jau5 oi3友愛友爱
Jyutpingjau5 oi3
Yaleyáuh oi
Definition
Friendly affection and mutual care between friends.
neutralpeopleemotion
How it's used
This term carries a slightly formal or literary weight, often appearing in contexts discussing social values, community spirit, or moral character. It is rarely used in casual, everyday banter between close friends, where people would instead use phrases like 感情好 or friendship. It describes a selfless, platonic bond rather than the romantic or possessive feelings associated with love.
Examples
They are full of friendly affection for each other, just like a family.
This kind of spirit of friendly affection is what society needs most.
Related words
Common phrases
spirit of friendly affection
full of friendly affection
Common mistake
Learners often confuse this with 友情, which is the standard, neutral word for friendship. While 友情 refers to the bond itself, 友愛 focuses specifically on the active, caring, and benevolent attitude one shows toward others.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
