The kanji 恋 primarily means "love," specifically romantic love or affection. It can also imply longing, yearning, or a strong emotional attachment to someone or something. It often conveys a sense of passionate feelings.

・On-yomi (音読み): レン (ren) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): こい (koi)

⚫︎ 恋愛 Translation: romantic love; romance ⚫︎ 恋人 Translation: lover; boyfriend/girlfriend ⚫︎ 初恋 Translation: first love

The kanji 恋 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound character. It is composed of two parts: 上 (ue - above) and 心 (kokoro - heart). The 心 radical provides the meaning, relating to the heart and emotions. The sound component is not easy to identify, some theories suggest that 上 (ue) or the earlier form of it was a sound component. The formation suggests the heart (心) is "above" or "in" the context of a feeling or situation, hinting at the elevated state of mind or the strong emotion associated with love.