The Origin of Love in Kanji Symbol
The kanji “愛,” which signifies “love,” is a beautiful representation of cherishing and extending affection to another.
At its heart, love is about deeply desiring to know and understand someone else, a sentiment that remains unchanged through time.
◆愛
Hiragana Reading (Onyomi): Ai
Hiragana Reading (Kunyomi): Ito, O, U, Kana, Mana, Me
Historically, the kanji for “愛” looked slightly different, combining the elements “旡”, “夂”, and “心”.
“旡” is seldom used on its own but symbolizes a person looking back.
“夂” resembles a human footprint and carries the connotation of “walking slowly”.
Lastly, “心” straightforwardly means “heart”.
Thus, the kanji for “愛” can be visualized as a heart that walks slowly, always taking moments to look back.
It encapsulates the emotion of reflecting on the past with warmth and tenderness, valuing those memories rather than letting them fade away.
In essence, “愛” emphasizes the importance of cherishing and nurturing our past connections and emotions.
Stroke order of the Kanji characters for love
The Kanji character for love has a total of 13 strokes and can be represented by the stroke order in the image below.
In “愛”, the first stroke should be horizontally folded over and the second, third, and fourth strokes should be written smaller.
The fifth stroke should be written slightly outward, and the sixth horizontal stroke should be written slightly up to the right and larger.
The “心” should be written flat and the “夂” should be written open to the left and right.
Tips for writing the kanji character “love” neatly in calligraphy
After writing “ノ”, try to write “ツ” with the image of going diagonally upward.
The fifth stroke should be stopped firmly at the end.
If you are conscious that the “心” or so should fit in the upper half, you can write in a well-balanced manner.
Be careful not to shorten the 11th stroke.
In the case of block style writing, make sure to write all the way to the last stroke on the right side of the stroke. The key is to take your time and release the brush slowly.
Kanji Compound Words Containing ‘愛’ (Love)
◆愛機【Aiki】
Hiragana Reading: あいき
Meaning: A cherished piece of equipment, such as a camera. Also refers to a favorite airplane.
◆愛郷【Aikyou】
Hiragana Reading: あいきょう
Meaning: Affection for the place of one’s birth or upbringing.
◆愛嬌【Aikyou】
Hiragana Reading: あいきょう
Meaning: Being amiable and cute.
◆愛敬【Aikei】
Hiragana Reading: あいけい
Meaning: A sense of familiarity combined with respect; deep affection.
◆愛犬【Aiken】
Hiragana Reading: あいけん
Meaning: A cherished pet dog. The act of adoring dogs.
◆愛好【Aikou】
Hiragana Reading: あいこう
Meaning: Enjoying and loving something.
◆愛国【Aikoku】
Hiragana Reading: あいこく
Meaning: Love for one’s country.
◆愛車【Aisha】
Hiragana Reading: あいしゃ
Meaning: A cherished automobile, bike, or bicycle that one loves to ride.
◆愛情【Aijou】
Hiragana Reading: あいじょう
Meaning: A deep love and tender care.
◆愛着【Aichaku】
Hiragana Reading: あいちゃく
Meaning: A deep emotional bond or attachment to something familiar.
◆愛重【Aichou】
Hiragana Reading: あいちょう
Meaning: To love and care for something deeply.
Four-Character Kanji Phrases Containing‘愛’ (Love)
◆相思相愛【Soushisouai】
Hiragana Reading: そうしそうあい
Meaning: Describes a situation where two individuals have mutual affection and love for each other.
◆愛月撤灯【Aigetstettou】
Hiragana Reading: あいげつてっとう
Meaning: Treasuring and doting on something or someone to an extreme degree.
◆愛財如命【Aizaizjomei】
Hiragana Reading: あいざいじょめい
Meaning: Treating wealth with the same importance as one’s life, or even valuing wealth more than life.
◆愛別離苦【Aibetsuriku】
Hiragana Reading: あいべつりく
Meaning: One of the eight sufferings in Buddhism; the pain and sadness from being separated from loved ones, either through life events or death.
◆敬天愛人【Keitenaijin】
Hiragana Reading: けいてんあいじん
Meaning: Revering the heavens as sacred and having affection for mankind.
◆兼愛交利【Kenaikouri】
Hiragana Reading: けんあいこうり
Meaning: Loving everyone and benefiting each other.
◆兼愛無私【Kenaimushi】
Hiragana Reading: けんあいむし
Meaning: Loving all people equally.
◆忠君愛国【Chuukunaikoku】
Hiragana Reading: ちゅうくんあいこく
Meaning: Demonstrating loyalty to the ruler and having affection for one’s country.
◆汎愛博施【Hanaihakushi】
Hiragana Reading: はんあいはくし
Meaning: Loving many people impartially and spreading goodwill broadly.
◆和顔愛語【Waganaigo】
Hiragana Reading: わがんあいご
Meaning: A term from Buddhist scriptures representing a bodhisattva’s approach, signifying a gentle and friendly attitude.
Summary of Love in Kanji symbol
Many people think of “love” as the feeling of a parent caring for a child or thinking of someone they love. From the word “love” we can imagine “gentleness” and “innocence.
This was a brief but informative introduction to the origins, stroke order, and writing style of the Chinese character for love.
We hope this article will be of some help to you.
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