Arabic Love Words
Habibi, ya amar and more. What habibi really means, plus ya amar, enta omri, nour eini, albi and other sweet Arabic words for the person you love, with how to say them.
A red rose: Laitche, CC BY-SA 4.0
Habibi and habibti
Habibi comes from the Arabic root for love, and it means my love or my dear. Arabic changes words for the person you speak to: habibi is said to a man and habibti to a woman. In everyday life habibi is used warmly between friends and family too, so the meaning depends on the tone and the moment.
Hala habibi, the name of this site, is a happy greeting that means welcome, my dear. Hala on its own is a friendly hello heard all over the Gulf.
Words that sound like poetry
Arabic compliments often borrow from nature. Ya amar means oh moon, a way of telling someone they are beautiful. In many dialects the q sound of qamar is softened, which is why you hear amar. Nour eini, light of my eyes, tells someone they are precious, and albi, my heart, is short, sweet and used every day.
Enta omri, you are my life, is said to a man, while enti omri is said to a woman. The phrase is also the title of one of the most famous Arabic love songs ever recorded.
Saying it right
Pronunciation varies across the Arab world, so a Lebanese, Egyptian or Saudi speaker may say the same word a little differently. The h in habibi is a breathy sound made deep in the throat, written with the letter ح, which some people type as the number 7, as in our domain hala7abibi.
Start with one phrase, say it with a smile and let the other person teach you how they say it at home. That is half the romance.
More sweet words to learn
Ya rouhi means oh my soul, and it is used for someone who feels like part of you. Ya galbi, heard in the Gulf, is another way to say my heart, with the q of qalb pronounced as a g. Ya ghali, my precious one, is a warm Gulf phrase for someone very dear.
Some words are about missing someone. Waheshtini, used in several dialects, means I missed you. Eshta2tellak, heard in Levantine Arabic, means I missed you, and it is often typed with the number 2 standing in for a sound English does not have.
Arabic love language is rich because it grew from centuries of poetry. Even everyday phrases often carry an image, the moon, the eyes, the heart, which is why they sound so beautiful printed on a shirt or written in a card.
- A red rose: Laitche, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jasmine, a favourite scent of the Gulf: Maina Tudu, CC0
- Desert sunset: iMahesh, CC BY-SA 4.0
Text written by Hala Habibi.
