1.
dear, lovable, precious, endearing
A deep feeling of tender affection and protectiveness toward someone or something. Conveys a warm, gentle love often mixed with a desire to cherish or protect. Carries more emotional depth than simply 'cute' or 'likable.'
愛おしい我が子。
My dear child.
猫の寝顔が愛おしくてたまらない。
The cat's sleeping face is unbearably adorable.
何気ない日常の一瞬が、振り返ると愛おしく感じられる。
Ordinary everyday moments feel precious when you look back on them.
愛おしい expresses a deep, tender affection — a feeling of wanting to cherish and protect someone or something.
FORMS:
- Adverbial: 愛おしく
- Noun form: 愛おしさ
CONJUGATION:
- Negative: 愛おしくない
- Te-form: 愛おしくて
- Past: 愛おしかった
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 愛おしい: tenderly dear, precious (deep emotional attachment)
- 可愛い: cute, adorable (lighter, broader)
- 愛らしい: lovely, charming (more about outward appearance)
- いじらしい: touching, pitiable (evokes sympathy for someone trying hard)
ORTHOGRAPHY:
Also written 愛しい (shorter form). Both 愛おしい and 愛しい are common. The hiragana form いとおしい is also widely used.