What does habibi mean?

Habibi means "my love" or "my dear" when said to a man, and habibti is the form for a woman. It is used for partners, but also for friends, kids and the guy at the bakery, so it isn't always romantic.

What does tqebrini mean?

Tqebrini is Levantine and means "may you bury me". It says you hope to die before the person you love, so you never have to live without them.

Which Arabic pet names are safe for a first date?

Habibi or habibti, said lightly, is fine almost anywhere. Save hayati, ya rouhi and tqebrini for when you mean them.

Arabic terms of endearment, and what they really mean

HeyArab, Editorial teamUpdated Oct 12, 20262 min read

A bunch of white flowers tied with string, resting on a letter and an open envelope, next to a small cup of coffee

Arabic has a lot of ways to say "my love", and most of them are much bigger than that. Some mean "my eyes" or "my soul". One means "may you bury me". Here are the Arabic terms of endearment you'll hear most, what they mean word for word, and when people actually use them.

Habibi and habibti

The one everyone knows. Habibi means "my love" or "my dear", said to a man. Habibti is the form for a woman. You'll hear it between partners, but also between friends, from a mother to her son, and from a shopkeeper giving you change.

That's why it's a safe one. On a first date it sounds warm without sounding serious. Habibi is also the most common way to soften an argument: "habibi, listen to me".

Arabic terms of endearment that start with "my"

A lot of Arabic pet names are body parts or big words with "my" on the end. They sound dramatic in English. In Arabic they're everyday.

Hayati: "my life". Said a lot between couples, and by parents to small kids.
Rouhi or ya rouhi: "my soul". Strong. Usually for someone you're close to.
Albi or ya albi: "my heart". In the Gulf and Iraq it's galbi, with a hard g.
Ouyouni or ya eini: "my eyes", as in you're as precious as my sight. "Ala ouyouni" also means "gladly, anything for you".
Omri: "my life" or "my years". Common in the Levant and Egypt.

The ones that sound like a threat

Levantine Arabic has a few that surprise people. Tqebrini (also spelled t'eburni) means "may you bury me". It says you hope to die before them, because you couldn't live without them. Grandmothers say it to grandchildren all the time.

In Iraq and the Gulf you'll hear fadwa or fdeitak, meaning "I'd give myself for you". It's said to partners, friends and guests. Nobody means it literally.

Every dialect has its own

Egyptians say ya amar ("moon") to someone beautiful, and ya asal ("honey") to someone sweet. In Moroccan Darija, azizi and azizti mean "my dear", and hbibi is spelled and said a little differently from the Levantine version. Iraqis say ya kabdi, "my liver", which is the Iraqi way of saying someone is close to your heart.

If you're not sure what a word means in someone's dialect, ask. It's one of the best first messages there is.

What to say on a first date

Keep it light. Habibi or habibti is fine once you're comfortable with each other. Save rouhi, hayati and anything about burying people for later.

If you'd like someone who will say these back to you, HeyArab has a prompt for it: "The Arabic word I use most in English…". For more on the dialects behind these words, see Lebanese singles in the US or Moroccan singles in the US and Canada.