► 動詞
愛する [(3)あいする] [liter] meaning: love rank: 1
☆ 二人は愛し合っている ⇨ The two love each other
☆ 彼は登山をこよなく愛している ⇨ He deeply loves mountaineering (☛ Literal expression. For inanimate objects, “好きだ(=like)” or “大好きだ(=like very much)” are usually used in conversations)
☆ 私は子供達のことを愛している ⇨ I love my children (☛ Mostly literal expression. Verbally most Japanese feel awkward to say “愛する”, and instead use “好きだ(=like)” or “大好きだ(=like very much)”)
想う [(2)おもう] [liter] meaning: love rank: 1
☆ 彼は彼女のことを長年想い続けてきた ⇨ He has been admiring her for many years
可愛がる [(4)かわいがる] meaning: love rank: 1
☆ 彼は子供をとても可愛がっている ⇨ He adores his children (☛ A senior person to love a junior person or pets)
恋 [(1)こい] [恋する] [liter] meaning: love rank: 1
☆ 彼女は彼に恋している ⇨ She has a crush on him (☛ Romantic love. Like “have a crush on”, often about juvenile infatuation)
慈しむ [(4)いつくしむ] [liter] meaning: love rank: 3
☆ 家族を慈しむ ⇨ Cherish one’s family
愛おしむ [(4)いとおしむ] [liter] meaning: love rank: 3
☆ 我が子を愛おしむ ⇨ Cherish one’s children (☛ A senior person to love a junior person or pets)
慕う [したう] meaning: love rank: 3
☆ 貴方様のことをずっと御慕い申し上げておりました ⇨ I’ve been admiring, loving, you all along (☛ A junior person to love a senior person, often secretly)
出来る [(2)できる] [coll] [peer] meaning: love rank: 3
☆ あの二人は出来ている ⇨ Those two are an item
愛好 [あいこう] [愛好する] meaning: love rank: 4
☆ 彼は絵画を愛好する ⇨ He loves paintings (☛ Usually about hobbies)
恋い焦がれる [こいこがれる] [liter] meaning: love rank: 4
☆ 彼女は彼のことを恋い焦がれている ⇨ She is burning with love for him (☛ Romantic love only)
寵愛 [ちょうあい] [寵愛する] [liter] meaning: love rank: 4
☆ 彼女は王に寵愛された ⇨ She was loved by the king (☛ A noble person to love)
溺愛 [できあい] [溺愛する] [liter] meaning: love rank: 4
☆ 彼女は息子を溺愛している ⇨ She loves her son blindly (☛ Literally “drown in love”. Usually negative)
熱愛 [ねつあい] [熱愛する] [liter] meaning: love rank: 4
☆ 彼と彼女は熱愛している ⇨ He and she are madly in love (☛ Usually only used in celebrity gossip)
偏愛 [へんあい] [偏愛する] meaning: love rank: 4
☆ 彼女は長男を偏愛している ⇨ She favors her first son
愛でる [(2)めでる] [liter] meaning: love rank: 4
☆ 我が子を愛でる気持ち ⇨ Love for your own children
恋愛 [れんあい] [恋愛する] meaning: love rank: 4
☆ 若い頃は変に思ったが、人間は何歳になっても恋愛するものだ ⇨ I thought it was weird when I was young, but humans can fall in love at any age (☛ Have romantic feelings and relationships)
恋慕 [(1)れんぼ] [恋慕する] [liter] meaning: love rank: 5
☆ (☛ Romantic love)
► 成句
目 [め] [目が無い] meaning: love rank: 2
☆ 彼女はチョコレートに目が無い ⇨ She loves chocolate (☛ Usually about sensuous pleasures)
飯 [(2)めし] [三度の飯より好き] meaning: love rank: 4
☆ うちの息子はゲームが三度の飯より好きだ ⇨ My son loves games more than three meals of the day, more than anything
► 名詞
愛 [(1)あい] meaning: love rank: 1
☆ 夫婦愛 ⇨ Spousal love, love between a husband and a wife (☛ Mostly literal expression. Also except for technical terms, usually refers to love between people only, not for things, food, hobby, etc..)
