love so deep it extends even to a crow on the beloved's roof; all-embracing love
A classical Chinese-derived idiom (idiomatic expression) describing profound, unconditional love that encompasses everything associated with the beloved, even the most ordinary or unappealing things. Rare in modern conversation; mostly encountered in literary or explanatory contexts.
The proverb 'okuu no ai' expresses a deep affection so strong that even a crow perched on the roof of the beloved's house feels dear.
The original Chinese four-character idiom (愛屋及烏) from which 屋烏の愛 is derived; carries the same meaning but is even more classical and less common in Japanese.
Standard kanji form for this idiomatic expression.
Variant using the classical possessive particle 之 instead of の; mainly found in older or literary texts.
From the Chinese idiom 愛屋及烏 (ài wū jí wū), literally 'love the house and its crows', meaning that love for a person extends to everything associated with them. The Japanese form 屋烏の愛 is a wasei kango adaptation using the same characters.