14 Terms of Endearment in Arabic - NaTakallam (2024)

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Have you ever struggled to express your love in Arabic beyond the word Habibi? If the answer is yes, this blog post is for you!

While Habibi is usually a safe bet, Arabic is a linguistically rich language. Thanks to the rich body of Arabic poetry and romantic literature, a variety of terms of endearment can be found in both spoken and written forms. Ready to express your love in different ways? Read on!

You will notice most of these terms can have a superfluous ya (يا) prefix before them, as it only functions as a vocative case. It is equivalent to the less-used ‘O’ preceding a noun in English. It does not matter if you opt for Habibi (حبيبي) or ya Habibi (يا حبيبي); they are roughly the same!

Unless otherwise noted, all of these expressions can be heard across the Arab world.

1. Habibi / Habibti (حبيبي/حبيبتي)

Starting with a classic, Habibi means “my darling,” or “my beloved.” Habibi (حبيبي) is used to address a man, whereas Habibti (حبيبتي) is used with women. This term is appropriate throughout the Arabic speaking world in a variety of contexts from platonic friends and family to the most intimate of lovers.

2. Hobbi (حبي)

Hobbi comes from the Arabic word for “love,” Hob (حب). This term of endearment, translated to “my love,” is very common in music and poetry, which has helped to increase its popularity across the Arab world. You might hear younger speakers also simply saying Hob, (حب), proof that language is always changing, and so is the way we speak about love!

3. Habib / Habibat [q]albi (حبيب / حبيبة قلبي)

Literally translating to “love of my heart” or “my beloved heart,” this phrase is pronounced differently in different parts of the Arabic-speaking world, as many Arabic-speaking countries replace the letter qaf (ق) with other sounds. For example, in the Levant (Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan), qaf (ق) is often exchanged for a glottal stop, giving the masculine Habib ‘albi (حبيب قلبي) and feminine Habibat ‘albi (حبيبة قلبي). Meanwhile in Gulf Arabic, primarily spoken in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Oman, the letter qaf (ق) is pronounced like the English “g,” changing the pronunciation of “qalbi” to “galbi.”.

4. ya [q]albi (يا قلبي)

This term of endearment means “my heart.” Its origins lie in the Arabic word for heart, qalb (قلب). Although قلب is pronounced qalb in MSA, the letter qaf (ق) is subject to the same dialectal differences as described above. For instance, in Levantine Arabic, one would say ya ‘albi, and in Gulf Arabic, one would say this as ya galbi.

5. Hayati (حياتي)

This endearment term means “my life” (حياتي), stemming from the Arabic word for “life,” haya (حياة). This is another pet name commonly used throughout the Arab world, expressing that your love is so strong, your life would be nothing without it.

6. ya ruHi (يا روحي)

RuHi (روحي) directly translates to “my soul,” but the term expresses something closer to “my soulmate.” The soul is a very popular metaphysical symbol in Classical Arabic prose, and this term is still commonly used in Egypt as well as parts of the Levant.

7. ya ˁomri (يا عمري)

The meaning of this phrase is a true combination of the previous terms mentioned. Ya ˁomri (يا عمري) translates to “my lifetime.” Literally, omr (عمر) can mean both “lifetime” and “age,” though it refers to the former in this term of endearment. The ardor of this term is undeniable; there is even a popular song called “enta ˁomri,” (“You are my life,” انت عمري), by the legendary Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum.

8. ˁayuni / ˁeyuni (عيوني)

Given the symbolic importance of the eyes in the Arab world, it is not surprising that calling someone “my eyes” is an act of love. This phrase is created from a plural form of the word for eye, ˁeyn (عين). To call someone your eyes is to say they are the “apple of your eye,” just like the English saying! This term is common in poetry and literature, especially written in Classical Arabic.

9. ya sanadi (يا سندي)

This very particular term of endearment means “my backbone.” Used mostly in the regional dialect and communities of Lebanon, it is a unique choice to express your affection.

10. ya [q]amar (يا قمر)

Meaning “moon,” this term is possibly the most romantic of this list. The same Levant/Gulf pronunciation rules for ق apply to this phrase. Therefore, in the Levant, people would say ya ‘amar and in the Gulf, you would hear ya gamar. Popular Lebanese singer Fairuz illustrates this term in her song, “‘amara ya ‘amara” (قمرة يا قمرة). And because the night-blooming moonflower is called zaharat al [q]amar (زهرة القمر) in Arabic, you’ll also hear people using ya [q]amar to mean “moonflower.”

11. ˁazizi / ˁazizati (عزيزي / عزيزتي)

This word means “my treasure.” While ˁAziz (عزيز) is a common male name throughout the Arabic-speaking world, meaning “strong” or “powerful,” the masculine ˁazizi (عزيزي) and feminine ˁazizati (عزيزتي) adjective forms are a sweet term of endearment that are especially useful in formal affairs of the heart.

12. ya Helo/Helwa (يا حلو/ حلوى)

Most popularly used as a term of endearment in the Levant, this phrase roughly translates to “sweet one.” You may know of the dessert Halva, or Helwa (حلوى‎), a thick fudge-like concoction made from a sweetened seed or nut butter, like tahini. This comes from the same root!

13. ya ˁasal (يا عسل)

Just like the English equivalent, this term means “honey.” The love for all things sugary and sweet seems to transcend all language and cultural borders.

14. ya fo‘aadi (يا فؤادي)

Trying your hand at poetry? While more proper in context, ya fo‘aadi (يا فؤادي) is the formal synonym of [q]albi (قلبي), meaning “my heart” in Arabic. Though less common in colloquial and everyday language, this is a handy term for the next time you are thinking of expressing your love in an Arabic poem or sonnet!

Whether you are expressing your affection to a significant other, a friend, or a family member, this list in Arabic will be guaranteed to impress! Do you have any other Arabic terms of endearment that you use? Let us know in the comments!

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