Ways to say it
| Kuwaiti Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| مشتاق لك | mushtaq lak | to a man |
| مشتاقة لك | mushtaqa lak | spoken by a woman |
| اشتقت لك وايد | ishtaqt lak wayid | I miss you a lot |
A woman says مشتاقة لك (mushtaqa lak). To intensify the feeling, Kuwaitis add وايد (wayid), the Gulf word for 'very' or 'a lot', as in اشتقت لك وايد.
What does it mean word for word?
مشتاق comes from the root شوق, 'longing'. وايد is a hallmark Gulf intensifier meaning 'a lot' or 'very', used constantly across Kuwaiti speech.
Which one should you use?
مشتاق لك/مشتاقة لك describes an ongoing state of missing someone. اشتقت لك وايد describes the feeling more directly and adds emphasis with وايد.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Both are warm, informal expressions for family, friends and partners, not formal writing.
Is it said differently in some regions?
وايد is one of the clearest words marking Kuwaiti and wider Gulf speech apart from Levantine or Egyptian Arabic, which use different intensifiers entirely.
How does it change in a sentence?
مشتاق changes to مشتاقة when a woman is speaking, following regular Arabic adjective agreement for gender.
How do you pronounce it?
وايد is said with a long, clear a sound stretching through the middle of the word, 'WAY-id'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Using the Levantine كتير instead of وايد for 'a lot' will be understood in Kuwait but will sound noticeably non-local.
When do people say it?
With many Kuwaiti families and workers abroad for study or business, اشتقت لك وايد is a frequent line in calls and voice messages home.
Did you know?
- وايد is one of the quickest ways to recognise Kuwaiti and Gulf Arabic, standing in for 'very' or 'a lot' where other dialects use entirely different words.
- The root شوق behind مشتاق also gives the word for craving, linking the feeling of missing a person to the same root as physical longing.
Examples in context
- مشتاق لك وايد يا خوي.mushtaq lak wayid ya khuy.I miss you a lot, bro.
- مشتاقة لك، شلون الدراسة؟mushtaqa lak, shlon id-dirasa?I miss you, how are the studies going?
- اشتقت لك وايد، نرجع نتصل؟ishtaqt lak wayid, nirja' nitsil?I miss you a lot, shall we call again?
Example conversation
Mariam calls her brother Yousef, who is studying abroad.
- Mariamمشتاقة لك وايد يا يوسف.mushtaqa lak wayid ya Yousef.I miss you a lot, Yousef.
- Yousefوأنا مشتاق لكم وايد.w ana mushtaq lakum wayid.I miss you all a lot too.
- Mariamشلون الدراسة هناك؟shlon id-dirasa hnak?How are the studies there?
- Yousefزينة، بس البيت أحسن.zeina, bas il-beit ahsan.Good, but home is better.
