情爱 (qíng ài) — romantic love; passion

Definition

Literary, elevated word for romantic love, usually in writing about love stories, poetry, or emotional life. More abstract and formal than the everyday 爱.

noun
romantic lovepassion

Examples

  • 情爱。
    Tā men de qíng ài gù shi gǎn dòng le hěn duō rén.
    Their love story moved many people.
  • 情爱。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng miáo xiě le zhōng nián rén de qíng ài shēng huó.
    This movie depicts the romantic life of middle-aged people.
  • 情爱。
    Tā xiě le hěn duō guān yú qíng ài de shī gē.
    She wrote many poems about love.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

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

情qíngaffection
爱àilove

情 and 爱 both denote affection, combining to mean romantic love.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng情qíng
Same sound today

情 shows 心 (heart) beside 青, which gives the sound. The heart part points to feelings and inner states.

Open 情 →

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 →

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