I Love You in Arabic (to a Man or Woman)

Don’t we all agree that the word love conveys a strong feeling of deep affection? The same applies to the Arabic language. In fact, Arabic is a very romantic language and there are countless ways to say I love you in Arabic!

In this article, I’ll show you how to express your love to a man or a woman in spoken Arabic.

How to Say I Love You in Arabic

There are different ways to say I love you in Arabic. Which way to choose largely depends on the relationship you have with the addressee. Secondly, keep in mind the gender of the person you’re talking to.

Unlike English, in Arabic there’s a grammatical difference depending on your own gender, or the gender of the person you’re addressing. In the case of I love you, you’ll adapt the grammar to the gender of the person you’re addressing.

I Love You in Arabic to a Man

The most straightforward way of expressing love to your partner is by saying ana bahebak (انا بحبك ). This pronunciation is used when talking to a man. Ana bahebak is the most literal translation of I love you and at the same time the most common one. It’s widely used and understood in many Arabic dialects, including most countries in the Middle East (Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Palestine…).

Same as in English, you can also use the short form by just saying bahebak (love you), instead of ana bahebak (I love you). This applies notably when speaking to family members or friends, not to your partner.

I Love You in Arabic to a Woman

As mentioned earlier, many Arabic expressions have a male and a female version. In most cases, it’s just a vowel that changes (e.g. e instead of a), or an -i being added at the end of a word. Even if you say it wrong, it will still be understood. Nevertheless, when expressing your love, you want to make sure you get it right, don’t you?

The way of saying I love you in Arabic to a woman is slightly different than when talking to a man. To say I love you to a female, you say ana bahebek (انا بحبك). In terms of pronunciation, the difference is the last short vowel which changes from a to e when addressing a female. In the Arabic script, where short vowels are omitted, the difference isn’t noticeable. Both are spelled انا بحبك in Arabic.

I Love You too

By the way, when someone tells you I love you, you want to say something back, right? Please don’t say thank you. If you love the other person back, the best way to reply is ana bahebak kmaan (I love you too) when speaking to a man, or ana bahebek kmaan (I love you too) when speaking to a woman.

My Love in Arabic

While ana bahebak is I love you in Arabic, there are countless more beautiful words to express love. You can use them for your partner but also for a family member or a very dear friend.

Habibi

If you have Arabic friends or family, or regularly enjoy Arabic music or movies, chances are high that you have heard the word habibi before.

The word habibi (حبيبي) is definitely one of the most frequently used words in Arabic! It’s associated with warm feelings and love. The English equivalent would be darling, my love, dear or sweetheart.

Note that habibi (حبيبي) is used when speaking to a man. The female equivalent is habibti (حبيبتي).

You can use habibi to express love towards your partner or a family member. It can also be said to friends, colleagues or complete strangers (provided they are of the same gender). Habibi is a beautiful word if you’d like to add an extra note when saying I love you in Arabic. Simply add habibi (or habibti for a female) at the end.

• I love you, my darling (masculine): Ana bahebak ya habibi
• I love you, my darling (feminine): Ana bahebek ya habibti

Check out more information and expressions using habibi in Arabic.

You Are My Soul

Love is like a balm for the soul. Whether it’s your partner or a friend you feel really close to, there are some people who we can truly connect with. Luckily, there is a beautiful expression in Arabic for this. Inta rouhi (أنت روحي) means you are my soul in Arabic (to a man). When speaking to a female, the pronunciation slightly changes, as there is a difference in the word you in Arabic when speaking to a man or to a woman. Inti rouhi (أنت روحي) means my soul in Arabic to a female.

This expression is comparable to habibi (my love), but inta rouhi has a much deeper meaning when compared to habibi.

I’m Dying for You

Another way of saying I love you in Arabic to a man is ana bamout feek (انا بموت فيك). This expression translates as I’m dying for you, and is a way of conveying strong love. When speaking to a woman you’ll say ana bamout feeki (انا بموت فيكي). The -i at the end of the word is a long vowel, which means that there’s a clearly noticeable difference to the masculine version. Additionally, the long vowel is also added at the end of the word in the Arabic script.

Expressions at a Glance

Below is a summary of the expressions used in this article and their English equivalent. The Latin script can help you with the pronunciation if you can’t read Arabic. Learning the Arabic alphabet will greatly help you with the correct pronunciation of Arabic words.

Learn Arabic with me!

Looking for more expressions in Arabic, or are you interested in Arab culture? You’ve come to the right place! This blog is about all things Middle Eastern. You’ll find plenty of useful articles here to immerse yourself in the Arabic language, culture and cuisine.

Be sure to check out my guide on what Arabic dialect to learn, my handy Arabic alphabet chart or just browse my Arabic language learning resources.

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