愛

Stroke order
13 strokes

愛 (Kangxi radical 61, 心+9, 13 strokes, Cangjie input 月月心水 (BBPE), four-corner 2024₇, composition ⿳爫 冖 𢖻 )

• 薆 (𫉁)
• 僾 (𫣊), 噯 (嗳), 嬡 (嫒), 懓 (𭞄), 曖 (暧), 燰 (𬊺), 璦 (瑷), 皧, 瞹, 鑀 (𰾭), 鱫, 靉 (叆)

• 爱 (Simplified Chinese )

• 𛀃 (Hentaigana character derived from Man'yōgana)

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 395, character 13
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 10947
• Dae Jaweon: page 732, character 2
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2323, character 1
• Unihan data for U+611B

trad.		愛
simp.		爱
alternative forms		㤅 𢙴 𢛭 𢜤 𤔠 㤅 𢙴 𢛭 𢜤 𤔠 𤔤 𢟪 𢖻 要 ("to want" obsolete) Hokkien

Originally written as 㤅 . Phono-semantic compound (形聲  / 形声 , *ʔʕəs): phonetic 旡 (*kəs) + semantic 心 ("heart ").

As early as the Qin dynasty, a redundant component 夊 ("foot") was added to the bottom of the character, as with some other characters depicting people. Compare 憂 (from 㥑 ). Hence, the character changed into 𢙴 .

Further corruption of the top component of 𢙴 turned the original phonetic 旡 into ⿱爫冖.

Based on Baxter's (1992) Old Chinese reconstruction /*ʔɨts/, STEDT suggests that it is from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *ŋ-(w)aːj ("to copulate; to love; to be gentle"). Compare Proto-Karen *ʔai ("to love"), whence Pa'o Karen [script needed] (ʔái, "to love"), S'gaw Karen အဲၣ် (ʼeh̀, "to love"); Southern Bai e44 ("love"); Mizo hma-ngaih ("to love, to like"); Jingpho nwai ("to respect, to love"), ngwi ("to be gentle"); Burmese ငွေ့ (ngwe., "to be gentle, moderate"). The Chinese word is related to a Tibeto-Burman allofam without initial *ŋ-. STEDT states that an Old Chinese reconstruction of /*ʔɨjs/ for 愛 is also possible because Old Chinese rhyming does not provide direct evidence of contacts with *-t.

However, Baxter and Sagart (2014) reconstructs /*[q]ˁə[p]-s/, which ends in *-p-s instead. The Old Chinese contrast between *-p-s and *-t-s was lost at a late stage of Old Chinese . The final *-p is not reflected in the Tibeto-Burman comparandum provided by STEDT, making the likelihood that the Chinese form is related to the rest very low (Sagart, 2019). Behr (2016) suggests a derivation from a verbal root meaning "to draw in; to inhale; to suck in", relating it to 吸 (OC *qh(r)əp, "to inhale"), 欱 (OC *qhˁ[ə]p, "to sip"), 愾 (OC *qhəp-s, "to sigh with regret"), 僾 (OC *qˁəp-s, "to pant"), 氣 (OC *C.qhəp-s, "vapour; breath").

愛 (OC *ʔʕəs) may also be compared with 旡 (OC *kəs) and 噯 (OC *ʔʕəs) ("to choke; to belch"), as well as 慨 (OC *khʕəs) and 嘅 (OC *khʕəs) ("sigh; sighing sound; to sigh with emotion"), perhaps through a semantic development "blocked breath; choking" → "held within; stored inside" → "unable to let go; to cherish; to value" → "to love".(Can this ⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

愛

1. to love

   愛國 /爱国   ―  àiguó  ―  to love one's country; to be patriotic

   我 愛你。/我 爱你。  ―  Wǒ ài nǐ.  ―  I love you.

   • 愛而 不見、搔 首 踟躕。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, trad. ]
     爱而 不见、搔 首 踟蹰。 [Pre-Classical Chinese, simp. ]

     From: The Classic of Poetry , c. 11^th – 7^th centuries BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Ài ér bùjiàn, sāoshǒu chíchú. [Pinyin]

     Loving yet not seeing her, I scratch my head, and walk back and forth in perplexity.

