KalamHow to Say Friend in Arabic
Friend in Arabic is صديق (ṣadīq) for a male friend and صديقة (ṣadīqa) for a female friend. In everyday speech, Egyptians and Moroccans say صاحبي (ṣāḥbi, "my friend"), Levantines say رفيقي (rfī'i) or صاحبي, and many Saudis call a friend خوي (khawi). Between guys in Lebanon and Syria, خيي (khayyi, "bro") is common.
Literally: “friend (from ṣidq, "truthfulness")”
Friend across the Arab world
Arabic changes from country to country. Here's what you'll actually hear.
Feminine صديقة (ṣadīqa); plural أصدقاء (aṣdiqā'). "My friend" is صديقي (ṣadīqī).
"My friend"; plural صحابي (ṣuḥābi), "my friends." صديقي (ṣadī'i) is also used.
Levantineرفيقي / صاحبيrfī'i / ṣāḥbirfī'i is especially Lebanese and Syrian; feminine rfī'ti.
Gulfخوي / ربعيkhawi / rabʿikhawi is a friend or companion (Saudi and wider Gulf); rabʿi means "my crew, my group of friends."
DarijaصاحبيṣāḥbiMoroccan Darija; feminine صاحبتي (ṣāḥebti). Close friends also call each other خويا (khūya), "my brother."
Other ways to say friend
How to say it right
The sounds English speakers find tricky, and how to get them right.
Practise with feedbackThe ṣ in ṣadīq is an emphatic s: say it with the tongue low and the back of the mouth tense. It makes the a sound deeper, closer to "suh" than "sa."
The ḥ in ṣāḥbi is a breathy h from the throat, like fogging up a mirror. It is not kh, and it is not a plain English h.
Levantine rfī'i has a glottal stop where MSA has q: rfee-'i. Don't add a vowel after the r.
Stress the long vowel: ṣa-DEEQ, SAAḤ-bi, r-FEE-'i.
Example sentences
He's my friend from school days.
EgyptianTonight I'm going out with my friend.
LevantineI went out to the desert with my friends.
GulfThis is my friend Youssef.
DarijaA friend in need is a friend indeed (lit. a friend is for the time of hardship).
Standard (MSA)Using it like a local
Be careful with ṣāḥib and ṣāḥba across genders. In Egypt and the Levant, a man saying صاحبتي (ṣaḥbiti) usually means "my girlfriend," and a woman saying صاحبي can mean "my boyfriend." For a platonic friend of the opposite gender, صديقتي (ṣadī'ti) or زميلتي (zamīlti, "my colleague") is clearer.
Arab friends often talk like family. Men call each other خيي (khayyi) or خويا (khūya), "my brother," and ḥabībi between two male friends is completely normal. Close friends are expected to show up: for weddings, hospital visits and funerals, and for long evenings that run past midnight.
The word صديق comes from the root ṣ-d-q, "truth," so a friend is literally someone who is true to you. The proverb الصديق وقت الضيق (aṣ-ṣadīq waqt aḍ-ḍīq) rhymes in Arabic and says a real friend is the one who shows up in hard times.
Friend: common questions
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How do you say "my friend" in Arabic?
In MSA, صديقي (ṣadīqī) for a male friend and صديقتي (ṣadīqatī) for a female friend. In dialect, صاحبي (ṣāḥbi) is most common in Egypt and Morocco, and رفيقي (rfī'i) in Lebanon and Syria.
What does sahbi mean?
صاحبي (ṣāḥbi) means "my friend" or "my buddy." It's used across Egypt, the Levant and North Africa. Between men it's purely friendly; when a woman uses it, or ṣaḥbiti is used by a man, it can imply a romantic partner.
What's the difference between sadiq, sahib and rafiq?
صديق (ṣadīq) is the standard word for friend. صاحب (ṣāḥib) means companion and also owner, and is the everyday "friend" in many dialects. رفيق (rafīq) means companion or comrade, and in the Levant it's the casual word for friend.
What does khawi mean in Saudi Arabic?
خوي (khawi) means a friend or companion, someone you hang out and travel with. It's common in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Gulf, alongside ربعي (rabʿi), "my crew."
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