it maybe rude for me to say this but good for you that that didn't work. Other common words that can be used as terms of endearment include loving words like "babe," "baby," "love," and "dear.". I would now come to the conclusion that her family is much more progressive and completely surprised me in how much I have learned from them in terms of complete acceptance of outside cultures, religions, and lifestyles. We put pen to paper about my present and future financial situation including debts and assets, details about how much the engagement ring and ceremony would cost, the wedding and gold, the honeymoon and then of course, where wed be living and how much that would cost. would survive all this. When we argue these friends are always in between trying to tell my bf he can do way better with an Arab or Caucasian gf and that he should forget about me because I'm an "inferior" race plus I'm not even Muslim. Intercultural and monolingual relationships that are carried in a different language than your own are hard. Even though my bride-to-bes family knew I had very little at the time, to many of her extended family I was regarded as someone of a much higher status for the simple fact that I was from a Western nation. When used in a vocative way (ya 3omri), its just a short way of calling someone your everything. any advises? It was a beautiful love story too by the way.. You summed it all up in one word, "Business Transaction!". I'd like to add that , which is actually an abbreviation of , is not a term of endearment. And i dated girls in both Damascus and Beirut when i was student, from other sects they where fine with my religious views, am not saying the levant is Europe but things are much better in matters of accepting the others, maybe because we have many religions other than muslims/christians thing (like alawit,murshedi, doroze,etc). It's frustrating not being able to fully express your emotions in a foreign language, especially when involved in a romantic relationship. For example no privacy? You cant really call your friends that unless youre officially flirting with them and want to move categories from friends to not so much. And don't go for a child who still lives with mom and dad. Now, I do actually know Egyptians who have done this (nearly all of them are men who married foreign girls). What would red flags be? So there are no real formalities involved with this. Hey, Great to read mate! Rouhi and Hayati should only be used in romantic contexts only. Marwan: Wi Ana kaman bahibik gedan ya Menna! There is too much differences between us specially the religion, culture and lifestyle but at least we know how to deal with that all.Anyways thanks!Very nice story mabrook!! I am sorry you had such a difficult experience. which is very poor thing! I'm married to Egyptian man for 2 years now. Lesson learned: Being in a relationship with someone who speaks another language teaches you a lot of their romantic terms and expressions. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. For Muslims especially theres the issue of a dowry which can be money, gold and assets. I met a Moroccan girl online, we fell in love & now I want to marry her,But first I need to take the permission of her father for that.Problem is,I live in dubai & all this have to be done on telephone.Any suggestions on how would I approach to her father? And that's why the number of Egyptian men getting married to foreigner women, even from other Arab countries such as Morocco and Syria, has been skyrocketing in recent years. After all the years you've been married, it's a fine thing to keep calling your wife all those pet names. You'll find these speak to the deep connection two people can have. In Arabic, albi means my heartand it is the epitome of love. things may or may not workout between any two. Here's a list of 8 Arab expressions of endearment, other than habibi and habibti, to practice using this Valentine's Day. but i still respect my religion! I'm agnostic, I wonder if it would be feasible at all to date a Lebanese girl Wow, just wow. Her family want me to live here in Egypt nd buy flat for her etc etc. Murad was totally weirded out. and after reading these comments on this article believe me i changed my opinion and will not raise my children in the future outside egypt , for a long time i thought that i must raise them in other country where there is more open minded people , another atmosphere , now unfortunately i think their roots are more important than liberal , open minded attitude , all these things are useless . I don't know if it makes a sense.. need to ask u if this is really a big issue loving a Muslim girl? Even being an Egyptian doesn't help as much :D, I read your post and enjoyed every word of it, i am an Egyptian myself and as you have described, our society culture would sound strange to a stranger for the first time, i am glad it all worked out fine for all