   • 仁 者 愛人,有禮 者 敬 人。愛人 者 人 恆 愛之,敬 人 者 人 恆 敬 之。 [Classical Chinese, trad. ]
     仁 者 爱人,有礼 者 敬 人。爱人 者 人 恒 爱之,敬 人 者 人 恒 敬 之。 [Classical Chinese, simp. ]

     From: Mencius , c. 4^th century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Rén zhě ài rén, yǒulǐ zhě jìng rén. Ài rén zhě rén héng ài zhī, jìng rén zhě rén héng jìng zhī. [Pinyin]

     A benevolent person loves others. A person of propriety shows respect to others. Those who love others are constantly loved by them. Those who respect others are constantly respected by them.

   • 吾 至 愛汝,即 此 愛汝 一 念,使 吾 勇於 就 死 也。 [Classical Chinese, trad. ]
     吾 至 爱汝,即 此 爱汝 一 念,使 吾 勇于 就 死 也。 [Classical Chinese, simp. ]

     From: 1911, Lin Juemin, Farewell Letter to Yiying (《與妻訣別書》)

     Wú zhì ài rǔ, jí cǐ ài rǔ yī niàn, shǐ wú yǒngyú jiù sǐ yě. [Pinyin]

     I love you deeply, and it is this single thought of loving you that enables me to take courage in the face of imminent death.

2. to treasure; to value

   愛面子 /爱面子   ―  ài miànzi  ―  to be sensitive about one's reputation

   • 夏 不 衣 裘,非 愛裘 也,暖 有餘 也。 [Classical Chinese, trad. ]
     夏 不 衣 裘,非 爱裘 也,暖 有余 也。 [Classical Chinese, simp. ]

     From: Lü Buwei, Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals , 239 BCE

     Xià bù yì qiú, fēi ài qiú yě, nuǎn yǒuyú yě. [Pinyin]

     One does not wear fur in summer not because he treasures fur, but because it is already more than warm.

   • 願 大王 毋 愛財物。 [Classical Chinese, trad. ]
     愿 大王 毋 爱财物。 [Classical Chinese, simp. ]

     From: The Records of the Grand Historian , by Sima Qian, c. 91 BCE

     Yuàn dàiwáng wú ài cáiwù. [Pinyin]

     Might I suggest that Your Majesty be not keenly attached to the riches.

3. to like; to be fond of; to be keen on

   他 愛說話。/他 爱说话。  ―  Tā ài shuōhuà.  ―  He likes to talk.

   我 不 愛吃 豬肉。/我 不 爱吃 猪肉。  ―  Wǒ bù ài chī zhūròu.  ―  I don't like to eat pork.

   • 愛之 欲 其 生,惡 之 欲 其 死。 [Classical Chinese, trad. ]
     爱之 欲 其 生,恶 之 欲 其 死。 [Classical Chinese, simp. ]

     From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Ài zhī yù qí shēng, wù zhī yù qí sǐ. [Pinyin]

     You love a man and wish him to live; you hate him and wish him to die.

   • 予 獨 愛蓮 之 出淤泥而不染。 [Classical Chinese, trad. ]
     予 独 爱莲 之 出淤泥而不染。 [Classical Chinese, simp. ]

     From: 1063, Zhou Dunyi, 《愛蓮說》 (On the Love for the Lotus)

     Yú dú ài lián zhī chū yūní ér bù rǎn. [Pinyin]

     What I like about the lotus is the fact that it grows out of pond dregs yet is not caught in the filth.

4. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese ) to begrudge; to be reluctant

   • 申 生 不敢 愛其 死。 [Classical Chinese, trad. ]
     申 生 不敢 爱其 死。 [Classical Chinese, simp. ]

     From: The Book of Rites , c. 4^th – 2^nd century BCE, translated based on James Legge's version

     Shēnshēng bùgǎn ài qí sǐ. [Pinyin]

     I, Shensheng, do not presume to grudge dying.

   • 齊國 雖 褊小,吾 何 愛一 牛? [Classical Chinese, trad. ]
     齐国 虽 褊小,吾 何 爱一 牛? [Classical Chinese, simp. ]

     From: Mencius , c. 4^th century BCE

     Qíguó suī biǎnxiǎo, wú hé ài yī niú? [Pinyin]

     But though Qi be a small and narrow State, how should I grudge one ox?

