حبيبي
ḥabībito a man or boy, Egyptian
In Egyptian Arabic you call a man حبيبي (ḥabībi) and a woman حبيبتي (ḥabībti), both meaning "my love" or "sweetheart". Before the name you say يا (yā), as in يا حبيبي (yā ḥabībi). It is also called قلبي (ʾalbi).
Meaning: term of endearment (noun)
Ways to say it
| Egyptian | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| حبيبي | ḥabībi | to a man or boy, Egyptian |
| حبيبتي | ḥabībti | to a woman or girl, Egyptian |
| قلبي | ʾalbi | my heart, affectionate |
Couples use these words, but so do parents with children and friends with each other. Between friends it is just warm, not romantic.
Which one should you use?
قلبي (ʾalbi), "my heart", is a softer pet name and is used by women and men alike, for example صباح الخير يا قلبي (ṣabāḥ el-khēr yā ʾalbi).
How does it change in a sentence?
The ending depends on the person you speak to: حبيبي (ḥabībi) to a male and حبيبتي (ḥabībti) to a female.
Did you know?
- The word حبيبي (ḥabībi) comes from the root of حب (ḥubb), "love", and is one of the most common words in Egyptian songs.
Examples in context
- وحشتني يا حبيبي.waḥashtīni yā ḥabībi.I miss you, sweetheart.
- تعالي يا حبيبتي.taʿāli yā ḥabībti.Come here, sweetheart.
- صباح الخير يا قلبي.ṣabāḥ el-khēr yā ʾalbi.Good morning, my dear.
Example conversation
Ahmed phones his wife Mariam from work in Cairo.
- Ahmedألو، عاملة إيه يا حبيبتي؟alo, ʿāmla ēh yā ḥabībti?Hello, how are you, sweetheart?
- Mariamالحمد لله يا حبيبي، وإنت؟el-ḥamdu lillāh yā ḥabībi, wi inta?Fine, thank God, sweetheart, and you?
- Ahmedهرجع بدري النهارده.hargaʿ badri en-naharda.I will come back early today.
