The arabic word for love

Imagine going to see the same movies on every single date with your partner.

Pretty boring, right?

Point is, creativity is key to every love relationship.

Bringing new things to the table is what keeps a relationship alive and as exciting as when it began.

That’s where learning expressions in your partner’s native language comes into play.

Being one of the best ways to show your acceptance, involvement, and appreciation of your partner, learning some Arabic love phrases and discovering how to express your love in Arabic can take your relationship to a whole new level.

Not only because it’s your partner’s native tongue, but also because Arabic is one of the best languages for expressing romantic feelings.

Having a hard time believing that? Check out Inez’s song My Love in Arabic, or Samira Said’s classic Youm Wara Youm. 

And considering that Arabic is the richest language by number of words (with more than 12 million of them), there is no end to the creativity you can employ when expressing your feelings in this beautiful language. 

Not the creative type? Unsure how to put your feelings into words that do them justice? Don’t worry; many Arabic poets throughout history have created enough love poetry to have you covered.

While we’d love to share some Arabic poetry here, this post will be dedicated to breaking down some basic phrases you can use to express love in Arabic.

The expressions below will all be in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), unless otherwise noted.

Without further ado, let’s get right into it!

Table of Contents

1. Confess Your Affection: Pick-Up Lines and More
2. Fall in Deeper: “I Love You,” and More
3. Take it One Step Further: “Will You Marry Me?” and More
4. Endearment Terms
5. Must-Know Love Quotes
6. Conclusion

1. Confess Your Affection: Pick-Up Lines and More

Unless it’s love at first sight, every love journey starts with friendship. But at some point, someone has to break the ice and confess their feelings. 

• Can we go out on a date?
  
  هَل يُمكِنُنا الخُروجُ في مَوْعِد؟
  
  hal yumkinunā al-ḫurūǧu fī mawʿid?

In most Arabic-speaking cultures, romance is discreet and pretty private. We advise that you ask your partner out when it’s only you and them around. 

And because “meetup” and “date” are the same word in Arabic (مَوْعد [mawʿid]), you can elaborate by adding the word رومانسي (romansi), or “romantic,” after مَوْعِد  (mawʿid).

• You mean so much to me. [ addressing a male ]
  
  أَنتَ تَعني الكَثير لي.
  
  ʾanta taʿnī al-kaṯīr lī.

• You mean so much to me. [ addressing a female ]
  
  أَنتِ تَعنينَ الكَثير لي.
  
  ʾanti taʿnīna al-kaṯīr lī.

The phrases above can be used to express the care you have for your potential date. It can be a great way to transition into a romantic relationship if you’re already friends. Keep in mind that the first example is for addressing males (which is the default/neutral gender in Arabic). If you’re addressing a female, you should use the second phrase. 

• I’ve got a crush on you.
  
  أَنا مُغرَمٌ بِك.
  
  ʾanā muġramun bik.

While the exact concept of “having a crush” doesn’t exist in Arab culture, the expression above is the nearest way to express that feeling.

• You’re so beautiful.
  
  أَنتِ جَميلَةٌ جِدّاً.
  

This expression is mainly used for females.

• You’re so handsome.
  
  أَنتَ وَسيمٌ جِدّاً.
  
  ʾanta wasīmun ǧiddan.

And this one is for use toward males. 

• I think of you as more than a friend. [ addressing a male ]
  
  أَظُنُّ أَنَّكَ أَكثَرُ مِن مُجَرَّدِ صَديق.
  
  ʾaẓunnu ʾannaka ʾakṯaru min muǧarradi ṣadīq.

• I think of you as more than a friend. [ addressing a female ]
  
  أَظُنُّ أَنَّكِ أَكثَرُ مِن مُجَرَّدِ صَديقة.
  
  ʾaẓunnu ʾannaki ʾakṯaru min muǧarradi ṣadīqh.

