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愛
Kyōiku Kanji

愛 — “love” in Japanese

Grade 4あい
Radical ⼼ · radical 61 The building block this kanji is filed under

“love” in Japanese is 愛, read ai (あい). It is a Grade 4 Kyōiku kanji, taught in year 4 of Japanese elementary school, and appears in words such as 愛する (to love).

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What does 愛 mean?

Full details, readings & example
Kanji愛
Meaninglove
Readingsあい
GradeGrade 4 (Upper)
CurriculumKyōiku kanji · Japanese elementary school
Example愛する (to love)

How to read 愛

愛 is read ai (あい) depending on the word.

Words with 愛

  • 愛媛
  • 愛するlove
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Kanji read the same way as 愛

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

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Updated: 2026-08-28
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