اشتقت لك
The English phrase "miss you" in Arabic is expressed as اشتقت لك.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb اشتقت literally means "I longed" or "I felt a longing".
Which one should you use?
While اشتقت لك is standard and understood everywhere, the word وحشتني is the common way to say "I miss you" in Egyptian Arabic.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Different regions use specific variations: in Egypt, اشتاقلك is used to say "I miss you" and in the Levantine region, بشتاقلك is used to express I miss you.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes its ending based on the gender of the person being addressed: use اشتقت لكَ for a male and اشتقت لكِ for a female.
Did you know?
- The Egyptian variation وحشتني comes from a root meaning 'to become lonely' or 'to be deserted', suggesting that the person you miss leaves a void behind.
- The root of the verb اشتقت is deeply connected to the concept of physical craving, making the act of missing someone feel like a literal hunger or thirst.
- In some Arabic poetic traditions, longing is depicted as a physical weight or a burden that a person carries, rather than just an emotion.
Examples in context
- أشتاق إليك يا حبيبيI miss you, my love
- أشتاق إليك، اعتني بنفسكI miss you, take care
Example conversation
Omar and Nour are talking on the phone after a long trip.
- عمر Omarأهلاً نور، اشتقت لك.ahlan nour, ishtaqtu laki.Hello Nour, I missed you.
- نور Nourوأنا أيضاً اشتقت لك يا عمر.wa ana aydan ishtaqtu laka ya omar.And I missed you too, Omar.
- عمر Omarمتى ستعودين؟mata sata'udeen?When are you coming back?
- نور Nourسأعود قريباً جداً.sa'a'udu qariban jiddan.I will be back very soon.
