愛国

• 読み: あいこく
• ローマ字: aikoku
• 漢字の分解: 愛 (ai) — love, affection; 国 (koku/kuni) — country, nation
• 発音: /a.i.ko.kɯ/

意味

Patriotism; love of one's country. Devotion and loyalty to the nation.

A noun that can function as a na-adjective (愛国的) or compound modifier (愛国心 — patriotic spirit). In modern Japan, the term carries nuanced connotations, sometimes associated with nationalist movements, so context determines whether the tone is positive, neutral, or critical. Commonly appears in political discourse, education debates, and historical commentary.

例文

1. 愛国心を育てることと、排外主義に陥ることは全く別問題だ。
2. 彼は強い愛国の念から、戦時中も国内に留まり続けた。
3. 愛国を掲げた演説が、かえって国民の分断を深めた。

使い方ガイド

場面: politics, history, education, nationalism

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

From 愛 (ai, love/affection) and 国 (koku/kuni, country). A Sino-Japanese compound widely adopted during the Meiji era as Japan modernised and developed a national identity modelled on Western nation-states.

文化的背景

時代: Meiji–Modern

世代: Adults

社会的背景: Universal