Difference between 七転び八起き and 七転八起


I really need someones help and PRONTO!! So I have finally decided my next
Japanese Kanji tattoo! :) BUT I got one problem when I was doing some research
on "Fall down seven times, stand up eight." I have found at lest two different
ways of writing it! Can someone please help me figure out the if they're both
right and have the same meaning?

1) 七転び八起き (probably most common)

or

2) 七転八起 (most preferred since its shorter)

Are they both correct? Does the shorter one still has the same meaning and
could it be understood as the first one?

Thanks! ;)




The longer one is the normal way to express this idea in everyday speech and
writing, but it also means it looks fairly "mundane" to the eyes of native
speakers.

The shorter one is less common but is still safely understood. Importantly,
七転八起 is a [yoji-jukugo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yojijukugo), which means
it has a certain aesthetic quality. (Also see
[this](https://www.tofugu.com/japanese/yojijukugo-idioms/).) Generally
speaking, yoji-jukugo without any hiragana look more authentic/traditional (or
sometimes even "mystic"). For example, they are more suitable in a hanging
scroll of a karate dojo, or as a traditional-style company slogan. I'm not
saying I'm a fan of kanji tattoos, but if I had to choose one, I would go with
七転八起.

