حبيبي
ḥabībīto a man, everyday
To call a boy or man "my love" in Arabic, say حبيبي (ḥabībī). To a woman the same word becomes حبيبتي (ḥabībatī). يا روحي (yā rūḥī), "my soul", and يا قلبي (yā qalbī), "my heart", also suit either gender.
Meaning: endearment for a man (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| حبيبي | ḥabībī | to a man, everyday |
| يا روحي | yā rūḥī | to anyone, affectionate |
| يا قلبي | yā qalbī | to anyone, affectionate |
حبيبي (ḥabībī) is not limited to couples. Friends and family use it too, so context decides how romantic it sounds.
How does it change in a sentence?
حبيبي (ḥabībī) is masculine because it is said to a male. The feminine حبيبتي (ḥabībatī) is used when speaking to a woman.
Did you know?
- حبيبي (ḥabībī) comes from the same root as حب (ḥubb), "love", and the English word "habibi" is now widely known.
Examples in context
- حبيبي، وحشتنيḥabībī, waḥashtanīMy love, I missed you
- يا قلبي، تعال هناyā qalbī, taʿāl hunāMy heart, come here
Example conversation
Sara talks to her husband Ibrahim on the phone while he is at work in Cairo.
- Saraحبيبي، متى ترجع؟Ḥabībī, matā tirjaʿ?My love, when are you coming back?
- Ibrahimبعد ساعة يا قلبي.Baʿd sāʿa yā qalbī.In an hour, my heart.
- Saraتمام، مع السلامة.Tamām, maʿa s-salāma.Okay, goodbye.
