Meaning of 爱
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to love; to be fond of; to like
- affection
- to be inclined (to do sth); to tend to (happen)
How to use 爱
爱 is used for strong love toward people, places, or things, and also for habits, meaning someone tends to do something. 我爱你 (wǒ ài nǐ) means I love you, while 他爱哭 (tā ài kū) means he cries easily.
The traditional form 愛 has a heart 心 (xīn) in the middle, and the simplified 爱 swapped it for 友 (yǒu, friend) at the bottom. Think of love as a hand reaching down from above to cover a friend.
Common mistake: Learners often use 爱 for casual likes, as in 我爱咖啡, when 喜欢 (xǐhuan) sounds more natural in everyday speech. Also, 爱人 (àiren) means spouse in mainland China, not a secret lover.
爱 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
爱 ài · to love · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 爱.
| 爱好 | àihào | to like; to be fond of; to take pleasure in; to be keen on; interest; hobby |
| 可爱 | kě'ài | adorable; cute |
| 爱情 | àiqíng | romance; love (romantic) |
| 爱人 | àiren | spouse (PRC); lover (non-PRC) |
| 热爱 | rè'ài | to love ardently; to adore |
| 爱心 | àixīn | compassion; kindness |
| 亲爱 | qīn'ài | dear; beloved |
| 喜爱 | xǐ'ài | to like; to love |
| 爱国 | àiguó | to love one's country; patriotic |
| 爱护 | àihù | to cherish; to treasure |
| 恋爱 | liàn'ài | (romantic) love; in love |
| 关爱 | guān'ài | to show concern and care for |
Questions about 爱
What does 爱 mean?
爱 (ài) means "to love; to be fond of; to like; affection" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 爱?
爱 is made of 1 character: 爱 (10 strokes). That is 10 strokes in total.
Is 爱 an HSK word?
Yes. 爱 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 爱 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 爱 is written 愛.
What is the difference between 爱 and 喜欢?
喜欢 (xǐhuan) is general liking and is used much more often in daily talk. 爱 is stronger and more emotional. Chinese speakers say 我爱你 less casually than English speakers say I love you.
Can 爱 mean someone does something often?
Yes. Before a verb, 爱 can mean to tend to or to be in the habit of. For example, 她爱说话 (tā ài shuōhuà) means she likes to talk a lot, and 这里冬天爱下雪 means it often snows here in winter.