My love in Arabic, habibi and habibti

To say my love in Arabic, say ḥabībī (حَبِيبِي) to a man or boy and ḥabībatī (حَبِيبَتِي), usually said ḥabībtī, to a woman or girl. Ḥabīb means "beloved", and the -ī at the end means "my".

The forms at a glance

Who says habibi?

In English, "my love" is mostly for a partner. In Arabic, ḥabībī is much wider. A husband and wife say it to each other, a mother says it to her son and ḥabībtī to her daughter, grandparents say it to grandchildren, and friends say it to each other. A shopkeeper may call a young customer ḥabībī. The tone and the setting tell you what it means.

More words of love

• Yā qalbī: my heart.
• Yā rūḥī: my soul.
• Yā ʿumrī: my life. Very common in songs and in speech, especially to children.

These do not change for a man or a woman, because the "my" ending is the same. Only ḥabībī and ḥabībatī change.

Ḥabīb in Islam

Many Muslims speak of the Prophet ﷺ as al-Ḥabīb, "the beloved", and Allah's love is the greatest love a believer seeks. The Quran says: "If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you" (3:31). Love between people is best when it is for Allah's sake, which is why the Prophet ﷺ taught the words uḥibbuka fillāh, "I love you for the sake of Allah".

For your husband or wife, there is no better gift than a dua: see the dua for your spouse.

1. Quran 3:31, translation by Sahih International.
2. Sunan Abi Dawud 5125, from Anas ibn Malik, graded hasan.