思い [(2)おもい] [liter] meaning: love rank: 1
☆ 彼女は彼への想いを断ち切ることが出来なかった ⇨ She wasn’t able to stop her feelings for him (☛ Often written as 想い)
思い [(2)おもい] [思いを寄せる] [liter] meaning: love rank: 1
☆ 彼女は彼にずっと想いを寄せてきた ⇨ She has been in love with him for a long time (☛ Romantic love. Often written as 想い)
彼女 [(1)かのじょ] [coll] meaning: love rank: 1
☆ 彼の彼女は可愛い ⇨ His girlfriend is pretty (☛ A girlfriend. Usually young people only)
彼 [(1)かれ] [coll] meaning: love rank: 1
☆ 私の彼 ⇨ My boyfriend (☛ A boyfriend. Usually for young people)
恋 [(1)こい] [liter] meaning: love rank: 1
☆ 恋は理屈ではない ⇨ Romance, love, is not about logic (☛ Romantic love)
愛情 [あいじょう] [liter] meaning: love rank: 2
☆ 彼は親の愛情を知らずに育った ⇨ He grew up without parents love (☛ Usually parents’ love for own child)
彼氏 [(1,3)かれし] [coll] [peer] meaning: love rank: 2
☆ 彼氏はいるの？ ⇨ Do you have a boyfriend? (☛ A boyfriend. Usually for young people)
最愛 [さいあい] [liter] meaning: love rank: 2
☆ 私の最愛の子供達 ⇨ My most beloved children
情 [じょう] [liter] meaning: love rank: 2
☆ 一緒に仕事をしているうちに二人は情が通じるようになった ⇨ As the two had worked together they developed feelings for each other (☛ Romantic love)
初恋 [はつこい] meaning: love rank: 2
☆ 彼は私の初恋の人だった ⇨ He was my first love (☛ First adolescent love)
恋愛 [れんあい] [liter] meaning: love rank: 2
☆ 恋愛小説 ⇨ A romantic novel (☛ Romantic love)
愛着 [あいちゃく] meaning: love rank: 3
☆ 彼女は子供の頃から持っている縫い包みに特別な愛着が有る ⇨ She has a special attachment to a stuffed animal she has had since childhood (☛ Literally means “love and bond”. Usually with inanimate objects)
情事 [(1)じょうじ] [liter] meaning: love rank: 3
☆ 彼は人妻と情事を重ねた ⇨ He kept having affairs with a married woman (☛ Usually an immoral romance)
愛玩 [あいがん] [愛玩する] [liter] meaning: love rank: 4
☆ 愛玩動物 ⇨ A pet animal
色恋 [いろこい] [liter] meaning: love rank: 4
☆ 色恋に常識はない ⇨ Love and sex have no common senses. All’s fair in love
色事 [いろごと] [liter] meaning: love rank: 4
☆ 色事は人を迷わす ⇨ Love affairs make people make bad decisions
横好き [よこずき] meaning: love rank: 4
☆ 彼のゴルフは正に下手の横好きだ ⇨ H loves golf even though he is very bad at it (☛ Literally means “side love”)
横恋慕 [(3)よこれんぼ] [横恋慕する] meaning: love rank: 4
☆ 彼は友達の彼女に横恋慕している ⇨ He is in love with his friend’s girlfriend
► 形容詞
可愛い [(3)かわいい] meaning: love rank: 1
☆ 彼は子供が可愛くて仕方ない ⇨ For him his kids are so loveable. He loves his kids so much (☛ A senior person to love a junior person or pets)
愛おしい [(4)いとおしい] [liter] meaning: love rank: 3
☆ 我が子が愛おしい ⇨ I find my children so lovely
愛しい [(3)いとしい] [liter] meaning: love rank: 3
☆ 愛しい人にもう一度会いたい ⇨ I want to see my beloved one more time
► 形容動詞
好き [(2)すき] [大好き] [coll] meaning: love rank: 1
☆ 私はお母さんが大好きだ (だいすき) ⇨ I love my mom (☛ In conversation 大好き is used instead of 愛する)
☆ 私は辛い食べ物が大好きだ (だいすき) ⇨ I love spicy food (☛ In conversation 大好き is used instead of 愛する)
► 接尾辞
思い [(2)おもい] meaning: love rank: 2
☆ 彼女は父親思いの優しい娘だ ⇨ She is a sweet daughter who cares a lot about her father
► 接頭辞
愛 [まな] [liter] meaning: love rank: 4
☆ うちの愛娘 ⇨ My beloved daughter
► 連体詞
浮いた [ういた] meaning: love rank: 4
☆ 彼についての浮いた噂は聞いたことがない ⇨ I’ve never heard any romantic rumors about him (☛ Romantic love)