愛 / 爱
ài
The English word love can be translated into Chinese as 愛 / 爱 (ài).
Meaning: strong affection (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 愛 / 爱 | ài | |
| 愛情 / 爱情 | ài-chîng | Hokkien |
| 情愛 / 情爱 | chêng-ài | Hokkien |
| 愛 / 爱 | ài | Hokkien |
The term is used to express strong affection.
Which one should you use?
In Hokkien, the usage differs depending on whether you are using a noun or a verb. The single character 愛 / 爱 is used for the verb 'to love', while 愛情 / 爱情 is used for the noun 'love' representing the concept or emotion. Additionally, while 愛情 / 爱情 is the standard noun for the concept of love, the form 情愛 / 情爱 is often used to refer specifically to romantic affection or the feeling of love.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form нэ is the specific term for 'love' in the Dungan language, which is a variety of Chinese spoken by Muslims in Central Asia.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 愛 / 爱 is ài.
Did you know?
- In its ancient form, the character for 'love' included a component representing 'feet', 夊. This suggested that love involves moving toward someone or a physical journey.
- In the simplified character 爱 used in mainland China, the 'heart' component 心 was removed entirely. Some critics argue that this changed the meaning of the word to 'love without a heart'.
- In traditional Chinese culture, saying 我愛你 'I love you' was historically rare and considered too direct. People often expressed love through actions or by using the word for 'like' instead.
Examples in context
- 我爱你。I love you.
- 她热爱音乐。She loves music passionately.
- 我最愛的食物是巧克力。My favorite food is chocolate.
- 你是我最親愛的小愛。You are my dearest little love.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “love” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 愛, CC BY-SA 4.0.
