What does it mean word for word?
The word inħobbok is a combination of the first-person singular present tense of the verb ħobb (to love) and the suffix -ok, which means "you" (singular).
How does it change in a sentence?
The form inħobbok is used when speaking to one person. To say "I love you" to more than one person, use inħobbokom. If you want to say "I love her", use the form inħobbha.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and the stress is on the 2nd of 3 syllables. The IPA is /(ɪ)nˈħɔb.bɔk/.
When do people say it?
You can intensify the expression by adding ħafna (a lot/much) to the end, as in inħobbok ħafna (I love you a lot). You can also say inħobbok ħafna ħafna to mean "I love you so, so much". To express a continuous action, the phrase Nibqa' ngħidlek Inħobbok can be used to mean "I will keep telling you I love you".
Did you know?
- The structure of inħobbok is highly agglutinative, meaning the subject, verb and object are all fused into a single word.
- The letter ħ in inħobbok represents a pharyngeal sound that does not exist in English and is similar to sounds found in Arabic.
- The root of the verb in inħobbok is a Semitic triconsonantal root, meaning the logic behind the word is built on a mathematical pattern of consonants.
Examples in context
- Inħobbok ħafna.I love you so much.This sentence shows how to use inħobbok with an intensifier for "so much".
- Inħobbok.I love you.This sentence is a simple use of inħobbok.Tatoeba #3231126 by biber, translation #1434 by awael58
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Paul and Elena are saying goodbye for the evening.
- PaulInħobbok, Elena.I love you, Elena.
- ElenaInħobbok ukoll, Paul.I love you too, Paul.
- PaulAra b’għajnejk għada.See you tomorrow.
- ElenaSajba, tajjeb.Alright, good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations and entries inħobbok, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
