Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 愛 | ai | [a̠i] (narrow) [ma̠na̠] (narrow) |
| 愛情 | aijō | [a̠iʑo̞ː] (narrow) |
| 愛好 | aikō | [a̠iko̞ː] (narrow) |
愛 is often used in compound words or formal philosophical contexts to represent the concept of love itself. 愛情 refers to the actual feeling or warmth of affection one has for someone. 愛好 is used to describe a strong fondness or a hobby/devotion toward a specific thing, such as an art form or a collection.
Which one should you use?
While 愛 refers to the abstract concept of love, 愛情 refers to the actual feeling or warmth of affection one has for someone. For expressing a verb, 愛する is a heavy, serious verb used for deep, profound love, whereas 大好き is much more common for expressing strong liking or 'love' in daily conversation. Additionally, 恋する specifically refers to romantic, passionate or 'crush-like' love, whereas 愛する can be used for any deep, enduring love including familial or universal love.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
ai
Did you know?
- In historical Japanese poetry, the feeling of 恋 was often associated with 'sickness' or a physical ailment caused by longing for another.
- The kanji for 'love', 愛, was historically chosen for its phonetic value rather than its meaning in certain contexts, a practice known as ateji.
- The word 恋 represents a longing or yearning that often feels painful or incomplete, whereas 愛 is seen as a selfless, giving, and stable form of love.
Examples in context
- 私を愛してる？Do you love me?This sentence is useful for asking if someone loves you using 愛.Tatoeba #152153 by bunbuku, translation #321497 by CK
- 相思相愛です。I love him and he loves me.This sentence is useful for describing mutual love using 愛.Tatoeba #12698654 by small_snow, translation #7421687 by Hybrid
- 愛は愛を愛する。Love loves love.This sentence is useful for the philosophical expression of love using 愛.Tatoeba #1614172 by Meow, translation #477374 by BlueLagoon
- 母親への愛を感じることができます。I can feel the love for my mother.
- 彼女に対する愛情は深く、彼女を支え続けた。I deeply loved her and continued to support her.
- 彼とは本当に愛し合っている。We truly love each other.
- 332 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is talking about their relationship.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲への愛は永遠だよ。Misaki e no ai wa eien da yo.My love for you, Misaki, is eternal.
- 美咲 Misaki嬉しい。私も大翔を愛してるわ。Ureshii. Watashi mo Hiroto o aishiteru wa.I'm happy. I love you too, Hiroto.
- 大翔 Hiroto本当の愛って、こういうことかな。Hontou no ai tte, kou iu koto kana.I wonder if this is what true love is.
- 美咲 Misakiきっとそうね。Kitto sou ne.I'm sure it is.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “love” translations and entries 愛, 愛情, 愛好, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 愛, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
