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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "love" in Chinese?
爱
ài
In Chinese, "love" is 爱 (ài).
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Pronunciation
ài is voiced with a quick, decisive fall in pitch, almost like giving a short command, since this single syllable carries the fourth tone.
Writing and usage
爱 is written using hanzi. It's a verb, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
他们很爱他们的小狗。
tā men hěn ài tā men de xiǎo gǒu 。
They love their little dog.
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How to remember 爱
Link the syllable "eye" to a quick mental flash of love, and "ài" will stick as love.
Related words
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 爱
How do you pronounce 爱?
ài is voiced with a quick, decisive fall in pitch, almost like giving a short command, since this single syllable carries the fourth tone.
Is 爱 formal or casual?
爱 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 爱 used in Chinese?
爱 is used the same way as the equivalent English verb. For example: 他们很爱他们的小狗。 (They love their little dog.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Love" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
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