Chinese Symbol for Patience

忍

rěn

patience, endurance

7 strokes

Meaning

To endure, to bear, to hold back. It is the patience of putting up with something hard.

心 (heart), with 刃 (rèn, a blade) giving the sound. It is popularly read as "a blade over the heart": holding still even when it hurts.

Stroke order data: Make Me a Hanzi / hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License)

忍耐 rěnnài patience, to endure

容忍 róngrěn to tolerate

忍不住 rěnbuzhù cannot help (doing)

忍 is a very popular tattoo. Note that it can also feel like "putting up with", not the calm patience of 耐心 (patience).