اشتقت لك
ishtaqtu laka
In Arabic, "I missed you" is said as اشتقت لك (ishtaqtu laka).
This phrase is used to express that you felt sadness or a sense of longing because someone was not with you.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb اشتقت literally means "I longed" or "I yearned", which expresses the core feeling of missing someone.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the second word changes depending on who you are addressing: use اشتقت لكِ to say "I missed you" to a female, and use اشتقت لكُم to say it to a group of people.
How do you pronounce it?
ishtaqtu laka
Did you know?
- When expressing intense longing, Arabs sometimes use the word وله, which describes a specific type of madness or disorientation caused by missing someone.
- The root of the verb اشتقت is related to the word for 'splitting' or 'branching off', suggesting that missing someone feels like a part of oneself has been torn away.
- While اشتقت لك is grammatically correct in Formal Arabic, using it in a casual street setting in Cairo or Beirut might sound overly dramatic or literary.
Examples in context
- اشتقت لك.I missed you.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase اشتقت لك.Tatoeba #6991506 by OsoHombre, translation #407574 by Scott
- اشتقت لك كثيراً.ishtaqtu laka kathīran.I missed you very much.
- لقد اشتقت لك حقاً.laqad ishtaqtu laka haqqan.I really missed you.
Example conversation
Yousef and Layla meet again after a long trip.
- يوسف Youssefمرحباً ليلى، اشتقت لك!Marhaban Layla, ishtaqtu laki!Hello Layla, I missed you!
- ليلى Laylaوأنا أيضاً اشتقت لك يا يوسف.Wa ana aydan ishtaqtu laka ya Yousef.I missed you too, Yousef.
- يوسف Youssefكيف كانت رحلتك؟Kayfa kanat rihlatuki?How was your trip?
- ليلى Laylaكانت رائعة ولكنني عدت أخيراً.Kanat ra'i'a walakinnani udtu akhiran.It was wonderful, but I finally returned.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
