Hanzi Writer

How to Write 爱 (ài) — Meaning “Love”

ài HSK Level 1 10 strokes Radical: 爫

爱 (ài) means "Love" in Chinese. It has 10 strokes with the radical 爫, and is HSK Level 1.

Rated 3.3/5 in difficulty (challenging).

Harder than 71% of HSK Level 1 characters.

Appears in 3+ common words including 爱好 (ài hào), 可爱 (kě ài), 爱人 (ài rén).

Due to its 10 strokes, Hanzi Writer's error detection shows 爱 requires focused practice — most learners need 10+ attempts for consistent accuracy.

Stroke order practice for 爱 - ài

Practice Writing 爱 (ài)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 爱 with real-time feedback.

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How to Write 爱

The character 爱 (ài) is written with 10 strokes. Follow the standard Chinese stroke order: top to bottom, left to right, outside before inside. The radical 爫 is one of its key components.

Practice the correct stroke order with the Hanzi Writer app to see animated stroke-by-stroke guidance with real-time feedback.

What Does ài (爱) Mean in Chinese?

爱 means Love.

As an HSK Level 1 character, 爱 is among the first characters beginners learn.

Character Data

Character爱
Pinyinài (ai)
MeaningLove
Strokes10
Radical爫
HSK Level1
Difficulty3.3/5

Origin of 爱

Originally, 爱 (愛) combined a heart (心) inside a shelter (冖) with a hand (爫) and a walking foot (夂), depicting love as an active, heartfelt offering. The simplified form replaced the heart with 友 (friend), shifting the emphasis to companionship as the essence of love.

💡 Memory Tip: Picture a hand (爫) covering (冖) a friend (友) to protect them—that’s love in action.

Common Words with 爱

爱好 ài hào
Hobby / Interest
可爱 kě ài
cute; lovely
爱人 ài rén
Spouse / Husband or wife

Example Sentences

我的爱好是看书。

wǒ de ài hào shì kàn shū

My hobby is reading.

他很可爱。

tā hěn kě ài

He is very cute.

我的爱人是老师。

wǒ de ài rén shì lǎo shī

My spouse is a teacher.

Stroke order practice for 爱 - ài

Practice Writing 爱 (ài)

Open Hanzi Writer to see the animated stroke order and practice writing 爱 with real-time feedback.

✨ Animated stroke order · Handwriting recognition · HSK-graded practice · Free to use

App Store ▶ Google Play

Frequently Asked Questions about 爱

爱 (ài) is composed of three parts: the top radical 爫 (claw), the middle 冖 (roof), and the bottom 友 (friend). The combination suggests a hand (claw) covering a friend under a roof, symbolizing protection and affection, which relates to the feeling of love.

More HSK Level 1 Characters

好hǎo/hào八bā爸bà吧ba/bā白bái天tiān百bǎi班bān半bàn年nián帮bāng忙máng包bāo子zi/zǐ杯bēi北běi边biān京jīng本běn比bǐ

Characters with Radical 爫

爵jué

Other 10-Stroke Characters

㢆chán㼌yǔ䍃yóu丵zhuó乘chéng/shèng亳bó俯fǔ俱jù俳pái俸fèng