At a Glance: Uhibbuka is the direct translation of “I love you” in Arabic, but it can have other forms depending on the person you are speaking to and the variety of Arabic you use. This guide introduces seven romantic Arabic phrases in Modern Standard Arabic, Levantine Arabic, and Egyptian Arabic, with their meanings and pronunciation.
Some phrases are worth learning because they are useful. Others are worth learning because you cannot wait to say them. “I love you” usually belongs to the second group.
In this guide, you will learn seven natural ways to say “I love you” in Arabic, from direct everyday expressions to warmer and more romantic phrases. We will also explain where each one is commonly used, so you can choose a phrase that suits both the person and the moment.
Before You Go Further!
Love is rarely expressed through one phrase alone. You may also want to learn how to say “I miss you” in Arabic, especially when someone is far away.
For more useful expressions, explore the different ways to say hello in Arabic and thank someone in Arabic. Together, these phrases can help you move beyond memorized vocabulary and start having warmer, more natural conversations.
How to Say “I Love You” in Arabic to a Man or Woman
This quick-reference table summarizes the main Arabic phrases used to express love and affection to a man or a woman. It also includes notes on when to use each phrase and whether it is used in Modern Standard Arabic or a particular dialect. (Read our full guide about Arabic dialects.)
English | To a Man | To a Woman | Use and Dialect |
I love you | أُحِبُّكَ uḥibbuka | أُحِبُّكِ uḥibbuki | MSA; correct but more formal than dialect forms. |
I adore you | أَعْشَقُكَ aʿshaquka | أَعْشَقُكِ aʿshaquki | MSA; stronger and more romantic than “I love you.” |
I’m infatuated with you | أَنَا مُغْرَمٌ بِكَ anā mughramun bika | أَنَا مُغْرَمٌ بِكِ anā mughramun biki | Romantic and literary. A female speaker says مُغْرَمَةٌ. |
I’m enchanted by you | أَنَا مَفْتُونٌ بِكَ anā maftūnun bika | أَنَا مَفْتُونٌ بِكِ anā maftūnun biki | Poetic and uncommon in daily speech. A female speaker says مَفْتُونَةٌ. |
I long for you | أَنَا أَهْوَاكَ anā ahwāka | أَنَا أَهْوَاكِ anā ahwāki | Classical and poetic; common in songs. |
I’m captivated by your love | أَنَا أَسِيرُ حُبِّكَ anā asīru ḥubbika | أَنَا أَسِيرُ حُبِّكِ anā asīru ḥubbiki | Very poetic and dramatic. A female speaker says أَسِيرَةُ. |
I’m passionately in love with you | أَنَا مُولَعٌ بِكَ anā mūlaʿun bika | أَنَا مُولَعٌ بِكِ anā mūlaʿun biki | Formal and literary. A female speaker says مُولَعَةٌ. |
I love you | بَحِبَّك bḥibbak / baḥibbak | بَحِبِّك bḥibbik / baḥibbik | Common in Levantine and Egyptian Arabic. |
I adore you | بَعْشَقَك bʿashʾak / baʿshaʾak | بَعْشَقِك bʿashʾik / baʿshaʾik | A strong romantic expression in spoken Arabic. |
I long for you | بَهْوَاك bahwāk | بَهْوَاكِ bahwāki | Poetic dialect expression, often heard in songs. |
7 MSA Phrases to Say I Love You in Arabic
أُحبُّكَ
English
Transliteration
Arabic
I love you (to a male)
uḥibbuka
أُحبُّكَ
to a female
uḥibbuki
أُحبُّكِ
You must have heard this one before because it is one of the most common phrases used to express love in Arabic.
It can be used in romantic relationships, but also for family, friends, or even things, like saying, Uḥibu alshwkwlā, أُحبُ الشوكولا (I love chocolate)
أَعْشَقُكَ
English
Transliteration
Arabic
I adore you
I’m madly in love with you
(to a male)
aʻshaquka
أَعْشَقُكَ
to a female
aʻshaquki
أَعْشَقُكِ
This phrase is stronger and more intense than أحبك. It is usually used in romantic contexts between lovers.
It expresses deep passionate love. However, you can use it to express deep love for things, ideas, concepts and places like saying Aʻshaqu balady أعشقُ بَلَدي (I adore my country).
أَنَا مُغْرَمٌ بِكِ
English
Transliteration
Arabic
I’m infatuated with you (to a male)
anā mughramatun bika
أَنَا مُغْرَمَةٌ بِكَ
to a female
anā mughramun biki
أَنَا مُغْرَمٌ بِكِ
This phrase shows strong attraction, often with passion and obsession. It is mostly found in Arabic poetry, romantic novels, or formal speech. You might also hear this in the Lebanese dialect, but with a slight change in how it’s written and pronounced, for example:
– Anā maghrūmih fīk – أنَا مَغْرُومِة فيك (I’m infatuated with you)
– Anā maghrūmih bhāllwn أَنَا مَغْرُومِة بهاللون – (I’m infatuated with this color)
Speakers of Lebanese Arabic use it to express love for their loved ones, or even things, like a color, dress or a favorite place.
