أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكَ
ʔaštāqu ʔilaykamasculine
To say 'I miss you' in Arabic, you use 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 phrase is literally translated as 'I long for you' or 'I yearn for you'. The verb أَشْتَاقُ is in the first-person singular present tense, meaning 'I long/yearn'.
Which one should you use?
Use أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكَ for a male, أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكِ for a female and أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكُمْ when addressing a group of people.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form ends with the 'ka' sound (إِلَيْكَ), while the feminine form ends with the 'ki' sound (إِلَيْكِ). To say 'I miss you' to a group of people, use the plural form إِلَيْكُمْ.
How do you pronounce it?
ʔaštāqu ʔilayka
Did you know?
- In many Arabic dialects, the concept of missing someone is expressed through the word وحشتني, which literally means 'you have become a ghost to me'.
- In various regional dialects, missing someone is often expressed by saying that their absence is a physical burden, using phrases that translate to 'your absence is heavy on me'.
- The verb used in the formal phrase أَشْتَاقُ is rooted in the concept of intense desire, making the act of missing someone sound much more passionate than the English equivalent.
Examples in context
- أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكَ كَثِيرًا.ashtāqu ilayka kathīran.I miss you very much.
- أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكَ يَا صَدِيقِي.ashtāqu ilayka yā ṣadīqī.I miss you, my friend.
- أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكَ فِي كُلِّ وَقْتٍ.ashtāqu ilayka fī kulli waqt.I miss you all the time.
Example conversation
Nour calls Yusuf on the phone to check on him.
- نور Nourمَرْحَبًا يَا يوسف، كَيْفَ حَالُكَ؟marḥaban yā yūsuf, kayfa ḥāluka?Hello Yusuf, how are you?
- يوسف Youssefأَنَا بِخَيْرٍ، شُكْرًا لَكِ يَا نُور.anā bikhayrin, shukran laki yā nūr.I am fine, thank you, Nour.
- نور Nourأَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكَ حَقًّا.ashtāqu ilayka ḥaqqan.I really miss you.
- يوسف Youssefوَأَنَا أَيْضًا أَشْتَاقُ إِلَيْكِ.wa anā ayḍan ashtāqu ilayki.And I miss you too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I miss you” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
