أُحِبُّكَ
ʔuḥibbukaaddressee masculine
In Arabic, 'I love you' is expressed 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 part أُحِبُّ means 'I love'. The suffix -كَ attached to the verb means '-you (masculine)' and the suffix -كِ means '-you (feminine)'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you can say بحبك أوي to express 'I love you very much' or بحبك كتير to mean 'I love you a lot.' In Levantine Arabic, the phrase بحبك يا عمري translates to 'I love you, my life.'
How does it change in a sentence?
The form أُحِبُّكَ is used when speaking to a male, whereas the form أُحِبُّكِ is used when speaking to a female.
How do you pronounce it?
ʔuḥibbuka
Did you know?
- The word حب (hubb) for love is linguistically related to the word for 'seed' (حبب), suggesting that love is something planted that grows over time.
- Arabic literature and poetry distinguish between different types of love, using specific words like هيام ('madness of love') to describe a stage of love that causes a person to wander aimlessly.
- In certain dialects, instead of saying أُحِبُّكَ, people use the word عيني ('my eye') to tell someone they love them, because the eyes are considered the most precious part of the body.
Examples in context
- أُحِبُّكَ كَثِيرًا.uhibbuka kathīran.I love you very much.
- أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَقُولَ لَكَ أُحِبُّكَ.urīdu an aqūla laka uhibbuka.I want to tell you I love you.
- أَنَا أُحِبُّكَ يَا حَبِيبِي.anā uhibbuka yā habībī.I love you, my beloved.
Example conversation
A couple sharing a quiet moment together.
- يوسف Youssefأنتِ أجمل امرأة في العالم.anti ajmalu imra'atin fil-alam.You are the most beautiful woman in the world.
- مريم Maryamوأنا أُحِبُّكَ كثيراً يا يوسف.wa ana uhibbuka kathiran ya Yusuf.And I love you very much, Yusuf.
- يوسف Youssefأنا أيضاً أُحِبُّكِ يا مريم.ana aydan uhibbuki ya Maryam.I love you too, Maryam.
- مريم Maryamشكراً لك يا حبيبي.shukran laka ya habibi.Thank you, my love.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I love you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