2. Fall in Deeper: “I Love You,” and More

Love is like a beautiful flower. The more you water it, the more it blossoms into something even better. That comes with an investment in your partner through encouraging actions and continuous positive affirmations. Here are a few love phrases in Arabic to keep those romantic feelings and intentions intact throughout the early stages of your relationship.

• I love you. [ addressing a male ]
  
  أُحِبُّك
  
  ʾuḥibbuk

• I love you. [ addressing a female ]
  
  أُحِبُّكِ
  
  ʾuḥibbuki

• Words can’t describe my love for you.
  
  الكَلِماتُ لا تَقدِرُ أَن تَصِفَ حُبّي لَك.
  
  al-kalimātu lā taqdiru ʾan taṣifa ḥubbī lak.

• If I know what love is, it is because of you.
  
  إن كُنتُ أَعرِفُ مَعنى الحُب، فَذَلِكَ بِفَضلِك.
  
  ʾin kuntu ʾaʿrifu maʿnā al-ḥub, faḏalika bifaḍlik.

After expressing your love and spending a long time nurturing your relationship with your partner, it’s a good idea to use more creative expressions like this:

• You are my love.
  
  أَنتَ حُبّي.
  
  ʾanta ḥubbī.

When addressing females, anta becomes anty.

• You are my life.
  
  أَنتَ عُمري.
  
  ʾanta ʿumrī.

This expression is perfect to use once you’ve established a strong relationship and mutual love with your partner. Make sure you don’t overuse expressions like these, though! 

3. Take it One Step Further: “Will You Marry Me?” and More

As beautiful as it is to love someone and to share emotions, full commitment requires a legally binding agreement between you and your partner. That’s why it’s a good idea to go all in at some point and tie the knot. Here are some common Arabic love phrases you can use to express this desire to your partner.

• I want to be with you forever.
  
  أُريدُ أَن أَكونَ مَعَكَ إلى الأَبَد.
  
  ʾurīdu ʾan ʾakūna maʿaka ʾilā al-ʾabad.

Depending on your and your partner’s ideologies, being with each other forever may or may not mean marriage. If you plan to use this expression, make sure your partner is on the same page. For addressing a female, replace مَعَكَ (maʿaka) meaning “with you,” with the feminine form: مَعَكِ (maʿaki).

• We were meant to be together.
  
  قُدِّرَ لَنا أَن نَكونَ سَوِيّاً.
  
  quddira lanā ʾan nakūna sawiyan.

“Destiny,” or قَدَر (qadar), is a big word in Arabic-speaking cultures. Using it will make your love phrases stronger.

• Will you marry me? [ addressing a woman ]
  
  هَل تَتَزَوَّجيني؟
  
  hal tatazawwaǧīnī?

Marriage is very sacred in Arabic-speaking cultures. Only express this when you’re ready to fully commit to your partner. 

• Will you be my Valentine’s date?
  
  هَل سَتُوَاعِدني في عيد الحُب؟
  
  hal satuwaʿidnī fī ʿīd al-ḥub?

• I can’t imagine my life without you in it.
  
  لا أَستَطيعُ تَخَيُّلَ حَياتي مِن دونِك.
  
  lā ʾastaṭīʿu taḫayyula ḥaīātī min dūnik.

• You are the one I’ve been waiting for my whole life.
  
  أَنتَ الشَخصُ الَّذي كُنتُ أَنتَظِرُهُ طَوَالِ حَيَاتي.
  
  ʾanta al-šaḫṣu allaḏī kuntu ʾantaẓiruhu ṭawali ḥayatī.

4. Endearment Terms

Many couples in a long-term relationship like to address each other using endearment terms. These are unique, loving words or “pet names” used to show your partner each and every day what they mean to you. Below you’ll find several Arabic endearment terms you can use. 

• sweetheart
  
  حَبيبي
  
  ḥabībī

This is a very common endearment term among Arabic-speaking couples, and it’s one of the most popular Arabic words in the Western world. To address a female partner, you replace حَبيبي (ḥabībī) with حَبيبَتي (ḥabībatī).