أَنَا مَفْتُونٌ بِكِ
English
Transliteration
Arabic
I’m enchanted by you (to a male)
anā maftūnatun bika
أَنَا مَفْتُونَةٌ بِكَ
to a female
anā maftūnun biki
أَنَا مَفْتُونٌ بِكِ
This phrase expresses great admiration of someone to the extent of being enchanted by them, as if someone’s charm or beauty has a spell on you. It is used in literature, poetry, or when speaking very romantically.
Read more about Arabic Terms of Endearment .
أَنَا أَهْوَاكِ
English
Transliteration
Arabic
I long for you (to a male)
anā ahwāka
أَنَا أَهْوَاكَ
to a female
anā ahwāki
أَنَا أَهْوَاكِ
This is a classical, poetic way to express love in Arabic. It is very common in Arabic love songs and poetry.
You might hear it, but quite rarely in daily conversation, and people know it because of music.
أَنَا أَسِيرُ حُبُّكِ
English
Transliteration
Arabic
I’m captivated by your love (to a male)
anā asīrtu ḥubbika
أَنَا أَسِيرةُ حُبِّكَ
to a female
anā asīru ḥubbuki
أَنَا أَسِيرُ حُبُّكِ
This phrase means literally, I’m a prisoner of your love, a very poetic, dramatic way of saying you’re completely taken over by someone’s love. Also, you won’t hear it often in daily conversations.
أَنَا مُولَعٌ بِكِ
English
Transliteration
Arabic
I’m obsessed with you (to a male)
anā mūlaʻatun bika
أَنَا مُولَعَةٌ بِكَ
to a female
anā mūlaʻun biki
أَنَا مُولَعٌ بِكِ
This one shows intense, burning affection. It is rarely used in casual conversation, but strong in poetry.
Review Ways to Say I Love You in Arabic
“I Love You” in Arabic Dialects: Levantine vs Egyptian
Learning how to say I Love You in Arabic dialects will feel more practical since you will be more likely to use it in real life.
I will give you a small tip to make it easy for you to switch from formal to some of the causal phrases we have already covered.
We usually add the letter /Bāʼ/ ب at the beginning of some words to change them from formal standard Arabic to everyday spoken Arabic.
For example, the first word we learned together is Uhibbuk أحبك. Just add /b/ ب instead of /U/ أُ so it becomes Bhibbak بحبك for a male and Bhibbik for a female.
Notice that the pronunciation differs slightly, because we change tashkeel (Short vowels or diacritical marks written as symbols above or below Arabic letters.)
The pronunciation can also differ between dialects. For example, in Levantine Arabic, the B sound added to the start of the verb is silent, but in Egyptian Arabic, it has a short a vowel.
So, بحبك is pronounced Bhibbak in Levantine Arabic and Bahibbak in Egyptian Arabic.
Examples of I Love You in Arabic Dialects
Let’s look at other examples (all in Levantine Arabic):
English
Transliteration
Arabic
I love you (M)
Bhibak
بحبَك
I love you (F)
Bḥbik
بحبِك
I adore you (M)
Bʻshaʼak
بعشقَك
I adore you (F)
Bʻshaʼik
بعشقِك
I long for you (M)
Bahwāk
بهواك
I long for you (F)
Bahwāki
بهواكِ
We also have another common Arabic expression in dialectical Arabic that means literally “I die for you”:
English
Transliteration
Arabic
I’m crazy about you (F)
bmūt fīki
بمُوْتْ فِيكِ
I’m crazy about you (M)
bmūt fīk
بمُوْتْ فِيكِ
I’m crazy about you (F) Egyptian
bamūt fīki
بمُوْتْ فِيكِ
Final word
Some of the expressions you learned today fit in everyday conversations, while others are perfect for poetic and even formal settings.
You can share these Arabic expressions with your loved ones, family, and friends. They can be used everyday or in special occasions, in writing or in everyday conversations.
The more you practice, the more natural they will feel. And who knows? You might just make someone’s day brighter by saying the three precious words I Love You in Arabic.
Learn Arabic with the AlifBee App
If you enjoyed this topic, you will love 25 Arabic Love Words and Expressions For A Special Day, which will give you more words and phrases for special occasions.
You can also download the AlifBee app, which can support your Arabic learning journey with engaging exercises and lessons.
