Love, Affection
いとしい (itoshii)
Interesting Fact
🪷In Buddhism, 愛 Wasn't Always Something Positive Here's the surprising twist: in Buddhist thought, 愛 (ai) can refer to craving or attachment—the kind of desire that keeps people trapped in suffering. 🪷 The idea isn't that love itself is bad, but that desperately clinging to people, possessions, or pleasures can cause suffering. This is very different from the modern romantic meaning of 愛. So the same kanji that today appears on Valentine's Day cards can also describe something Buddhism warns us not to become attached to.
Memory Trick
💘 A heart(心) catches everything falling from above because love pulls everything into the heart—that's 愛!
Readings
Onyomi: アイ (ai)
Kunyomi: いとしい (itoshii)
Example Words
Example Sentence
家族への 愛 は とても 大切です。
かぞくへの あい は とても たいせつです。
kazoku e no ai wa totemo taisetsu desu
Love for family is very important.