# Be always yourself!



## siphodias

Hi, I want to print a t-shirt with this sentence (be always yourself)

总是自在点

is it correct?

thank you in advance


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## viajero_canjeado

Good thing you didn't get this as a tattoo already! 总是自在点 would be something like "always being a little more free". It doesn't match the original, and sounds kind of weird..

For the phrase "always be yourself", maybe a better translation would be 不管怎樣都要做你自己 or 一定要做你自己!
Let's hope some native speakers will contribute their thoughts as well~


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## xiaolijie

Since tattooing is painful, you'll need something shorter , like: 
坚持做自己！


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## 10rraine

I remind one sentence which like always be yourself , that is I am who I am , I will translate 我就是我, simple and clear.
But this sentence without the meaning always. If I translate always be yourself , I will write in 堅持自我（traditional）坚持自我（simplified）, I suggest you may print in tradition Chinese because it is more classic.

Sorry for my poor English , hope you can understand.

總是 or 总是 It have a similar meaning as always but not a perfect match . In your senstence you can write it in 总是 .
自在 In Chinese it means make youself comfortable but saldom means be yourself . The meaning of 自在 is it your sentence original meaning ?


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## siphodias

thank you all,
it's not a tattoo 
@10rraine i understood, don't worry. 自在 isn't good for me, i want to use (be always yourself) like a life-trick: whatever the people says or thinks, you have to be always yourself!


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## viajero_canjeado

10rraine said:


> I remind one sentence which like always be yourself , that is I am who I am , I will translate 我就是我, simple and clear.
> But this sentence without the meaning always. If I translate always be yourself , I will write in 堅持自我（traditional）坚持自我（simplified）, I suggest you may print in traditional Chinese because it is more classic.



我就是我 means "I am me" or "I am who I am". It's a profound statement to be sure, but doesn't mean the same thing as the original. 堅持自我 is a bit closer: insist on [being] self. Even so, for siphodias's present needs it still seems best to include 做你自己, because that's practically a one-to-one translation:
總要做你自己
不管，做你自己
管他的。做你自己!
無論如何，做你自己



siphodias said:


> it's not a tattoo  Good thing!
> @10rraine i understood, don't worry. 自在 isn't good for me, i want to use (be always yourself) like a life-trick: whatever the people says or thinks, you have to be always yourself!



Having it printed on a t-shirt gives us a lot less pressure . Also, space limitation isn't as important. Just remember in English it sounds better to say "always be yourself".


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## SuperXW

Or 我就是我。(I am who I am.)


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## 10rraine

viajero_canjeado said:


> 我就是我 means "I am me" or "I am who I am". It's a profound statement to be sure, but doesn't mean the same thing as the original. 堅持自我 is a bit closer: insist on [being] self. Even so, for siphodias's present needs it still seems best to include 做你自己, because that's practically a one-to-one translation:
> 總要做你自己
> 不管，做你自己
> 管他的。做你自己!
> 無論如何，做你自己
> 
> 
> 
> Having it printed on a t-shirt gives us a lot less pressure . Also, space limitation isn't as important. Just remember in English it sounds better to say "always be yourself".



I like the sentence 做你自己 also simple and clear.
I think 4 letters are enough to print on a t-shirt.
People need to take more time to read the longer sentence.
By the way , 總要做你自已 , 管他的。使你自己(spoken Chinese) , 無論如何，做你自已 are good translation.


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## viajero_canjeado

10rraine said:


> I like the sentence 做你自己 also simple and clear.
> I think 4 letters are enough to print on a t-shirt. Chinese love the four-character phrases! Using this format automatically gives a vintage "Chinese" feel to any statement, no matter the content.
> People need to take more time to read the longer sentence. You're right - it's always a hassle reading short novels on someone's t-shirt..
> By the way , 總要做你自已 , 管他的。使(打錯字了吧?)你自己(spoken Chinese) , 無論如何，做你自已 are good translation.



By the way, welcome to the forum 10rraine! 請您今後常來與我們合作~


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## 10rraine

打錯字了，應該是管他的，做你自己。

Thank you. 

一起分享所知所學 ：）



siphodias said:


> thank you all,
> it's not a tattoo
> @10rraine i understood, don't worry. 自在 isn't good for me, i want to use (be always yourself) like a life-trick: whatever the people says or thinks, you have to be always yourself!



(whatever the people says or thinks, you have to be always yourself.)
I think 堅持已見is more suitable in your case.
堅持 means to insist on ; to keep on ; to stand on
You may write 堅持已見 in other way ,such as 堅持已見（ can be derogatory , be careful to use this word) or 擇善固執（commendatory, an idiom)

擇善固執 *zé shàn gù zhí 择善固执
【解释】对认为正确的事就坚持执行。to choose what is good and hold fast to it.


*


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## siphodias

Thank you all again!
I see that it's not so easy ehehe...
I like 堅持自我
Do you think is it clear enought? Or is better 我就是我, not a "perfect" translation but easier to catch?


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## 10rraine

Oh, sorry! It should be I think 堅持自我 is more suitable in your case. I have typed it wrong. 
I am who I am 我就是我, people may not catch your deep meaning is no matter how people says just be yourself.
Some of them may think , of course I know you are who you are , but so what ?

I am sure there are better sentence can replace 堅持自我. But I don't have new idea right now. Does anyone have another idea?


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## Miyazakehime

siphodias said:


> thank you all,
> it's not a tattoo
> @10rraine i understood, don't worry. 自在 isn't good for me, i want to use (be always yourself) like a life-trick: whatever the people says or thinks, you have to be always yourself!


This remind me of a saying by Dante Alighieri which is translated into Chinese and become quite popular among us.
It's 走自己的路，让别人说去吧。（directly it's"walk on your own way and ignore what others say."）
If I want to translate "be always yourself",the direct way 做你自己 is well enough


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## Miyazakehime

As for 择善固执
Well, I think this is so literary that it is not fit on T-shirt(unless siphodias' shirt has to be of many Chinese traditional element)
择善固执 sound like a four-character Chinese saying from a Confucianists' classic,which is not often seen in daily life but compositions or Chinese language exam.
I don't think the public will appreciate it especially the youth.

In addition,固执 itself means obstinate or stubborn which may confuse the foreigners.


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## 10rraine

Yes, nowadays 固執 is a Derogatory term.
Not many native know what is 擇善固執 as well.

Between 堅持自我 and 做你自己, 做你自己 like a native Chinese , 堅持自我 like a Westernised Chinese.


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