أُحِبُّكَ
ʔuḥibbukaaddressee masculine
The English phrase "i love you" is expressed in Arabic as أُحِبُّكَ (ʔuḥibbuka). Wiktionary also lists أُحِبُّكِ (ʔuḥibbuki).
Meaning: affirmation of romantic feeling (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| أُحِبُّكَ | ʔuḥibbuka | addressee masculine |
| أُحِبُّكِ | ʔuḥibbuki | addressee masculine |
This phrase is used as an affirmation of romantic feeling.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb is followed by a suffix: –كَ or –كِ, which functions as the object pronoun "you".
Which one should you use?
Arabic requires you to change the ending of the phrase based on the gender of the person you are addressing.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Levantine Arabic (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine), the informal phrase بحبك / Bahebak is used. In Egyptian Arabic, the phrase بحبك أوي / Bahebak oyi is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form أُحِبُّكَ is used when speaking to a man, while the form أُحِبُّكِ is used when speaking to a woman.
How do you pronounce it?
ʔuḥibbuka
Did you know?
- While the phrase أُحِبُّكَ is the standard, many speakers use the phrase تؤبرني in the Levant, which literally means 'bury me', expressing a love so deep the speaker wishes to die before their partner.
- Arabic has over eleven different words for 'love' depending on the intensity, such as عشق for passionate love and هيام for a love that leads to madness.
- The word حب meaning 'love' shares a linguistic root with حَبّ, which means 'seed' or 'grain'. This implies that love is something that is planted and grows over time.
Examples in context
- أُحِبُّكَ كثيراً.uḥibbu ka kathīran.I love you very much.
- أُريدُ أَنْ أَقُولَ لَكَ أُحِبُّكَ.urīdu an aqūla laka uḥibbu ka.I want to tell you I love you.
- أَنَا أُحِبُّكَ يا حَبِيبِي.anā uḥibbu ka yā ḥabībī.I love you, my beloved.
Example conversation
A couple is talking privately at home.
- زياد Ziadنور، أُحِبُّكَ جداً.Noor, uhibbuka jiddan.Noor, I love you so much.
- نور Nourوأنا أيضاً أُحِبُّكَ يا زياد.Wa ana aydan uhibbuka ya Ziyad.And I love you too, Ziyad.
- زياد Ziadأنتِ كل حياتي.Anti kullu hayātī.You are my whole life.
- نور Nourوأنت كل حياتي أيضاً.Wa anta kullu hayātī aydan.And you are my whole life too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “i love you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
