戀

Phono-semantic compound:

心 (heart, mind) – semantic, indicating feelings and emotion.

䜌 (disordered, tangled) – phonetic element.

Originally conveyed the idea of an entangled or restless heart, symbolizing yearning and passionate attachment.

Early forms include 孌 (variant with 女 instead of 心).

Semantic range:

- longing, yearning, passionate desire;

- romantic love, attachment between lovers;

- figurative: being emotionally entangled, clinging desire;

- in contrast with 愛 (broad, benevolent love), 戀 emphasizes personal, often sensual affection.

It often refers specifically to romantic or erotic love (연정, 연모), in contrast to 愛, which covers love in a broader, more general sense (affection, benevolence, compassion).

戀愛 (연애) – romantic love, courtship

初戀 (첫사랑) – first love

熱戀 (열렬한 사랑) – passionate love

懷戀 (회련) – fond remembrance, nostalgic longing

In Korean, 戀 is the standard form, while in Mainland China and Japan the simplified form 恋 is more common (also used as Shinjitai in Japanese).

In classical literature, 戀 often conveys deep longing or attachment, sometimes obsessive.

In contrast to 愛 (universal or benevolent love), 戀 often implies emotional entanglement, attachment, or sexual/romantic passion.

Related graphically to transformations seen in other characters where complex components (䜌) simplify to 亦 in the modern forms (e.g. 變 → 变, 灣 → 湾, 蠻 → 蛮).