愛とは何か
ai to wa nanika
In Japanese, "what is love" is translated as 愛とは何か (ai to wa nanika).
This phrase is used as a philosophical question to ask for the definition or the very nature of love.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 愛 (ai, love), とは (to wa, a particle used for defining or emphasizing a topic) and 何か (nanika, something/what).
Which one should you use?
While 愛とは何か sounds like a profound title or a written inquiry, 愛って何？ is the casual, spoken way to ask the same question among friends.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 愛とは何か is formal and literary, making it suitable for academic discussions, book titles or deep philosophical inquiries. For a more standard polite spoken question, you can use 愛とは何ですか.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the question sound more like a standard polite spoken question rather than a philosophical title, you can use 愛とは何ですか.
How do you pronounce it?
ai to wa nanika
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the concept of 'love' can be expressed by two different words: 愛 (ai), which implies a deep, selfless devotion, and 恋 (koi), which refers more to romantic passion or longing. Using the wrong one changes your question from a philosophical inquiry into a romantic one.
- The formal phrase 愛とは何か is such a dramatic cliché that it is frequently used in anime and manga to signal a character's intense internal struggle.
- The particle とは used in this phrase is a hallmark of traditional Buddhist sutras and philosophical treatises used to introduce a deep investigation into a concept.
Examples in context
- 愛とは何か、考え続けている。Ai to wa nani ka, kangaetsuzukete iru.I keep thinking about what love is.
- 愛とは何かを定義するのは難しい。Ai to wa nani ka o teigi suru no wa muzukashii.It is difficult to define what love is.
- 哲学者は愛とは何かを問い続けた。Tetsugakusha wa ai to wa nani ka o toitsuzuketa.Philosophers continued to question what love is.
Example conversation
Yota and Yui are talking late at night.
- 陽太 Yotaねえ、愛とは何かと思う？Nee, ai to wa nani ka to omou?Hey, what do you think love is?
- 結衣 Yui急に難しい質問だね。Kyuu ni muzukashii shitsumon da ne.That's a sudden, difficult question.
- 陽太 Yotaただ、ふと気になったんだ。Tada, futo ki ni natta nda.I just suddenly wondered about it.
- 結衣 Yuiお互いを大切にすることじゃないかな。Otagai o taisetsu ni suru koto janai kana.I think it's about treasuring each other.
