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宠爱 (chǒng ài) — to dote on, to pamper

Definition

宠爱 (chǒng ài) means to dote on or pamper a loved one with excessive affection — softer and more affectionate than 放纵 (which implies letting someone run wild) or 娇惯 (spoiling a child into bad habits). It pairs easily with 爷爷奶奶, 妻子, 孩子.

verb
to dote onto pamper

Examples

  • 宠爱。
    Yé ye nǎi nai fēi cháng chǒng ài zhè ge sūn nǚ.
    Grandpa and grandma dote on this granddaughter.
  • 宠爱，。
    Tā chǒng ài qī zi, shén me dōu tì tā zhǔn bèi hǎo.
    He dotes on his wife and prepares everything for her.
  • 宠爱。
    Zhè zhī gǒu bèi zhǔ rén chǒng ài dé wú fǎ wú tiān.
    This dog is doted on by its owner and has gotten out of control.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

宠chǒngfondness
爱àiaffection

宠 carries fondness and 爱 carries affection, together expressing doting on someone.

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 寵; 宠 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
龍
龍lóng寵chǒng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 寵 pairs 宀 (roof) with 龍 (dragon): 宀 relates to the meaning and 龍 gives the sound. The simplified 宠 is a later shorthand.

Open 宠 →

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 7-9Emotions & Feelings

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