أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكَ
ʔaštāqu ʔilaykamasculine
The English phrase "i miss you" is translated into Arabic as أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكَ (ʔaštāqu ʔilayka). Wiktionary also lists أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكِ (ʔaštāqu ʔilayki).
Meaning: I miss you (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكَ | ʔaštāqu ʔilayka | masculine |
| أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكِ | ʔaštāqu ʔilayki | feminine |
What does it mean word for word?
The verb أَشْتَاقُ literally means "I long for" or "I yearn for".
Which one should you use?
The two forms differ based on the gender of the person you are addressing. Use أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكَ when speaking to a male and أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكِ when speaking to a female.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more poetic or highly formal expression of longing to be near someone, you might use يا ليتني بقربك, which translates to "Oh, how I wish I were close to you".
Is it said differently in some regions?
Additionally, بشتاقلك is an informal way to say "I miss you".
How does it change in a sentence?
To address a female, the final vowel of the phrase changes from 'ka' to 'ki', resulting in أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكِ.
How do you pronounce it?
ʔaštāqu ʔilayka
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, people express missing someone by saying وحشتني, which literally means 'you have become a ghost to me' or 'you have haunted me'.
- While أَشْتَاقُ is used for longing, Arabic has a distinct word for the 'longing' felt specifically for one's homeland, known as حنين.
- In poetic Arabic, longing is often described as a 'fire' (نار) that burns the heart, making the act of missing someone a destructive force rather than just a feeling.
Examples in context
- بشتاقلك جدًاI miss you a lot
- أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكَ كَثِيرًا.ashtāqu ilayka kathīran.I miss you a lot.
- أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكَ يَا صَدِيقِي.ashtāqu ilayka yā ṣadīqī.I miss you, my friend.
- أَنَا أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكَ فِي كُلِّ وَقْتٍ.anā ashtāqu ilayka fī kulli waqt.I miss you all the time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “i miss you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
