爱惜
àixí · HSK 7
cherish
💎 爱 love + 惜 spare — love something enough to spare it from harm
惜 alone means to feel pity or be sparing with something precious. Paired with 爱 love, it becomes actively treasuring and protecting what you value.
爱 — 爫 (claw) + 冖 (cover) + 心 (heart) + 夂 (slow walk)
Originally written 㤅, showing a heart 心 with breath above, depicting deep feeling. The modern form adds 夂 (a slow-walking foot) below, suggesting reluctance to leave a loved one. The traditional form 愛 keeps 心 inside; simplified 爱 drops the heart but retains the meaning 'love, cherish'.