爱

• Pinyin: ài
• Hanzi breakdown: 爱 = simplified from 愛, which contains 心 (heart) in the middle — love from the heart

Meaning

Love; to love. Expresses deep affection or strong liking for people, activities, or things.

Used for romantic love, familial love, and strong preference. When followed by a verb, it means 'love to do something' (e.g. 爱看书). For casual liking of objects, 喜欢 is more natural than 爱.

Examples

1. 我爱我的家人。 I love my family.
2. 她很爱看书。 She really loves reading.
3. 妈妈爱我，我也爱妈妈。 Mom loves me, and I love Mom too.

Usage Guide

Context: family, romance, everyday

Tone: warm

Do Say

• 我爱你，妈妈。(I love you, Mom.)
• 他很爱运动。(He really loves sports.)

Don't Say

• 我爱这支笔。(Too strong for a pen — use 喜欢 for casual liking of objects)

Origin & History

The traditional form 愛 contains 心 (heart) in the centre, showing that love comes from the heart. The simplified form 爱 removed the heart radical but kept the overall shape.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal