爱
爱 (ài) means “love”. It is made of 爫 + 冖 + 友 and has 10 strokes, and is an HSK 1 word in the current exam syllabus (2025).
Break 爱 into its parts
What 爱 is made of
- 爫 zhǎo — claws
- 冖 mì — cover
- 友 yǒu — friend
- 又 yòu — and
Origin hint: To bring a friend 友 into one's house 冖 (from the Make Me a Hanzi dataset; treat as a memory aid where history is uncertain)
爱 stroke order
Example sentences
我爱我的家。Wǒ ài wǒ de jiā.I love my family.
你爱吃米饭吗？Nǐ ài chī mǐfàn ma?Do you love eating rice?
Words with 爱
- 爱好àihàohobby
- 爱情àiqíngromance
- 爱人àirenhusband or wife
- 可爱kě'àicute
- 爱心àixīnlove
- 热爱rè'àito love deeply
- 爱国àiguópatriotic
- 爱护àihùto take good care of
- 亲爱qīnàidear
- 喜爱xǐ'àito like
- 爱惜àixīto cherish
- 恋爱liàn'àiromantic love
- 疼爱téng'àito love dearly
- 爱不释手àibùshìshǒuto love something too much to put it down
- 爱戴àidàito love and respect
Also built with ⿱
- 串chuànstring
- 乐lèhappy
- 亮liàngbright
- 伤shānginjury
- 侃kǎnupright and strong
- 其qíhis
- 具jùtool
- 兼jiānboth
- 兽shòubeast
- 前qiánfront
- 劳láoto labor
- 卸xièto unload
Quick facts
| Pinyin | ài |
|---|---|
| Meaning | love; to love |
| Strokes | 10 |
| Radical | 爪 (claw, #87) |
| Pattern | Top–bottom |
| HSK | HSK 1 (exam 2025) · HSK 1 (2021) · Old HSK 1 |
Questions about 爱
What does 爱 mean?
爱 (ài) means “love; to love”.
How many strokes does 爱 have?
爱 has 10 strokes.
What is the radical of 爱?
The radical of 爱 is 爪 (zhǎo, “claw”), Kangxi radical number 87.
What parts make up 爱?
爱 is made of 爫 (claws) and 冖 (cover) and 友 (friend).
Which HSK level is 爱?
爱 is in HSK 1 (exam 2025) and HSK 1 (2021) and Old HSK 1.
Learn 爱 with its group
It is part of HSK 1 (2021) · Group 11: a short group with quick checks and spaced repeats.