Wallahi meaning in Arabic is “I swear by Allah” — والله — and it is one of the strongest everyday oath words in Arabic speech. It is pronounced wa-LLAH-hee, with the stress on the second syllable, and the word opens with the oath particle wa-, not the English conjunction “and.” You might hear a teenager … Read more

Qalbi meaning in Arabic is “my heart” — قلبي — and it is one of the warmest ways Arabic speakers show closeness. It is pronounced QAL-bee, with the stress on the first syllable. The word comes from qalb, the Arabic word for heart. You might hear a mother in Beirut call her son qalbi, a … Read more