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亲爱 (qīn ài) — dear, beloved, darling

Definition

Used as a warm, affectionate modifier — 'dear, beloved' — almost always before a person or title (亲爱的妈妈, 亲爱的老师). Stronger and more intimate than 可爱 (cute) and 亲切 (warm/familiar).

adjective
dearbeloveddarling

Examples

  • 。
    Wǒ qīn ài de nǎi nai jīn nián bā shí suì le.
    My dear grandmother is eighty years old this year.
  • 。
    Tā shì wǒ zuì qīn ài de tóng xué.
    She is my dearest classmate.
  • ，。
    qīn ài De, wǒ men yì qǐ qù chī fàn ba.
    Darling, let's go eat together.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

亲qīnintimate
爱àilove

亲 and 爱 both express affection, so together they describe someone beloved and dear.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 親; 亲 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
見見jiànsee
Sound part声符shēngfú
辛
辛xīn親qīn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 親 uses 見 (see) for sense and 辛 (a chisel) for sound; the simplified 亲 is a shorthand and its parts are not the historical components.

Open 亲 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 愛; 爱 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
旡
旡jì愛ài
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

For the traditional form 愛, an older shape paired 心 (heart) with 旡 as its sound part; later a foot-like 夊 was added below. The simplified 爱 is a later variant that replaces the lower part with 友.

Open 爱 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5500 Most Frequent Chinese WordsHSK 2.0 Level 51000 Most Frequent Chinese WordsFamily & KinshipRomance & Marriage

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