• the light of my eyes
  
  نور عيني
  
  nūr ʿīnī

• my heart
  
  قَلبي
  
  qalbī

• my love
  
  حُبّي
  
  ḥubbī

• my dear [ addressing a male ]
  
  عَزيزي
  
  ʿazīzī

• my dear [ addressing a female ]
  
  عَزيزَتي
  
  ʿazīzatī

• my life
  
  عُمري
  
  ʿumrī

The literal translation for عُمري (ʿumrī) is actually “my age,” but it’s used in almost all dialects to mean “my life.”

5. Must-Know Love Quotes

After establishing all the traditional means of love, it’s great to spice things up with some unique love quotes every now and then. Given its very rich collection of literature and poetry—especially from the Jahiliyyah era—Arabic is one of the best languages in which to find sweet quotes and phrases for flirting. Here are some of our favorite Arabic love quotes with their English translations:

• For you, a thousand more times. [ addressing a male ]
  
  مِن أَجلِكَ أَلفُ مَرَّةٍ أُخرى.
  
  min ʾaǧlika ʾalfu marraẗin ʾuḫrā.

To address a female, replace أَجلِكَ (ʾaǧlika) with أَجلِكِ (ʾaǧliki).

• You are the love of my soul. [ addressing a male ]
  
  أَنتَ حَبيبُ روحي.
  
  ʾanta ḥabību rūḥī.

• You are the love of my soul. [ addressing a female ]
  
  أَنتِ حَبيبَةُ روحي.
  
  ʾanti ḥabībaẗu rūḥī.

• There’s so much of you in my heart.
  
  ما أَكثَرُكَ في قَلبي.
  
  mā ʾakṯaruka fī qalbī.

• Take care of my heart because you’re in it.
  
  اِحرِص عَلى قَلبي لِأَنَّكَ فيه.
  
  iḥriṣ ʿalā qalbī liʾannaka fīh.

Talking to a female, replace li’anaka with li’anaki.

• Your smile is paradise.
  
  اِبتِسامَتُكَ هِيَ الجَنَّة.
  
  ibtisāmatuka hiya al-ǧannah.

When speaking to a female, replace اِبتِسامَتُكَ (ibtisāmatuka) with اِبتِسامَتُكِ (ibtisāmatuki).

• Where there is love, there is peace.
  
  أَيْنَما وُجِدَ الحُب، وُجِدَ السَلام.
  
  ʾaynamā wuǧida al-ḥub, wuǧida al-salām.

6. Conclusion

While this blog post mainly focused on couples, many expressions can be used with your other loved ones as well. Which of these love phrases did you like the most? Are you ready to try it out on your beloved?

Now that you’re armed with numerous Arabic love phrases, you can take things up a notch and work on impressing your partner with even more love expressions.

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Marhaba! As you all know, Valentine’s Day (عيد الحب) is just around the corner. Millions around the world celebrate it every year on February 14^th. This day of love is usually celebrated with bouquets of red roses, red heart-shaped chocolate boxes and balloons, stuffed bears, heart-shaped jewelry, and various other gifts.

Today, I want to celebrate our common passion and love for Arabic. So how about all you Arabic lovers out there learn the 10 most common expressions about love in Arabic? These are great to impress your family, friends, and a special person in your life. You can also use them in letters, text messages, on social media, and in other writing and speaking venues. As you will soon realize, I have added both the female and male variations of these expressions. So that all you ladies and gents out there are equipped with the right expressions about love in Arabic!! In contrast to my cautionary statements regarding swear words in Arabic, please do feel free to use this expressions as much as you can. Use them in abundance, because this world always needs more love.

