حب
ḥubb/ħubb/Egyptian Arabic, masculine
The most common Arabic word for love is حب (ḥubb), used for romantic, family and everyday affection. If unsure, use حب. Wiktionary also lists حُبّ (ḥubb) and مَحَبَّة (maḥabba).
Meaning: strong affection (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| حب | ḥubb | /ħubb/ /ħibb/ |
Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| حُبّ | ḥubb | masculine | |
| مَحَبَّة | maḥabba | feminine | |
| عِشْق | ʕišq | feminine | |
| محبة | maḥabba | /ma.ħab.ba/ /mħab.ba/ (Morocco) |
Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
| غرام | ḡarām | /ɣa.raːm/ /ɣraːm/ |
Egyptian Arabic, masculine |
حب covers love for family, for a partner and even for things you enjoy. To say the action of loving someone, use the verb أَحَبَّ (aḥabba).
Which one should you use?
عِشْق (ʕišq) is a more intense, passionate love. غرام (ḡarām) suggests being madly in love and is common in poetry and songs. مَحَبَّة (maḥabba) leans toward affection and goodwill rather than romantic passion.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
حُبّ is masculine, while مَحَبَّة is feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
It is said /ħubb/, one syllable with a breathy h made deep in the throat and a doubled b at the end.
Did you know?
- The word غرام (ḡarām) originally referred to a debt or a financial obligation that cannot be escaped, reflecting the idea of love as an inescapable burden.
- The word عِشْق (ʕišq) is derived from a term meaning 'the ivy plant' that wraps itself tightly around a tree, symbolizing how a lover clings to their beloved.
- The Arabic word for love حب is closely linked to the word حبة meaning 'a seed'. This creates a poetic connection between the growth of a plant and the development of affection.
Examples in context
- أنا واقع في حبكI'm in love with you.أنا واقع في حبك means I'm in love with you, literally I am fallen in your love.Tatoeba #6679744 by marhabaan, translation #499751 by saeb
- كان زيري يريد حبا.Ziri wanted love.Here حبا is love as the object of the verb wanted.Tatoeba #10240532 by Amastan, translation #10221893 by Amastan
- كانت ليلى تريد حبّا.Layla wanted love.This sentence says the same about Layla, with حبّا written with a doubling mark.Tatoeba #6372606 by OsoHombre, translation #6094795 by OsoHombre
- أنا أحب عائلتي كثيرًا.I love my family dearly.
- إنها تحب الموسيقى الكلاسيكية.She loves classical music.
- يحب الكاتب كتبه.The author loves his books.
- أنا مغرم جدًا بك.I'm deeply in love with you.
- يشتركون في عشق متبادل.They share a passionate love.
- أنا أحب أفضل صديقة لي كأختي.I love my best friend like a sister.
- إنها تحب حيوانها كثيرًا.She loves her pet dearly.
- 52 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nour and Youssef are talking about a romantic movie.
- نور Nourالفيلم ده عن الحب.el-film da 'an al-hubb.This movie is about love.
- يوسف Youssefفعلاً، قصة حب جميلة.fe'lan, qesset hubb gamila.Indeed, a beautiful love story.
- نور Nourيوسف، أنت بتحب الأفلام دي؟Youssef, enta bet-hebb el-aflam di?Youssef, do you like these movies?
- يوسف Youssefأيوة، بحب القصص دي.aywa, ba-hebb el-qesas di.Yes, I like these stories.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “love” translations and entries حب, محبة, غرام, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
