Love in Chinese: The Character 爱 (ài), Its Meaning and Love Words
Love in Chinese is 爱 (ài). See the Chinese symbol for love in simplified and traditional form, what its parts mean, and the love words built from it.
On this page
Love in Chinese is 爱 (ài). It is a verb (to love) and a noun (love), said with a short falling fourth tone.
我很爱我的家人。
I love my family very much.
她爱这只小猫。
She loves this kitten.
The Chinese symbol for love: 爱 and 愛#
爱 is the simplified form, used in mainland China, Singapore and most learning materials. Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau write the traditional form, 愛.
The difference is famous: traditional 愛 contains 心 xīn, the heart, in its middle. Simplified 爱 replaced it with 友 yǒu, friend. Some people like to read it as "love without a heart"; others prefer "love as friendship". Both forms mean exactly the same thing.
| Form | Used in | |
|---|---|---|
| Simplified | 爱 | Mainland China, Singapore |
| Traditional | 愛 | Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau |
Words built with 爱#
- 爱情 àiqíng: romantic love, in songs, films and stories.
- 爱好 àihào: a hobby, literally "love + good". Many learners meet 爱 here first.
- 可爱 kě'ài: cute, adorable, literally "can be loved".
- 谈恋爱 tán liàn'ài: to date someone, to be in a relationship.
How to say I love you#
With 爱 you can already build the sentence everyone wants to know: 我爱你, wǒ ài nǐ. Learn how to pronounce it, when Chinese speakers really say it and gentler alternatives in the page on I love you in Chinese.
爱 is one of the 500 words of HSK level 1. Keep going with the other basic Chinese words, each with its recording and examples.
Quick check
Frequently asked questions
What is the Chinese symbol for love?
The Chinese character for love is 爱 (ài) in simplified Chinese, used in mainland China and Singapore. Taiwan and Hong Kong use the traditional form 愛, which contains the heart component 心.
Is 爱 a good tattoo?
爱 is a real, positive word, but check the form you want (simplified 爱 or traditional 愛) and have a native speaker review the exact characters, size and orientation before any tattoo.
What is the difference between 爱 and 喜欢?
喜欢 (xǐhuan) means to like and is used for food, hobbies and people. 爱 (ài) is stronger: deep love for a partner, family or country.
