Meanings & readings
Meanings & dictionary uses
2 senses · 4 wordsLove and affection
Cherish; be lovable
Languages & readings
Choose a recorded reading. Explore other varieties through their reference sources below.
Mandarin
Sense-linked readingsReadings & meanings
Usage scope
Regional and word-specific qualifications remain attached to the sense and vocabulary records.
Cantonese
Selected character readingSource & reading limitations
Jyutping · Unihan 17.0.0
This property supplies a customary character reading for collation and transliteration. It does not list every reading or identify the reading for each word and sense. It also does not encode a separate regional label for each value.
Other Chinese languages & varieties
Reference guides · character readings not yet imported.
Taiwanese Hokkien 臺灣台語Reference sources only
The Ministry of Education dictionary is the reference for Taiwanese vocabulary and readings. Its Tâi-lô guide distinguishes citation tones from changes in connected speech. Other Hokkien varieties require their own sources.
- Reference variety
- Taiwanese Hokkien, with the regional distinctions recorded by Taiwan's Ministry of Education
- Notation
- Tâi-lô (臺羅), as used by the linked MOE dictionary
Hakka 客語Reference sources only
Taiwan's Ministry of Education documents six Hakka varieties separately. Choose the variety before comparing readings; a single undifferentiated Hakka pronunciation would hide meaningful differences.
- Reference variety
- Taiwan: Sixian, Hailu, Dapu, Raoping, Zhao'an and Southern Sixian
- Notation
- Taiwan Hakka Romanization System (臺灣客語拼音方案)
Teochew 潮州話／潮汕話Reference sources only
Explore CUHK's published Chaozhou lexicon and its separate Shantou sound table. These reference locations remain explicit: readings from one locality should not stand in for every Teochew variety.
- Reference variety
- Chaozhou lexicon; separate Shantou syllable-table resource
- Notation
- Source phonetic transcription; no shared local romanization imported
Wu 吳語・上海話Reference sources only
The linked university resource documents Shanghai. Wu also includes other local varieties; Shanghai readings should retain that location label when compared with Mandarin or Cantonese.
- Reference variety
- Shanghai
- Notation
- Phonetic transcription and tone values in the linked CUHK table
Eastern Min 閩東語・福州話Reference sources only
Fuzhou is an Eastern Min reference variety. Its dedicated CUHK sound table offers a starting point; other Eastern Min localities need distinct records and source attribution.
- Reference variety
- Fuzhou
- Notation
- Phonetic transcription and tone values in the linked CUHK table
Gan 贛語・南昌話Reference sources only
Begin with CUHK's Nanchang sound table. The broader Gan group contains local differences, so future readings should identify Nanchang or another documented locality explicitly.
- Reference variety
- Nanchang
- Notation
- Phonetic transcription and tone values in the linked CUHK table
Xiang 湘語・長沙話Reference sources only
Begin with CUHK's Changsha sound table. Keep Changsha separate from other Xiang localities when adding readings; the group name does not denote one uniform pronunciation.
- Reference variety
- Changsha
- Notation
- Phonetic transcription and tone values in the linked CUHK table
Readings in Japanese, Korean & Vietnamese
Readings recorded for 爱 in other language traditions. These are character-level records, not word translations or interchangeable pronunciations.
Japanese 日本語
Grouped by the source’s kana notation; no frequency ranking is implied.
On’yomi · katakana
Kun’yomi · hiragana
Katakana generally indicates on’yomi; hiragana generally indicates kun’yomi. The source does not identify everyday, rare, historical or name use per reading. Kana strings are preserved, including any written endings; consult a Japanese word entry for actual use.
Go deeperJisho ↗Wiktionary ↗
Source record & scope
Unicode Unihan 17.0.0 · kJapanese ↗ · provisional property
アイ エ エン オン いつくしみ いつくしむ おしむ めでるKorean 한국어
Not recorded for this exact character in this dataset. This does not mean the language has no reading.
Vietnamese Tiếng Việt
Not recorded for this exact character in this dataset. This does not mean the language has no reading.
Form & structure
Structure & components
3 direct parts- Layout
- complex
- Index radical
- 爪 · 87 · 6 residual strokes
The present form can be visually grouped into 爫, 冖, and a 友-shaped lower region. This is modern graphical analysis, not a claim that the word means “claw, cover, friend” or that those words explain its origin.
Follow the recorded parts
- recorded boundary
- recorded boundary
- recorded boundary
A boundary means no finer analysis is published here; it does not assert an indivisible unit. Radical classification and component structure are separate.
Inspect the component network ↗Writing
10 strokesModern stroke order; regional conventions can differ. [47]
Words & connections
Examples
2 sentences這隻小貓很可愛。
这只小猫很可爱。
This kitten is very cute.
我愛清晨安靜的街道。
我爱清晨安静的街道。
I love the quiet streets in the early morning.
Original editorial sentences. Pinyin uses dictionary tones; connected speech may differ.
Connections
0 phonetic neighboursThis pilot does not link this character to a sound (phonetic) family. Explore the other recorded relationships below.
History & distinctions
Etymology & evidence
1 accountsShared history, distinct modern form
CUHK’s 爱 entry identifies 愛 as the traditional counterpart and sends readers there for the historical discussion. This route therefore explains today’s simplified form and shares the earlier dossier.
Reading this character · explanatory note
爱 is the simplified character for love, fondness, and caring. It can be a verb in its own right, as in 我爱你, and appears in words such as 爱情, 爱心, 爱护, and 可爱. Those words express different relationships and qualities; they should not all receive the same English translation. Its traditional counterpart is 愛. The modern simplified shape does not show a separate 心 component, but that graphical fact says nothing about how sincerely someone loves. To investigate earlier writing, use the linked 愛 dossier, where historical forms and interpretations are discussed on their own evidence.
Historical specimens remain at their sources. No dated attestation sequence or licensed specimen image is claimed.
Inspect CUHK’s forms and discussion ↗Forms & distinctions
爱 and 愛 correspond in the ordinary modern words illustrated here. Form convention and spoken language are separate: a speaker’s pronunciation is not determined simply by which orthography a page uses. The historical development and dating of particular abbreviated forms still need direct documentation.
The lower region of 爱 resembles 友, but 爱 and 友 are distinct whole characters with different readings and uses.
受 lacks the same lower structure as 爱. Compare the complete forms instead of recognizing only their shared upper outline.
Sources & reference
Sources & research
4 sourcesLocator & rights
Character entry; 形義通解, 繁簡對應, and cited Shuowen discussion where present · link_only · 2026-10-12
Locator & rights
Release 2026-10-12T08:13:53Z. Exact word-reading locators are retained with each WordRecord. · permitted · 2026-10-12
Locator & rights
17.0.0 · permitted · 2026-10-12
Locator & rights
bddc96d41bef78427ed0e034e9f7e31d71fd1b92 · permitted · 2026-10-12
Open research · 2 items
- A dated, specimen-based account of the development of abbreviated 爱 is still needed.
- No independent specialist review or historical-image reuse permission.
Cited claims compared with the consulted entries; no independent expert review recorded.
Readings across dictionaries
- Xiandai Hanyu · 1983
- ài 0004.110
- Tongyong Guifan · 2013
- ài 002.150
- Reading counts · XDHYPLCD
- ài(1137)