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愛 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
愛àito love, to like, to be fond of; love, affectionzg, 13 strokes, radical 心
ài(ai4)ai T4
  1. 1to love, to like, to be fond of; love, affection
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March 24, 2026

愛ài(ai4)

The character 愛 (ài) means 'to love' or 'to like,' encompassing a range of affections from romantic love to deep fondness. It is commonly used in contexts related to relationships, emotions, and expressions of care, making it a vital term in everyday conversations about feelings.

Strokes13Radical心
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, the concept of love is often expressed more subtly than in Western cultures, where grand gestures are common. The phrase '我爱你' (Wǒ ài nǐ) is used sincerely but may be reserved for serious relationships.

Memory tip

Imagine the character 愛 as a heart (the symbol of love) wrapped in a warm embrace. The radical for 'heart' (心) is found within the character, highlighting that love comes from the heart. To remember the pronunciation, think of 'I' (sounds like 'ài') loving someone dearly.

Meanings of 愛

ài(ai4)
1to love, to like, to be fond of; love, affection
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 愛 means.

About 愛

愛Simplified
13Strokes
心Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 愛

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Podcast: 愛

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AI study notes for 愛

Quick Contrast

喜 (xǐ) - use 愛 (ài) when expressing deeper emotional attachment, while 喜 (xǐ) indicates a more casual liking or enjoyment.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 愛 with other similar terms of affection such as 喜欢 (xǐhuān, to like). While 愛 is stronger and more intimate, 喜欢 is more casual. Be aware of the tone; using the wrong tone can change the meaning entirely, so practice the fourth tone for 愛.

HSK Study Tips

While 愛 is not part of the official HSK vocabulary list, understanding it is crucial for emotional expression in Mandarin. It connects with other verbs related to feelings and relationships, so students should focus on combining it with adjectives to describe the type of love.

Common Mistakes

Learners often misuse 愛 in casual settings, thinking it can replace 喜欢. For example, saying '我爱这个电影' (Wǒ ài zhège diànyǐng) should be corrected to '我喜欢这个电影' (Wǒ xǐhuān zhège diànyǐng) for 'I like this movie.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 愛

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Etymology of 愛

Formation typeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Explanation

Simplified form of 愛.

Memory hint

To bring a lover 心 into one's house 冖

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

What kind of character is 愛?

Decomposition of 愛

IDS Structure⿱⿱爫⿱冖心夂
愛Full character
=
爫zhao3
top
冖mi4
top
心xin1
bottom
夂zhi3
Exercise 1 of 3

Parts

Which of these is part of 愛?

How to say to love, to like, to be fond of; love, affection in Chinese

“to love, to like, to be fond of; love, affection” in Chinese is愛ài

The character 愛 (ài) means 'to love' or 'to like,' encompassing a range of affections from romantic love to deep fondness. It is commonly used in contexts related to relationships, emotions, and expressions of care, making it a vital term in everyday conversations about feelings.

When to use 愛

Learners often confuse 愛 with other similar terms of affection such as 喜欢 (xǐhuān, to like). While 愛 is stronger and more intimate, 喜欢 is more casual. Be aware of the tone; using the wrong tone can change the meaning entirely, so practice the fourth tone for 愛.

愛 or something close to it

喜 (xǐ) - use 愛 (ài) when expressing deeper emotional attachment, while 喜 (xǐ) indicates a more casual liking or enjoyment.

What learners get wrong

Learners often misuse 愛 in casual settings, thinking it can replace 喜欢. For example, saying '我爱这个电影' (Wǒ ài zhège diànyǐng) should be corrected to '我喜欢这个电影' (Wǒ xǐhuān zhège diànyǐng) for 'I like this movie.'

Write 愛

愛

Practice writing 愛 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

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Word Family of 愛

Words containing this character20
爱àito love愛
亲爱qīnàidear親愛
可爱kě’àiadorable可愛
爱情àiqíngromance愛情
恋爱liàn’ài(romantic) love戀愛
爱上to fall in love with愛上
爱心àixīncompassion愛心
热爱rè’àito adore熱愛
喜爱xǐ’àito like喜愛
爱人àirenspouse (PRC)愛人
爱好àihàoto like愛好
做爱to make love做愛
相爱to love each other相愛
爱尔兰Ireland愛爾蘭
爱国àiguópatriotic愛國
性爱sex性愛
爱好者amateur愛好者
关爱guān’àito show concern and care for關愛
心爱xīn’àibeloved心愛
爱护àihùto cherish愛護
Exercise 1 of 4

Characters with 愛

What does 爱 mean?

Frequently asked questions about 愛

You can say '我爱你' (Wǒ ài nǐ) to express 'I love you'.

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