Common Meanings
1
ài艾
A perennial herbaceous plant, its young leaves are edible, and its mature leaves are processed into moxa floss for acupuncture and traditional remedies.
每年端午节，家家户户都会在门上挂艾蒿。
Every Dragon Boat Festival, every household hangs mugwort on their doors.
Old; elderly person. Refers to people of advanced age.
他们尊重村里的耆艾，经常向他们请教经验。
They respect the elderly in the village and often seek their advice and experience.
To stop; to cease; to come to an end (often used in phrases like '方兴未艾' indicating something is still developing and not yet at its peak).
这项研究的影响力方兴未艾，未来还有巨大的发展空间。
The influence of this research is still growing, and there is still huge room for future development.
Beautiful, often referring to the beauty of a young woman.
这位女子正值少艾之年。
This woman is in the prime of her youthful beauty.
2
yì艾
To govern or manage. [自怨自艾] originally referred to regretting one's mistakes and correcting them, but now commonly means simply to regret or wallow in self-pity.
他总是自怨自艾，从不主动寻求改变。
He always wallows in self-pity and never actively seeks change.