Japanese symbol for “affection”
愛
あい
Romaji: ai
love; affection; care
In Japanese, affection is 愛, read あい (ai).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n, n-suf love; affection; care
- n attachment; craving; desire (Buddh)
- n agape (Christn)
- n Ireland
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “affection”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 愛情 | あいじょう aijou | love; affection |
| 愛着 | あいちゃく aichaku | attachment (esp. to things); love; affection |
| 親しみ | したしみ shitashimi | intimacy; affection; familiarity |
| 慈愛 | じあい jiai | affection (esp. parental); love; fondness |
| 思い | おもい omoi | love; affection |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 恋愛 | れんあい ren'ai | love; romance; tender passion |
| 愛情 | あいじょう aijou | love; affection |
| 可愛い | かわいい kawaii | cute; adorable; charming |
| 愛する | あいする aisuru | to love |
| 愛用 | あいよう aiyou | favorite; favourite; habitually used |
| 愛しい | いとしい itoshii | lovely; dear; beloved |
See also: Chinese symbol for “affection”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.
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