KalamHow to Say My Love in Arabic
My love in Arabic is حبيبي (ḥabībi) when speaking to a man and حبيبتي (ḥabībti) when speaking to a woman. Other common endearments include حياتي (ḥayāti), "my life," روحي (rūḥi), "my soul," and قلبي (albi in Egypt and the Levant, galbi in the Gulf), "my heart."
Literally: “my beloved”
My Love across the Arab world
Arabic changes from country to country. Here's what you'll actually hear.
To a man / to a woman. Also يا حبي (yā ḥubbī), "my love," in poetry and songs.
Plus يا روحي (ya rūḥi) and يا قلبي (ya 'albi), both used to men and women.
Levantineحبيبي / حبيبتيḥabībi / ḥabībtiPlus يا عمري (ya ʿumri) and the famous تقبرني (t'iburni / to'burni), "may you bury me."
Gulfحبيبي / حبيبتيḥabībi / ḥabībtiPlus يا قلبي (ya galbi) and يا بعد عمري (ya baʿad ʿumri), "dearer than my life."
Other ways to say My Love
How to respond
And you're my love (to a man)
And you're my love (to a woman)
You are my life (to a man / to a woman)
How to say it right
The sounds English speakers find tricky, and how to get them right.
Practise with feedbackThe ḥ in ḥabībi is a breathy h from the throat, like fogging a mirror. It's not the English h and not a kh.
Stress the long ī: ḥa-BEE-bi. For a woman, the ī shortens and moves: ḥa-BIB-ti.
In albi, the ق is a glottal stop in Egypt and the Levant: 'AL-bi. In the Gulf it's a g: GAL-bi.
ʿumri starts with ع, a squeeze in the throat. A small catch before the u is better than a plain "oom-ri."
Example sentences
Good morning, my love. (to a woman)
EgyptianOh my love, how sweet! (to a man)
LevantineMy dearest, I missed you. (to a man)
GulfYou are my love and my life. (to a man)
Standard (MSA)Using it like a local
حبيبي isn't only romantic. Men call their friends ḥabībi, shopkeepers call customers ḥabībi, and mothers call their kids ḥabībi. The tone and context tell you whether it's love, friendship or just warmth. If a stranger at the market calls you ḥabībi, it's friendliness, not flirting.
Gender matters: ḥabībi is for a man (or a child, of either gender, in many families), ḥabībti is for a woman. Many endearments like ḥayāti, rūḥi and ʿumri stay the same for both, which makes them easy wins for learners.
Levantine تقبرني (to'burni) sounds morbid to outsiders. It means "may you bury me," that is, "may I die before you, because I couldn't live without you." It's one of the most affectionate things a Lebanese or Syrian can say. Outside the Levant it can puzzle people, so elsewhere stick to ḥabībi or ḥayāti.
My Love: common questions
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What is the difference between habibi and habibti?
حبيبي (ḥabībi) is said to a man and حبيبتي (ḥabībti) to a woman. Both mean "my love" or "my dear." In casual speech, some people also say ḥabībi to women and children affectionately.
Can you call a friend habibi?
Yes. Among men, ḥabībi is an everyday friendly word, like "buddy" or "my dear." Among women, ḥabībti works the same way. Between a man and a woman who aren't close, it can sound flirtatious.
What does ya albi mean?
يا قلبي (ya albi) means "my heart." It's used for partners, children and close family. In the Gulf it's pronounced ya galbi, and in MSA ya qalbī. It's the same for a man or a woman.
What does tu'burni mean?
تقبرني (to'burni or t'iburni) is Levantine and literally means "may you bury me," implying "I'd rather die before you." It's a deeply affectionate phrase for loved ones. To a woman: to'brīni.
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