Love is invisible; yet, it’s a very beautiful experience to those who know its true value. Love is a simple word, but full of meaning. So, our word of this week is爱 ài – ‘love’
Pronunciation
爱 is pronounced ài .
Meaning
The character 爱 (ài) was first seen in the Oracle bone script in the Shang Dynasty. Its meaning is love.
In its traditional form, 愛(ài) includes the character 心 (xīn), the word for heart. The rest of the components represent actions. All the parts together mean “to love with your heart and through your actions”.
Although 心 (xīn) doesn’t appear in the simplified version of the character, 爱 does include 友 (yǒu) underneath 冖 (mì), which means “bringing a friend into one’s house”. Thus, the underlying message of affection and bringing a close one to your heart isn’t lost in the simplified character.
Example
我爱你 （wǒ ài nǐ）
Meaning: I love you.
爱不释手 （ài bù shì shǒu）
Literally: to love something too much to be able to let go of it. Meaning: loving something so much.
爱屋及乌 （ài wū jí wū）
Literally: Loving the crow that comes with the house. Meaning: you come to appreciate and accept someone’s flaws because you love them.（The closest English expression would be, “If you love the rose, you must also love its thorns.” ）
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