The Chinese word **宠爱** (chǒng'ài) is a compound formed by combining two characters with related meanings to create a nuanced concept. The first character, **宠** (chǒng), carries the core meaning of "to dote on," "to pamper," or "to favor (often excessively or exclusively)." The second character, **爱** (ài), means "love" in a broad sense. When combined, the word **宠爱** synthesizes these ideas to specifically denote a kind of **indulgent, doting love**, often implying favoritism, spoiling, or affection bestowed by someone in a superior position (like a parent or elder) onto a subordinate or younger recipient. The formation follows a common pattern in Chinese where two synonyms or near-synonyms are paired to intensify and specify the shared meaning, resulting in a term stronger and more particular than either character alone.