أحبك
uhibbukato a man, standard
To tell a man "I love you" in Arabic, say أحبك (uhibbuka). In Egypt and the Levant people say بحبك (bahibbak), and the ending -ك (-ak) marks a man. It is also called أحبك في الله (uhibbuka fillah).
Meaning: declaration of love (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| أحبك | uhibbuka | to a man, standard |
| بحبك | bahibbak | Egyptian, Levantine |
| أحبك في الله | uhibbuka fillah | to a man, religious |
Parents, wives and close friends say it to men. حبيبي (habibi), "my dear", is the common endearment added to it.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb أحب (uhibb) takes the pronoun ـك (-ka) for a man and ـكِ (-ki) for a woman. Colloquially these are -ak and -ik.
When do people say it?
أحبك في الله (uhibbuka fillah), "I love you for God's sake", is a religious phrase that Muslim men say to friends and brothers.
Did you know?
- The Arabic root ح ب ب gives حب (hubb), "love", and حبيب (habib), "beloved", a word known worldwide from the name Habib.
Examples in context
- أحبك يا باباuhibbuka ya babaI love you, Dad.
- بحبك يا حبيبيbahibbak ya habibiI love you, my dear.
- أحبك في الله يا أخيuhibbuka fillah ya akhiI love you for God's sake, brother.
Example conversation
Dalia tells her husband Adel she loves him before he leaves for work in Alexandria.
- Daliaبحبك يا عادلbahibbak ya AdelI love you, Adel.
- Adelوأنا بحبك أكترwana bahibbik aktarAnd I love you more.
- Daliaربنا يخليك لياrabbena yikhallik liyaMay God keep you for me.
