What does it mean word for word?
نحبك joins the Tunisian first-person prefix ن-, 'I', with حب, 'to love', and the ending for 'you'.
Which one should you use?
The word stays the same whether the person addressed is a man or a woman, the ending -ك covers both.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
This phrase is personal and informal, used only with people close to you.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The ن- prefix for 'I' is a hallmark of Maghrebi Arabic, shared with Moroccan and Algerian Arabic, and different from the Levantine ب- prefix used in بحبك.
How does it change in a sentence?
Tunisian Arabic verbs in the present tense take ن- for 'I', unlike Levantine dialects which use ب-, so Tunisians say نحب, 'I love', where a Syrian would say بحب.
How do you pronounce it?
The h in نحبك is a light breathy sound and the stress falls on the middle syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Using the Levantine بحبك in Tunisia is understood from films and media, but نحبك is the natural local form.
Did you know?
- Tunisian verbs use the prefix ن- for 'I', so نحبك literally starts the same way as نحكي, 'I speak', unlike the ب- prefix found in Levantine Arabic.
- The same ending -ك in نحبك works whether the person you love is a man or a woman, with no separate form needed.
Examples in context
- نحبك برشا.nhebbek barsha.I love you very much.
- نحبك و ما نتبدلش.nhebbek w ma netbeddelsh.I love you and that won't change.
- نهار كامل و نحبك أكثر.nhar kamel w nhebbek akthar.A whole day and I love you more.
Example conversation
Youssef tells his wife Sonia how he feels before a long trip.
- Youssefنحبك برشا، تهزّي روحك.nhebbek barsha, tehezzi ruhek.I love you very much, take care of yourself.
- Soniaنحبك، عاود لينا بالسلامة.nhebbek, aawed lina bis-salama.I love you, come back to us safely.
- Youssefتوحشتك من هلقدها.twahashtek min halgadha.I already miss you this much.
- Soniaاتصل بيا كل يوم.ittasel biya kol youm.Call me every day.