   • 獨 子 愛其 死 乎? [Classical Chinese, trad. ]
     独 子 爱其 死 乎? [Classical Chinese, simp. ]

     From: Yang Xiong, Fa Yan (Exemplary Sayings), 9 CE, translated based on Jeffrey S. Bullock's version

     Dú zǐ ài qí sǐ hū? [Pinyin]

     Do you alone begrudge your death?

5. to be prone; to be easy to

   愛發脾氣 /爱发脾气   ―  ài fāpíqì  ―  to be short-tempered

   鐵 愛生鏽。/铁 爱生锈。  ―  Tiě ài shēngxiù.  ―  Iron rusts easily.

6. love; affection

   • 世上 決 沒有 無緣無故 的 愛,也 沒有 無緣無故 的 恨。 [MSC, trad. ]
     世上 决 没有 无缘无故 的 爱,也 没有 无缘无故 的 恨。 [MSC, simp. ]

     From: 1942, 毛澤東 (Mao Zedong), 《在延安文藝座談會上的講話》 (Talks at the Yenan Forum on Literature and Art), 《毛澤東選集》. English translation based on the Foreign Languages Press edition

     Shìshàng jué méiyǒu wúyuánwúgù de ài, yě méiyǒu wúyuánwúgù de hèn. [Pinyin]

     There is absolutely no such thing in the world as love or hatred without reason or cause.

7. love; benevolence

   遺愛人間 /遗爱人间   ―  yí'àirénjiān  ―  to leave love behind

8. something one loves; someone whom one loves

   割愛 /割爱   ―  gē'ài  ―  to sacrifice something one loves to someone else

9. Honorific for someone else's daughter; variant of 嬡 /嫒 (ài).

   令愛 /令爱   ―  lìng'ài  ―  your precious daughter

10. beloved

    愛妻 /爱妻   ―  àiqī  ―  beloved wife

    愛將 /爱将   ―  àijiàng  ―  beloved general

11. (Cantonese , Hakka , Wu , Hokkien , Teochew ) to want (an object)

    我 唔 愛咁多。 [Cantonese, trad. ]
    我 唔 爱咁多。 [Cantonese, simp. ]

    ngo⁵ m⁴ oi³ gam³ do¹. [Jyutping]

    I don't want that much.

    • (Can we date this quote?), "快樂希望", 饒瑞軍 (lyrics), 織田哲郎 [Tetsurō Oda ] (music), performed by 龔心怡, cover of ゆめいっぱい [Yume Ippai ]:

      快樂 就 係 想 愛麼個 就 得著 [Sixian Hakka, trad. ]
      快乐 就 系 想 爱么个 就 得着 [Sixian Hakka, simp. ]

      khoai-lo̍k chhiu he sióng oi mak-ke chhiu tet-tó [Pha̍k-fa-sṳ]

      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

12. (Hakka , Min , dated in Cantonese ) to want (to do)
    • 1907, J. Dyer Ball, Cantonese Made Easy, third edition, Singapore: Kelly & Walsh, Limited, page 16:

      蠔、我 愛生食。 [Cantonese, trad. ]
      蚝、我 爱生食。 [Cantonese, simp. ]

      hou⁴, ngo⁵ oi³ saang¹ sik⁶. [Jyutping]

      I want to eat the oysters raw

13. (Hakka , Min ) to need to; must

    有 一 點 愛注意 的。 [Taiwanese Hokkien, trad. ]
    有 一 点 爱注意 的。 [Taiwanese Hokkien, simp. ]

    Ū chi̍t tiám ài chù-ì--ê. [Pe̍h-ōe-jī]

    There's one thing you must bear in mind.

14. (archaic ) alternative form of 薆  / 𫉁 (ài, "ài")

    • 愛而 不 見 [Classical Chinese, trad. ]
      爱而 不 见 [Classical Chinese, simp. ]

      From: c. 7th century BCE , Shijing , 《邶風‧靜女》

      ài ér bù xiàn [Pinyin]

      She hides herself and does not appear.

