The word 爱心 (àixīn) is a modern Chinese compound noun formed by combining the character 爱 (ài), meaning "love" or "to love", with the character 心 (xīn), meaning "heart". It is a metaphorical construction where 心 acts as the semantic core, representing the center of emotion and intention, while 爱 specifies the type of emotion. Together, they create a concept meaning "loving heart" or "compassion", referring to selfless care, kindness, and benevolent affection for others, and it functions grammatically as a single, abstract unit.