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 |
The primary way to express the concept of love is through the noun حُبّ, which is the most common word for the term and is suitable for expressing deep affection and emotion. To express the action of loving someone or something, use the verb أَحَبَّ.
Which one should you use?
While حُبّ is the general word for love, عِشْق refers to a much more intense, passionate or even obsessive love. The term مَحَبَّة often carries a connotation of friendly affection, goodwill or kindness rather than romantic passion.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Egyptian Arabic, you may encounter حب, محبة or غرام. In the Gulf region, the word غلاي is often used to mean 'my precious'. In the Levant (Jordan, Lebanon and Syria), the word قلبي meaning 'my heart' is frequently used to express affection.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun حُبّ is masculine and is the most common way to express the concept of love in a general sense. The noun مَحَبَّة is feminine and is used to describe affection or fondness. The noun عِشْق is also feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is ḥubb and the IPA is /ħubb/.
When do people say it?
When expressing affection, different regions use specific terms: people in the Levant often use قلبي ('my heart') and people in the Gulf may use غلاي ('my precious').
Did you know?
- The word عِشْق shares a root with the Arabic word for 'ivy' or 'climbing plant', suggesting a love that entwines and clings to the beloved.
- The word غرام can mean 'passionate love', but in a legal or financial context, it refers to a 'fine' or 'penalty' one must pay.
- While حب means 'love', its root also relates to 'seed', implying that love is something planted that grows over time.
Examples in context
- أنا واقع في حبكI'm in love with you.This sentence shows the use of حب to say 'I am in love with you'.Tatoeba #6679744 by marhabaan, translation #499751 by saeb
- كان زيري يريد حبا.Ziri wanted love.This sentence uses حب to show someone wanted love.Tatoeba #10240532 by Amastan, translation #10221893 by Amastan
- كانت ليلى تريد حبّا.Layla wanted love.Tatoeba #6372606 by OsoHombre, translation #6094795 by OsoHombre
- أحبك بكل قلبي وروحي.I love you with all my heart and soul.
- لا يوجد شيء أغلى من محبتي لك.There is nothing more precious than my love for you.
- لقد وقعت في عشقك منذ اللحظة الأولى.I fell in love with you from the very first moment.
- يا حبيبي، أنت كل شيء بالنسبة لي.Oh my love, you mean everything to me.
- مرحبًا عزيزتي، أشتاق إليك كثيراً.Hello, my dear, I miss you very much.
- 52 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ziad and Sarah are talking about their relationship.
- زياد Ziadأنا حاسس بـ حب كبير ليكي يا سارة.Ana hases be hob kabeer leeki ya Sarah.I feel a great love for you, Sarah.
- سارة Saraوأنا كمان عندي حب كبير ليك يا زياد.Wa ana kaman andi hob kabeer leek ya Ziad.And I also have a great love for you, Ziad.
- زياد Ziadالحب ده هو أهم حاجة في حياتي.El hob da howa aham haga fi hayati.This love is the most important thing in my life.
- سارة Saraالحب بيخلي كل حاجة أجمل.El hob beykhali koll haga agmal.Love makes everything more beautiful.
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.
