What is the Kanji for "Love"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Love", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Love" is "愛".

This kanji has 3 readings:

Its kunyomi readings are "Mana" and "Ito".

Its onyomi reading is "Ai".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 4 parts:

The kanji "心" means "Heart" and can be read as "Shin" and "Kokoro". The kanji "爪" means "Claw" and can be read as "Sou", "Tsuma", and "Tsume". The radical "冖" means "Crown" . And The radical "夂" means "Late" .

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "愛" mean in japanese?

"愛" means "Love".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Fourth Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N3 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

可愛い: "Cute". The Japanese adjective '可愛い (かわいい)' means 'cute'. This word is used to describe something or someone that is attractive, adorable, or endearing in an innocent, youthful way. It can be used to describe various things like animals, children, or even certain objects. Examples: Your baby is so cute - (あなたの赤ちゃんはとっても可愛い). That puppy is really cute - (あの子犬はとても可愛い).

愛する: "Love" or "Adore". The Japanese verb '愛する (あいする)' means 'to love' or 'to adore'. It is used to express deep affection, attachment, and devotion towards another person, such as a romantic partner or a family member. It can also be used to describe one's love for a hobby, activity, or idea. For example: I love my wife - (私は妻を愛している). She adores her new puppy - (彼女は新しい子犬を愛でている).

愛: "Love". The Japanese verbal noun '愛 (あい)' means 'love'. It refers to a deep, affectionate feeling or emotional attachment towards another person, object or idea. It can describe romantic love, but also the love between family members, friends, or for a hobby or passion. For example: I love my family - (私は家族を愛しています). Love is important - (愛することは大切です).

愛情: "Love". The noun '愛情 (あいじょう)' refers to a deep affection or fondness felt for another person. It represents the emotional attachment, care, and devotion one has towards someone close to them, such as a family member, partner, or close friend. This word can be used to describe the strong feelings of love and attachment that bind people together. For example: His love for his wife is evident - (彼の妻への愛情は明らかだ). The love between parent and child - (親子愛情)

可愛らしい: "Cute". The Japanese adjective '可愛らしい (かわいらしい)' means 'cute'. It is used to describe something or someone that is visually appealing, charming, or endearing. This word conveys a sense of adorableness or attractiveness. For example: The puppy is so cute - (子犬はとても可愛らしい). She has a cute smile - (彼女の笑顔は可愛らしい).

可愛がる: "Cherish". The Japanese verb '可愛がる (かわいがる)' means 'to cherish'. This verb is used to express affection and care for someone or something, often a pet or a loved one. It conveys the nuance of doting on and treating tenderly. For example: She cherishes her dog - (彼女は彼女の犬を可愛がる). I cherish my grandmother - (私は祖母を可愛がる).

愛人: "Lover". The Japanese noun '愛人 (あいじん)' refers to a mistress or a lover, someone with whom one has an intimate relationship outside of marriage. This word carries a nuance of an illicit or extramarital affair, and is generally considered to have a negative connotation in Japanese society. For example: He has a mistress - (彼には愛人がいる). My father's lover - (父の愛人)

恋愛: "Love". The Japanese verbal noun '恋愛 (れんあい)' refers to the act or feeling of being in love. It encompasses the emotions, behaviors, and thoughts associated with romantic love between two people. '恋愛' can be used to describe falling in love, being in a romantic relationship, or the general concept of love. For example: They are in a love relationship - (二人は恋愛関係にある). I want to experience love - (私は恋愛を経験したい).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "ま" is read as "ma". The hiragana "な" is read as "na". The hiragana "い" is read as "i". The hiragana "と" is read as "to". And The hiragana "あ" is read as "a".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.