Japanese name Mari in kanji for tattoo

Need a help with that... I want to make a tattoo of the name Mari in kanji... but I'm not sure if I can trust anywhere on the web to find the right way to write it (or I could end up with something entirely different tattooed on me)... So what is the right way to write it?

Thank you very much for your help! :)

There are many posdible ways.

And yet you trust japan-guide for it (-.-;)

As mention, there are many ways to write kanji for MARI.Each has different meanings and usage.

For a start maybe a little info such as what does the name MARI mean ?
Also is it a male or female name?
Relation to you?

Then maybe someone can come up with kanji that have the same/near meaning.

If this is the name of a Japanese person then you'll have to find out what their exact kanji is, as there are many possibilities. Also be prepared for the possibility that the person doesn't have kanji for their name. In that case you could either ask them to choose one (which is the only really for it to be a "correct" kanji), you could choose one you like, or go in another direction such as choosing the hiragana writing instead.

be prepared for the possibility that the person doesn't have kanji for their name. In that case you could either ask them to choose one

You can?? xD

Sorry, I swapped over mid paragraph to using "Japanese" rather loosely to refer to people of Japanese ancestry rather than nationality... like for example Japanese Americans such as myself that may have Japanese names, but no associated kanji, because they may not have been assigned or were lost over time. In that case, I think the best case would be for them to choose which kanji they would like to adopt (if they want to at all) rather than have someone else assign them one.

yllwsmrf, yes, it dawned to me later on, while taking a walk, that you were refering to people who don't have any Japanese characters adapted to her name in the first place.

That again reminded me about the Chinese. In Japanese, we adapt kana when we don't know the kanji of a certain name or word. On the other hand, my understanding is that the Chinese always use kanji to express any foreign name, because that's all they've got.

The OP might get what (s)he wants by asking at a Chinese forum. Except that you still can't trust any anonymous internet poster. I miss Dave from Saitama who used to recommend Mincho fonts for tattoos ;)

Anyway, I wouldn't want to ruin a beautiful name like Mari by doing something like spelling Merry to express a Marie.

If the original poster wants to tattoo the name of a specific Japanese Mari he knows, then OP must ask her how HER name is written in kanji. A kanji combination for "Mari" different from hers will be taken as a different Mari, and would be awful if, for example, he wants to tattoo the Mari he is in love with.

If she is of Japanese ancestry but does not have kanji for her name Mari, then you can go the phonetic writing, マリ (in katakana) or まり (in hiragana writing). Or it could even be that her name is written in katakana to begin with. I actually do know someone who is Japanese and her name is マリ (written katakana) from the sta

"...from the start." was what I wanted to write at the end of my last post.

I hope this is for a wife, because if it's for a girlfriend, then that's trouble. It's not a recommended thing from the get-to, because it's not in the OPs native language and he's just asking for attention. Second, if it's not for his wife, then he has to live with the tattoo for the long haul, but that's his problem if they break up.

She's an ex-girlfriend and dear friend that I recently lost... so, I'll have no issues having her name on me forever... maybe I'll just go with the katakana or hiragana, to make sure I'm not ruining her name misspelling it...

Yes, I think that would usually be the prudent choice. Sorry for your loss.

Sorry for your loss, Carlos.

If she was that close, you might want to try asking her family to see if her name had any Japanese character versions, including kana.

Meanwhile, a lot of internet users ask the Japanese about kanji, but kana is what the Japanese language is all about. Also, kana is considered feminine than kanji, which is the reason a lot of girl's names are originally in katakana or hiragana.

Kanji is of course beautiful, but kana gives a soft and simple impression which is very beautiful in its own way. More importantly, however, I hope you find a proper tattoo artist who can find the appropriate font for you and engrave it appropriately.