إعجاب
The English word "crush" can be translated to Arabic as إعجاب.
The term إعجاب refers to love, infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited). If you want to describe the person you have a crush on, or the concept of a crush itself, you can use the informal terms معجب or معجبة. To specify that a crush is unrequited, you can add the phrase من طرف واحد to indicate it is "from one side".
Meaning: love or infatuation or its object (often short-lived or unrequited) (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to a female person who has a crush, you use the feminine active participle مُعْجَبَة.
Did you know?
- The word إعجاب is closely related to the word for 'miracle' معجزة. Both stem from the same root that describes something that causes astonishment or amazement.
- In many Arabic dialects, people may use the word كراش directly, transliterating the English 'crush'. It has become a widespread slang term among Gen Z and millennials across the Arab world.
- Arabic has a vast vocabulary for stages of love, and إعجاب is considered one of the earliest stages. It is seen as a precursor to عشق, which describes a more passionate and consuming love.
Examples in context
- كان مجرد إعجاب عابر.kana mujarrad i'jāb 'ābir.It was just a passing crush.
- هل هذا إعجاب حقيقي؟hal hādhā i'jāb haqīqī?Is this a real crush?
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their feelings.
- يوسف Youssefيا نور، لدي إعجاب بزميل جديد.Ya Nour, ladayya i'jab bi-zamil jadid.Nour, I have a crush on a new colleague.
- نور Nourحقاً يا يوسف؟ هل يعرف ذلك؟Haqqan ya Youssef? Hal ya'rif dhalik?Really, Youssef? Does he know that?
- يوسف Youssefلا، إنه مجرد إعجاب سري.La, innahu mujarrad i'jab sirri.No, it is just a secret crush.
- نور Nourيجب أن تخبره بمشاعرك قريباً.Yajib an tukhbirahu bi-masha'irika qariban.You should tell him your feelings soon.