15. a surname
16. (Internet slang ) to abuse; to harm; to maltreat

    愛貓 ― to abuse cats

• When used for people, 愛/爱 usually refers to romantic love. When used like this, older Mandarin speakers often describe the use of this term as overly 肉麻 (ròumá, "overly romantic; corny; cheesy"). For this reason, the word 喜歡 /喜欢 (xǐhuan, "to like") might be used instead. Using the word 喜歡 /喜欢 (xǐhuan) literally means like, but when used in a romantic context (especially boyfriend/girlfriend), it actually means love. Compare Japanese 好き . However, younger Mandarin speakers, especially those who have been in love for some time, seem to have been influenced somewhat by Western culture, and are now using the verb 愛/爱 much more often than was socially acceptable in the past.

• (to love): (literary, or in compounds) 戀 /恋 (liàn)
• (to like):

• (love):

• (to want an object):

• (to want to do something):

Others:

• →? Proto-Hlai: *ʔəːp ("to love")

• "愛", in 教育部臺灣台語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwanese Taigi ] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2026.

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji )

• Go-on : あい (ai , Jōyō )、お (o )
• Kan-on : あい (ai , Jōyō )
• Kun : いつくしむ (itsukushimu , 愛しむ )、いとしい (itoshii , 愛しい )、いとおしい (itooshii , 愛おしい )、いとおしむ (itooshimu , 愛おしむ )、かなしい (kanashii , 愛しい )、おしむ (oshimu , 愛しむ )、まな (mana , 愛)、めでる (mederu , 愛でる )、うい (ui , 愛い )、うつくしい (utsukushii , 愛しい )
• Nanori : あ (a )、あい (ai )、あし (ashi )、え (e )、かな (kana )、なる (naru )、め (me )、めぐ (megu )、めぐみ (megumi )、よし (yoshi )、ちか (chika )

Kanji in this term
愛
あい Grade: 4
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 愛 (MC 'ojH).

Compare modern Mandarin 愛 /爱 (ài).

• IPA ^(key): [a̠i]
• (Tokyo ) あい [áꜜì] (Atamadaka – [1])^{[1] [2]}

愛(あい ) • (ai ) 

1. love

   愛(あい)は強(つよ)い。

   Ai wa tsuyoi.

   Love is strong.

   愛(あい)は勝(か)つ。

   Ai wa katsu.

   Love wins.

2. affection

   Synonym: 愛情 (aijō)

3. tenderness
4. fondness, liking

   Synonym: 愛想 (aiso)

5. (Buddhism ) attachment, craving, desire ^[3]

   Synonyms: 愛着 (aichaku, aijaku), 渇愛 (katsuai)

• (love, generally more passionate or erotic ): 恋(こい) (koi), 恋愛(れんあい) (ren'ai)

愛(あい ) • (Ai ) 

1. a female given name
2. a surname

愛(あい ) • (ai ) 

1. love
2. (US ) short for 愛州 ("Idaho (a state of the United States )")
   • 1918, 北米年鑑 [The North American Times Yearbook], number 8, Seattle, page 2:

     愛央二州の排日案

     Ai Ō ni shuu no hainichi an

     Idaho, Oregon; two states with anti-Japanese sentiment

Kanji in this term
愛
まな Grade: 4
kun'yomi

Alternative spelling
真

Originally a compound of 真 (ma, "true, genuine ") +‎ な (na), an Old Japanese version of modern Japanese の (no, possessive particle).^[4]

The use of 愛 here is an example of ateji (当(あ)て字(じ) ).

• IPA ^(key): [ma̠na̠]
• (Tokyo ) まな [màná] (Heiban – [0])

愛(まな ) • (mana- ) 

1. before a common noun, expresses a sense of admiration or value : good, genuine; compare English the real deal
2. before a noun describing a person, expresses praise or fondness : dear, beloved

• 愛(まな)弟子(でし) (manadeshi)
• 愛(まな)娘(むすめ) (manamusume)

愛(まな ) • (mana ) 

1. (archaic , derived from prefix sense) something dear or loved

愛(まな ) • (Mana ) 

1. a female given name

Used as nanori in various names. 愛 is a very common element in many names.

