in real use — not only in tattoo galleries.
- Show the exact wording to any fluent Chinese reader and ask what it reads like, without telling them what you intended.
5. Reporting an error
If a meaning, pinyin, stroke count or phrase on this site is wrong, tell us through the contact form and put “data correction” in the message. We correct errors and note the change. Corrections that affect a design we have delivered are sent to the customer.
6. What we collect
The reference pages themselves collect nothing — there is no analytics script, no advertising pixel and no cookie on a character page.
If you use the contact form, we store what you type (name, email, product and message) plus your IP address, which is used only to rate-limit the form against abuse. We keep the submission so we can reply and, if you order, so we can deliver. We do not sell it or share it beyond delivering your request.
To have a submission deleted, send a request with “data deletion” in the message and we will remove it. The store's own policy for physical orders (payment and shipping data) is at Privacy Policy.
7. Who writes this
Yusheng Home is a small independent project. The character reference was built from the public datasets above and assembled by the site's maintainers; the phrase review is done by a fluent reader of Mandarin. We are not a language school, a translation agency, or a tattoo studio, and we do not present ourselves as any of those.
Where this method is used
The same check runs across the reference clusters. These starting points show the method applied to characters, names, classical language, fortune traditions and sourcing decisions.
- Chinese tattoo characters and placement
- Chinese name characters and combinations
- Classical Chinese sayings in context
- Chinese fortune methods and limits
- China sourcing and supplier checks
Browse the reference with this in mind — every claim on a character page is checkable against the sources listed above.
See the character reference →· Yusheng Home Editorial Team