愛情（あいじょう、aijou）
- affection

The Japanese word 愛情 (あいじょう - aijō) primarily means "love," "affection," or "caring." It refers to a deep and positive feeling for someone or something. ⚫︎ It encompasses feelings of fondness, warmth, and attachment. ⚫︎ It can be directed towards people (family, friends, romantic partners), animals, or even abstract concepts. ⚫︎ The word often carries a sense of commitment and concern for the well-being of the object of 愛情.

⚫︎ 彼女は子供たちに深い《愛情を注いでいる。》 ・Translation: She pours deep love into her children. ⚫︎ ペットに《愛情をかけて世話をする。》 ・Translation: To take care of a pet with affection. ⚫︎ 故郷に対する《愛情を歌にした。》 ・Translation: They turned their love for their hometown into a song.

⚫︎ Use 愛情 when you want to express feelings of love, care, or fondness. ⚫︎ It's appropriate in a wide range of contexts, from describing family relationships to discussing hobbies or passions. ⚫︎ It can be used in both formal and informal settings, although the specific wording might change slightly depending on the level of politeness needed. ⚫︎ It's common in conversations, writing, and various forms of media. ⚫︎ Keep in mind that the intensity can vary depending on context. For instance, 愛情 for a spouse is different from 愛情 for a pet.

⚫︎ 愛情 is typically written in kanji. ⚫︎ The reading, あいじょう, is in hiragana. ⚫︎ There is no alternate katakana version. ⚫︎ The okurigana is standard, with no variations. ⚫︎ The kanji 愛 (ai) means "love," and 情 (jō) means "feeling" or "emotion."

⚫︎ 愛（あい - ai): "love" (more general and can be used on its own) ⚫︎ 好き（すき - suki): "like" or "love" (more casual than 愛情) ⚫︎ 恋（こい - koi): "romantic love" ⚫︎ 思いやり（おもいやり - omoiyari): "consideration," "caring" ⚫︎ 優しさ（やさしさ - yasashisa): "kindness," "tenderness"

⚫︎ 憎しみ（にくしみ - nikushimi): "hatred" ⚫︎ 嫌悪（けんお - ken'o): "disgust," "loathing" ⚫︎ 無関心（むかんしん - mukanshin): "indifference"

私は家族の《愛情を感じて育ちました。》 ・Translation: I grew up feeling the love of my family. ・Explanation: This sentence demonstrates the feeling of 愛情 received from a family.

彼らは長年、お互いへの深い《愛情を育んできた。》 ・Translation: They have fostered a deep love for each other for many years. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the development and growth of 愛情 over time in a relationship.

The word 愛情 is a compound word formed from the kanji 愛 (ai, meaning "love") and 情 (jō, meaning "feeling" or "emotion"). The combination of these kanji results in a word that directly conveys the concept of love and its associated emotions. The etymology reflects the fundamental components of the word’s meaning.