parties at the end. Just wanted to say that most of the modern Egyptian girls now are more dependent, modern and understanding. :). Hayatimeans my life in Arabic, which is what most couples say to each other to express just how far their love for each other reaches. :( Egyptian wives are so committed to family and have great values . Even when a marriage didn't exist she felt that she'd failed somehow by getting a divorce. My advise to anyone egyptian or non egyptian stay away from marrying an egyptian girl Get someone who love u for who u r not for how much u got. I have since lived extensively in both Egypt and the states, back and forth. and their problems become yours too. The big problem and red flag I am encountering is that he is a traditional muslim man. My friends who were married in their early and mid-twenties are now in their mid-thirties and divorced or miserable in their marriages. Mon trsor 14. Also I wanted to ask you were you were living in Cairo and why you were wearing a "Galabeya" ? Glad you've both landed on your feet. n no it wont be like two families getting involved .. just me n him against the world! I'm sorry that you had to deal with that bullshit man. They expected him to sit with my father and have "that talk" about his future intentions. As an Arabic learner, you most likely wont be addressing your family in Arabic, but its good to be familiar with how native Arabic speakers address their families so you can better comprehend their speech. Interesting, in Nigeria we have same similar issues, most especially the northern part. There is a famous saying in Egyptian that says: He is the precious one son of the precious one. Shukran. A man is even judged on how much gold he gives his bride at the wedding. Did you also know that the Neanderthals aren't even human? I asked them if that's what they wanted to do and I think the question confused them. Mi cielo. I understand his circumstance, but he has business ideas and goals for the future. However she's become more flexible with her son throughout the years in terms of going out to parties etc. What are cute ways to address babies? They're sweet, romantic and no, they aren't "mi amor" [Spanish] or "habibi" [Arabic] kind of clich. Comparing someone to the moon is one of the most romantic ways of expressing love in Arabic. I think it is all about how you would like to be portrayed. I feel like our love for each other has been a vehicle for breaking down cultural barriers that often stand in the way of young couples in love. Meaning "my brother" and "my sister" respectively, this descriptor is bigger than family. 1. Do I know him?! *You have to give her all your money" wealth" or you will accused by being selfish stingy man. M. Momminforlife. Just don't let them run your life. It really makes me angry, articles like this piss me off. Trust me, you'd be suprised how much the egyptian teenagers and millenials have sex and hookupsi'm telling you..A LOT. Finally!!!! My "father-in-law" is very conservative and religious, and even he doesn't seem to blink an eye. Well, "ra" may be Tahitian for "sun," but it is not Ancient Egyptian." So you can't just pop in "habibi/habibti" into an online hieroglyph converter and get anything really useful. P.S: The lovey-dovey parts.. yeah, lame!! Egyptians have an entirely separate culture and history of their own; when it comes to relations with the Arab world = they only speak Arabic, and it ends there. He has never met me, I dropped her off home one night after a night out drinking at the bar, her brother got very mad and told her parents about that. One of their favorite things to ask me was how I like the Jordanian guys, but I always told them that I didn't know-- girls aren't supposed to talk to guys or it's bad for the girl's reputation and the guys will get the wrong idea. When I saw him my restless soul finally felt home. Note: In Arabic speaking countries, children and young adults address elders who are not family as aunt and uncle to show respect. Nothing can be more romantic than expressing love using Urdu words and phrases. YWIxYzdiYjhhMGE3NzFhOGU3OGE4MmNlYWY0YzA3N2ZhNjE4MDhlM2EwZTU2 Sounds like u got stuck with a realllyyyy poor really conservative family .. it's not like this at all in egypt lool u were just so unfortunate. Wahashtini translates to I miss you and is a common phrase in the Egyptian dialect to express feelings for another person. If she was a Muslim, then that would've been a whole other crisis. In all honesty, I think that some of the traditions are simply practical (eg 'guy should have a job and a home of some sort), but the fact that you had to have the 'agreement' talk after having met her only twice is a bit extreme on the conservative side. They thought that was pretty funny Also, once they asked me if I would ever date a Muslim guy. Five oclock. Egypt is diverse community , so u cant generalize that way. We were then met with more