愛(あづみ ) or 愛(ああい ) or 愛(あゝい ) or 愛(あいか ) or 愛(あいす ) or 愛(あき ) or 愛(あこ ) or 愛(あみか ) or 愛(あおい ) or 愛(ありさ ) or 愛(あや ) or 愛(あゆ ) or 愛(ちぎり ) or 愛(ちか ) or 愛(ちかし ) or 愛(えりな ) or 愛(はあと ) or 愛(ひかり ) or 愛(いと ) or 愛(いとし ) or 愛(いつみ ) or 愛(いずみ ) or 愛(かな ) or 愛(かなえ ) or 愛(かなさ ) or 愛(きずな ) or 愛(こころ ) or 愛(こゝろ ) or 愛(このむ ) or 愛(まどか ) or 愛(まなぶ ) or 愛(まなみ ) or 愛(めづる ) or 愛(めご ) or 愛(めぐ ) or 愛(めぐみ ) or 愛(めぐむ ) or 愛(めい ) or 愛(なる ) or 愛(なるこ ) or 愛(のぞみ ) or 愛(らぶ ) or 愛(るい ) or 愛(さら ) or 愛(さらん ) or 愛(つぐみ ) or 愛(つくみ ) or 愛(うい ) or 愛(よし ) or 愛(よしき ) or 愛(よしみ ) • (Azumi or Āi or Aika or Aisu or Aki or Ako or Amika or Aoi or Arisa or Aya or Ayu or Chigiri or Chika or Chikashi or Erina or Hāto or Hikari or Ito or Itoshi or Itsumi or Izumi or Kana or Kanae or Kanasa or Kizuna or Kokoro or Konomu or Madoka or Manabu or Manami or Mezuru or Mego or Megu or Megumi or Megumu or Mei or Naru or Naruko or Nozomi or Rabu or Rui or Sara or Saran or Tsugumi or Tsukumi or Ui or Yoshi or Yoshiki or Yoshimi ) 

1. a female given name

From Middle Chinese 愛 (MC 'ojH).

Historical readings
Dongguk Jeongun reading
Dongguk Jeongun, 1448	ᅙᆡᆼ〮 (Yale: qóy)
Middle Korean
Text	Eumhun
	Gloss (hun)	Reading
Hunmong Jahoe, 1527[2]	ᄃᆞᅀᆞᆯ〮 (Yale: dòzól)	ᄋᆡ〯 (Yale: ǒy)

• (SK Standard/Seoul ) IPA ^(key): [ɛ(ː)] ~ [e̞(ː)]
• Phonetic hangul: [애(ː)/에(ː)]
  • Though still prescribed in Standard Korean, most speakers in both Koreas no longer distinguish vowel length.

愛 (eumhun 사랑 애 (sarang ae))

1. hanja form^? of 애 ("love ")

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전/電子字典. [3]

(Fourth grade kyōiku kanji )

• Kun : かなさん (kanasan, 愛さん )

• 眞

Originally a compound of 眞 (ma, "true, genuine ") +‎ な (na, apophonic form of possessive particle の (no₂)).

愛 (mana) (kana まな )

1. something dear or loved
   • c. 759, Man’yōshū , book 14, poem 3462 :

     安志比奇乃夜末佐波妣登乃比登佐波爾麻奈登伊布児我安夜爾可奈思佐

     asi-pi₁ki₂ no₂ yamasapabi₁to₂ no₂ pi₁to₂ sapa ni mana to₂ ipu ko₁ ga aya ni kanasisa

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

• 愛子 (manago₁)
• 愛娘 (manamusume₁)

• Japanese: 愛 (mana-)

愛 (ái)

1. Nôm form of ái ("to love ").

   𦙦𫢱㐌愛㐌於

   Slim là đạ ái đạ ưa

   In my heart, I've already loved and favored

   門亲愛故許都

   Mòn thân ái cổ hẩư đo

   Whatever the parents crave, [the son] fully caters

2. Nôm form of ái ("to want ").

   愛晝𫢍賢勤占𲁂𪦸

   Ái rụ cần hiền cần chiêm slửa lục

   [If one] wants to know whether the mother's good-natured, [one] needs to gaze at their child's shirts

• Dương Nhật Thanh; Hoàng Tuấn Nam (2003), Hoàng Triều Ân, editor, Từ điển chữ Nôm Tày [A Dictionary of (chữ) Nôm Tày]‎^[4] (in Tày and Vietnamese), Hanoi: Nhà xuất bản Khoa học xã hội [Social Sciences Publishing House]

愛: Hán Việt readings: ái ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]} , áy ^[4]
愛: Nôm readings: ái ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]} , áy ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]} , ải ^[1]

1. chữ Hán form of ái ("love ")
2. chữ Nôm form of áy ("troubled; anxious ")