爱
ài
The heart stacking up on one target: 爱
The picture A scattered heart gathers in layers onto one target and sticks there. 爱 stacks the heart onto something; 恨 pushes it away instead.
Where the picture shows up in 爱
-
gathered on people
我爱我的家人。
wǒ ài wǒ de jiā rén
I love my family.
Every glance and every hand at the table turning toward the same few people
-
loving to do it
她很爱吃辣的。
tā hěn ài chī là de
She loves eating spicy food.
Out of all the dishes, her chopsticks going to the red one first every time
爱 plus a verb means doing it gladly
-
climbing on and staying
我爱上了这座城市。
wǒ ài shàng le zhè zuò chéng shì
I have fallen for this city.
Feet that meant to pass through settling down on that city's street instead
爱上 is the heart landing on top of it
-
doing it easily
这个孩子爱哭，别担心。
zhè ge hái zi ài kū, bié dān xīn
This child cries easily, do not worry.
Tears rising first over the smallest thing while someone soothes the child
爱 plus a verb also marks a tendency
-
treating it with care
他很爱惜这辆旧车。
tā hěn ài xī zhè liàng jiù chē
He takes great care of this old car.
Wiping the old car once more with a cloth and closing the door gently
爱惜 is using something carefully because you grudge wearing it out
All of it in one picture
爱 is a heart piled in layers onto one target. If the target is a person it reads as love; if it is spicy food it reads as loving to eat it. When the heart climbs all the way onto a city and settles, that is 爱上, falling for it, and when that leaning keeps breaking out, it says someone does that easily. Gather the heart onto one old car until the hands turn careful, and that is treasuring it.