Hayati meaning in Arabic is “my life” — حياتي — and it is one of the warmest Arabic endearments. It is pronounced ha-YA-tee, with the stress on the second syllable. You might hear a mother in Jordan say it to her child, and you might hear a husband text it to his wife. The part … Read more

Habibi meaning in Arabic is “my dear” or “my beloved,” and it is written حبيبي when you are addressing a man. It is pronounced ha-BEE-bee, with the stress on the second syllable. A Syrian mother might call her son habibi after school, and a friend might use it in a text to soften a request. … Read more

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