1) Habib Albi (حبيب/حبيبة قلبي)
Love of my Heart (male/female)
Pronounced: HA-BEEB AL-BEE

2) Enta Habibi (انت حبيبي/حبيبتي)
You Are My love (male/female)
Pronounced: IN-TA HA-BE-BEE

3) Ana Bahebak (أنا بحبَك/ بحبِك)
I Love You (male/female)
Pronounced: A-NA BA-HE-BACK

4) Ya Hayati (يا حياتي)
My Life (which means my love)
Pronounced: YA HA-YA-TEE

5) Wahashtini (وحشتيني)
I Miss You
Pronounced: WA-HASH-TINI

6) Ya Amar (يا قمر)
My Moon (which means my most beautiful)
Pronounced: YA KAMAR

7) Ya Habib Alby (يا حبيب/حبيبة قلبي)
Love of my Heart
Pronounced: YA HA-BEEB AL-BEE

Ya Rouhi (يا روحي)
You are my Soul (which means my dear beloved)
Pronounced: YA ROU-HE

9) Habibi (حبيبي/حبيبتي)
My Love (male/female)
Pronounced: HA-BE-BEE

10) Ya Helo (يا حلو/حلوة)
My Beautiful (male/female)
Pronounced: YA HE-LOW

For now take care and stay tuned for upcoming posts!
Happy Learning!
Happy Valentine’s Day Arabic Lovers!!
نهاركم سعيد

By: Yara Jouzy/Arab America Contributing Writer

Arabs are passionate, affectionate and extremely loving people. They can tell someone they love him or her without actually saying the words, “I love you.” Such a powerful language brings out the passion in those who use these words. This Valentine’s Day, express your love to your partner, family, and friends with any of these Arabic phrases to make them feel admired and loved.

1. Habibi or Habibti

Habibi (to a male) and Habibti (to a female) means “my love” or in Arabic. It is the most common expression of love in the Arabic language said to friends, children, and even strangers. Mama and baba always use this at the end of each sentence. Whether it’s being said to their kids or each other, the word habibi(ti) is always heard.

2. Hayati, ya hayati

Hayati means “my life” in Arabic, which is what most couples say to each other to express just how far their love for each other reaches. The word can be found most often in Arabic songs about love and spoken in the Lebanese dialect. 

3. Rohi

Finding your soul mate is a magical experience. It’s the person you truly believe you belong with and that person is your rohi, which translates to “my soulmate”

4. Eini

Arabs are the only people who will ever understand this eini. The word is directly translated to “my eye” and although it might not sound romantic, it really means a lot to your loved ones. Eyes are considered precious and beautiful in the Arab world, which means your lover is, too. As Amr Diab once famously wrote “habibi, ya nour el ein” he was saying “you’re the light of my eye.” 

5. Albi

Without a heart, you cannot live or love. In Arabic, albi means “my heart” and it is the epitome of love. Most people use albi to refer to their families or loved ones.

6. Ameli

Ameli, meaning “my hope” is used to describe a significant other in your life that gives you strength. Feeling hope from the people you love, you’re surrounded by or you’re supported by is extremely important in relationships.

7. Omri

Because one way to say “my life” is not enough, Arabs also use the word omri, which also directly translates to “my life,” but also “my darling.”

8. Ma Atyaback or Ma Atyabeck

Getting called cute is fun, but getting asked how cute you make all the difference. Arabs ask this rhetorical question all the time. Parents, siblings, cousins, significant others or even your teta asks you this every time she sees you. Ma atyaback (male) or ma atyabeck (female) is something everyone has heard.

9. Bahlam feek or bahlam feeki

When you’re in love, it’s common to say things like you’re dreaming of your significant other. Bahlam feek (to male) or bahlam feeki (to female) is translated to I’m dreaming of you or you’re in my dreams.

10. Wahashtini

You know you love someone when you miss him or her terribly. Wahashtini translates to “I miss you” and is a common phrase in the Egyptian dialect to express feelings for another person. 

11. Ya Amar

Comparing someone to the moon is one of the most romantic ways of expressing love in Arabic. It’s the bright light shining on a dark night.

‘Ya amar” means “the moon” and it is a beautiful way to express love.

