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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