verb HSK 5
Traditional 愛戴
ài dài
to love and respect · to revere · to hold in esteem

Meaning

爱戴 describes a deep feeling of love combined with respect and admiration, typically directed toward leaders, elders, or those in positions of authority. It conveys sincere affection paired with reverence, and is commonly used in formal or written contexts when describing how people feel about respected figures.

Usage

This word is formal and often appears in political discourse, historical narratives, or when discussing beloved public figures. It implies a genuine, heartfelt combination of love and respect rather than superficial admiration. Commonly used with 受到 (shòu dào) to say someone 'receives love and respect' from others.

Examples

  1. 01
    周总理深受人民的爱戴
    Zhōu zǒnglǐ shēn shòu rénmín de ài dài.
    Premier Zhou was deeply loved and respected by the people.
  2. 02
    她是一位受到学生爱戴的老师。
    shì wèi shòu dào xuésheng ài dài de lǎoshī.
    She is a teacher who is loved and respected by her students.

Characters

Common collocations

  • 受到爱戴
    shòu dào ài dài
    to be loved and respected
  • 深受爱戴
    shēn shòu ài dài
    to be deeply loved and respected
  • 爱戴的领导
    ài dài de lǐng dǎo
    beloved leader

Antonyms

Origin

The character 戴 originally meant 'to wear on the head' and extended to mean 'to hold someone above oneself' metaphorically, thus 'to respect.' Combined with 爱 (love), it expresses elevating someone with both affection and honor.

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