1.
friendliness, amiability, sociability
A pleasant, friendly manner in social interactions. The quality of being agreeable and warm toward others, often in customer service or social settings.
愛想がいい店員だ。
The clerk is very friendly.
あの人は愛想がなくて近づきにくい。
That person is unfriendly and hard to approach.
初対面の人にも愛想よく振る舞うのが、彼女の長所だ。
One of her strengths is that she behaves amiably even with people she's meeting for the first time.
2.
fondness, affection, patience (with someone)
Feelings of goodwill or patience toward someone. Often used in the negative — losing patience or goodwill with someone or something.
愛想が尽きた。
I've lost all patience with them.
何度も嘘をつかれて、すっかり愛想が尽きた。
After being lied to so many times, I completely lost patience.
会社の対応に愛想を尽かして、退職を決意した。
Fed up with the company's treatment, I resolved to quit.
READING:
Both あいそ and あいそう are used. The あいそ reading is more colloquial; あいそう is the standard dictionary form. This entry covers the あいそ form.
USAGE:
In sense 1, 愛想 describes outward friendliness and sociability. 愛想がいい means "friendly" and 愛想がない means "unfriendly" or "cold."
In sense 2, 愛想が尽きる is a set expression meaning to lose patience or give up on someone — similar to English "the last straw."
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 愛想がいい: friendly, amiable
- 愛想がない: unfriendly, cold
- 愛想が尽きる: to lose patience, to be fed up
- 愛想を振りまく: to be charming to everyone
- 愛想笑い: a forced smile, a polite smile
Related Words
Related:
愛想 (alternate reading)