Ways to say it
| Egyptian Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| بحبك | baheb-ak | to a man |
| عجبتني | agabtini | you caught my attention |
Egyptian Arabic does not split 'like' and 'love' as sharply as English, بحبك covers both a deep romantic feeling and a lighter fondness for a friend. For the specific sense of being drawn to someone you just met, عجبتني (agabtini), 'you pleased me, I'm interested', is common.
What does it mean word for word?
بحبك comes from يحب, 'to love/like', with the object suffix -ك for 'you'. عجبتني comes from يعجب, 'to please', so it literally means 'you pleased me'.
Which one should you use?
Say بحبك to someone close, a partner, a friend or family. Say عجبتني about someone new whose personality or looks caught your attention, it is lighter and less committal.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both are casual and personal, not used in formal contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
These usages are standard across Egypt.
How does it change in a sentence?
The ending changes with who you are speaking to, بحبك to a man and بحبكي to a woman, since the suffix carries the gender of the person addressed.
How do you pronounce it?
بحبك is said quickly, 'ba-HEB-bak', with a doubled b sound.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Saying بحبك too early can sound like a declaration of love rather than mild liking, Egyptians often soften early feelings with عجبتني instead.
When do people say it?
Because بحبك is used so broadly, Egyptians say it often, to friends, siblings and parents, without it always carrying romantic weight.
Did you know?
- Egyptian Arabic uses the same verb يحب for liking food, liking a film and loving a person, with context alone telling the three apart.
Examples in context
- بصراحة، انت عجبتني من أول ما شوفتك.besaraha, inta agabtini min awwel ma shoftak.Honestly, I liked you from the moment I saw you.
- بحبك كصاحب قبل أي حاجة تانية.baheb-ak ka-sahib abl ay haga tanya.I like you as a friend before anything else.
- هي عجبتها شخصيتك.heyya agabaha shakhseytak.She liked your personality.
Example conversation
Hossam tells his friend Reem how he feels after their first few meetings.
- Hossamريم، انتي عجبتيني بجد.Reem, inti agabtini bigad.Reem, I really like you.
- Reemليه، حصل إيه خلاك تقول كده؟leih, hasal eih khallak te'ool keda?Why, what made you say that?
- Hossamطريقتك في الكلام بصراحة، بحبها.taree'tik fi el-kalam besaraha, baheb-ha.The way you talk honestly, I like it.
- Reemكلامك لطيف، شكرا ليك.kalamak lateef, shukran leek.That's kind of you, thank you.
