KalamHow to Say I Miss You in Arabic
In Modern Standard Arabic, I miss you is اشتقت إليك (ishtaqtu ilayka to a man, ilayki to a woman). In everyday speech, Egyptians say وحشتني (waḥashtini) to a man and وحشتيني (waḥashtīni) to a woman, Levantines say اشتقتلك (shta'tillak / shta'tillik), and Moroccans say توحشتك (twaḥḥashtek) to anyone.
Literally: “I have longed for you”
I Miss You across the Arab world
Arabic changes from country to country. Here's what you'll actually hear.
To a man / to a woman. Poetic and formal; common in songs and writing.
To a man / to a woman. Literally "you've made me feel your absence."
Levantineاشتقتلكshta'tillak / shta'tillikTo a man / to a woman. Also مشتاقلك (mishtā'lak), "I'm missing you."
Gulfاشتقت لك / مشتاق لكishtagt lak / mishtāg lakTo a woman: lich (Kuwait, UAE) or lik (Saudi). A woman speaking says mishtāga.
DarijaتوحشتكtwaḥḥashtekMoroccan Darija. The same form works for a man or a woman.
Other ways to say i miss you
How to respond
Me too (Egyptian / Levantine)
And I miss you more (Egyptian / Levantine)
I missed you too (Egyptian, to a man; to a woman: w-inti kamān waḥashtīni)
Me too (Gulf)
How to say it right
The sounds English speakers find tricky, and how to get them right.
Practise with feedbackIn waḥashtini, the ḥ is a breathy h from the throat, like fogging a mirror. Don't turn it into a kh.
Egyptian gender is in one vowel: waḥashtini (short i) to a man, waḥashtīni (long ī) to a woman. Hold the ī clearly when speaking to a woman.
In Levantine shta'tillak, the ق becomes a glottal stop, a tiny catch like the middle of "uh-oh": shta'-TIL-lak.
Moroccan twaḥḥashtek has a doubled ḥ. Hold it a moment longer: twaḥ-ḥash-tek.
Example sentences
I miss you so much, Mom.
EgyptianI miss you so much, when are you coming back? (to a man)
LevantineI have missed you very much. (to a woman)
Standard (MSA)I really miss you, when will we see you?
GulfI miss you a lot.
DarijaUsing it like a local
"I miss you" isn't just romantic in Arabic. People say it freely to parents, grandparents, cousins and old friends. Greeting a returning relative with اشتقنالك (shta'nālak) or وحشتنا (waḥashtina), "we missed you," is completely normal. Families often say it on the phone to relatives abroad, sometimes several times in one call.
Watch the gender. In most dialects the ending changes depending on who you're talking to: waḥashtini to a man, waḥashtīni to a woman in Egypt; shta'tillak vs shta'tillik in the Levant. Moroccan twaḥḥashtek is the easy exception. In the Gulf, the speaker's gender matters too: a man says mishtāg, a woman mishtāga.
Arabic songs are full of longing (شوق, shōq). If you want the poetic register, اشتقت إليك is what you'll hear in classic songs and poetry; for a text to a friend, use your dialect. Fairuz and Umm Kulthum songs are full of these words.
I Miss You: common questions
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How do you say I miss you to a girl in Arabic?
In Egyptian say وحشتيني (waḥashtīni), in Levantine اشتقتلك (shta'tillik), and in MSA اشتقت إليكِ (ishtaqtu ilayki). In the Gulf, say مشتاق لك (mishtāg lich or lik). In Moroccan Darija, توحشتك (twaḥḥashtek) works for anyone.
How do you say I miss you to a man in Arabic?
In Egyptian say وحشتني (waḥashtini), in Levantine اشتقتلك (shta'tillak), in the Gulf مشتاق لك (mishtāg lak), and in MSA اشتقت إليكَ (ishtaqtu ilayka). Moroccan توحشتك (twaḥḥashtek) works for a man too.
What does wahashtini mean?
وحشتني (waḥashtini) is Egyptian for "I miss you," said to a man. Literally it's closer to "you've left me lonely." To a woman, say وحشتيني (waḥashtīni).
How do you reply to I miss you in Arabic?
Say وأنا كمان (w-ana kamān), "me too," or the sweeter وأنا أكتر (w-ana aktar), "I miss you more." In the Gulf, say وأنا بعد (w-ana baʿad).
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