12. Ana Bahebak or Ana Bahebik

Last but not least are ana bahibik (for male) or ana bahibik (for female), which mean “I love you.” This is the first way that most people learn how to express their love which can be articulated in so many ways, whether it’s metaphorical or rhetorical; it all brings us back to the same meaning of love on Thanksgiving and always.

Transcriberry can help with these translations.

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Love is an important concept for Arabs, so it should come as no surprise that there are many different ways to express love in Arabic, all with slightly different meanings. The strong culture of poetry and songs revolving around love developed because in the Arab world marriages were generally arranged, rather than chosen freely. All too often, one’s love had to go unanswered, because of society, culture or religion. Poetry and songs provided an outlet for the passion of the lovers and – as a result – enriched the Arabic language with many nuanced words related to love.

حب (Hubb)
The most common and the most general term for love in Arabic is حب (Hubb). This word is used in a wide variety of situations, to refer to love between lovers, love for one’s parents, love for God, love for one’s country etc. Here are four different designs for this word:

The verb corresponding to this noun is أحبّ (aHabba) and is used in the following way:

I love you (addressing a woman): أحبّك (uHibbuki)

I love you (addressing a man): أحبّك (uHibbuka)

I love you (addressing a group of three or more individuals): أحبّكم (uHibbukum)

حبيبي (Habeebi)
The words حبيبي (Habeebi) (m.) and حبيبتي (Habeebati) (f.) are very common expressions that mean “beloved” or “darling” for a man or a woman respectively. Note that these words are also sometimes used to address a friend or relative and do not necessarily imply a romantic relationship.

محبة (maHabba)
Although محبة (maHabba) can be used to refer to romantic love, it more commonly means brotherly love or compassionate love, for instance in the following quote from Corinthians in the Bible:

“Faith, hope, love, but the greatest of these is love”:

الإيمان والرجاء والمحبة، هذه الثلاثة ولكن أعظمهن المحبة

عشق (‘ishq)
The word عشق (‘ishq) is another common word, but with a more restricted meaning of “passionate love” and is generally reserved to refer to love in a romantic relationship (as opposed to brotherly love).

شغف (shaghaf)
The term شغف (shaghaf) can best be thought of as “passion”, but it can also mean sensual desire (i.e. lust). Sometimes this term is used to refer to infatuation or the state of being madly in love. E.g. the adjectives شغوف (shaghoof) or مشغوف (mashghoof) translate as “to be madly in love”.

هوى (hawa)
This is yet another concept of love, often used in the sense of “longing” or “desire”. Fun fact: the root هوى can have the meaning of “to drop down, fall down, or to swoop down”. In other words, love that sweeps you from your feet.

ولع (wala3)
Similarly to shaghaf, ولع (wala3) means “passionate love” or “ardent desire” from the root meaning of “to catch fire”.

وله (walah)
This is the kind of love that drives you mad. The Hans Wehr dictionary suitably translates it as “amorous rapture”.

A few more words to express “love” in Arabic:

وجد (wajd)	ecstasy of love
غرام (gharaam)	ardent desire, infatuation
شوق (shawq)	yearning, craving, desire, wild affection
صبابة (Sabaaba)	ardent love, fervent longing
حنان (Hanaan)	tender love
ود (wid)	love, friendship

There are, of course, many more words that all express the concept of love in Arabic, but I believe that the terms presented here are the most common ones. If you know any other words that have an interesting nuance, please let me know in the comments.

Image credit for picture on top: Gregory Jordan

The word love letter by letter

ﺣُﺐّ

The Arabic word for love consists of: The letter Ha that is written ﺡ ( here ﺣـ ) and pronounced H and is a part of the root of the word. The short vowel u that is written as the sign ُ above the letter. The letter beh that is written ﺏ ( here ـﺐ ) and pronounced b and is a part of the root of the word. Therefore, the word is writen ﺣُﺐّ and pronounced Hubb.

Arabic is written from right to left. Short vowels are placed above or under the letters, the are usually omitted.
Learn how to write with Arabic letters