conflict, when certain expectations were not met. This is only a recent phenomenon with the advent of the internet and is akin to texting language (LOL, etc..). She holds her ground in our relationship, if not more, than the ground that I hold. stella and its diminutive stellina - "star" and "little star". Term of endearment. . That was in 1989, I was 18 years and I was training in Egypt air. This Valentines Day, express your love to your partner, family, and friends with any of these Arabic phrasesto make them feel admired and loved. Here Umm Kulthum is trying to tell her beloved that people have counted time out of her life that she has not lived, has not enjoyed, until he came in. The nearest most appropriate translation for Omr would be life. With a high regard for education instilled in the culture, this designator is also used to honour those who have completed a PhD. you are talking bout girl never touched by any man before (for eastern communities its a big value). ). Trust me ;), i agree with the most of it but specially totally agree with that language barrier thing, as i am an Egyptian who had a relation with a foreign Girl speaks English and i can say that my english is perfect. He can always fly back and see them whenever he wants, but I am sacrificing everything! at the end it was nice to read this exprience :), I totally feel you man ! We have been married for almost 9 years and we have 2 beautiful kids. hey there, honestly i am gonna say that you are really brave to date arabian girl, i am an arabian girl but not an egyptian, i am a yemeni. We flrted, spoke to each other daily through whatsapp, spoke on the phone not as often has i should have :-( generally started getting feelings for her. I am working hard to get a scholarship to study abroad in a more open minded society . This meant everything about my mother and father, what they do and whether or not theyre together, as well as the extent of my religious commitment. Arabic Terms of Endearment There are some especially beautiful terms of endearment in Arabic. MzkxZjk0OGZhYjA0ZDBiZWJlNzVkOGRkYzM2MzNjZDI2ZTc3MGY1NGZkMWJj If you respect one another, each of you will learn so much from each perspective that is brought to the table. I knew no Arabic before meeting my wife. *You have to give and not expecting anything back. We sometimes call our oldest "quinoa" (calling him a fancy grain makes more sense when you know his name is Quinn). Funny thing is, that we dated (under cover of working together) a lot, but the last times even at her home. My experience in Latin America is that there is huge societal pressure to get married young (not anywhere near as much as your article describes in Egypt). Usage example: Vas a comer toda la comida, gordito? bitganini (): Youre driving me crazy. I'm an Egyptian girl who grew up in a western country and even though I I'm perfectly bilingual and probably more western in my thinking than Egyptian, I can say that a lot of these problems are still realities! References to the lethal spears of a beautiful woman's look abound in classical Arabic poetry and song. My hearts beloved, Take a look at this early 2000s song by Raninn called Habib Albi. u absolutely say facts about middle east but I you do not tell us about the reason for each of them and you can success and get married. Ghali or Ghalia literally means expensive but in this context, it means the precious one. He is a good man. In Egypt, the word for heart is pronounced 2albi whereas in the Gulf its pronounced qalbi. Fascinating insight Donovan! If you had married her would you have to have switched to the Muslim religion? My Egyptian girlfriend jus broke up with me because her father told her she had to. He is the time she spent alive. I really love how you narrowed it down to bits and pieces with such accuracy like youre an actual citizen. Arabic: "eyes of a gazelle" Saying to a woman in Arabic 'you have the eyes of a gazelle', as a way to woo her, means that the admirer has fallen under her spell, perhaps sooner than she has his. This is why I wanted to include it right after Hayati. Egyptians can go out alone, make out and have one-on-one free timeagain, it depends really on where you have been, and the background. Thank god that you didnt enter this battle. Ma poule 25. I am continually learning Arabic; this started from the moment we met. In Egypt someone is always watching and judging. They haven't cancelled the agreement because their daughter could be waiting for 6- 12 months as you said, it is because they knew you are not rich as they expect any western fellow to be. Hi Donovan, Thank you for sharing! Hence, it is a good idea to be conservative in its usage. So please everybody do respect us and do not generalize. so my father was totally the opposite, no interviews, but of course we have to get to know each other! a girl that ill raise your kids ..manage your life and will be your support all the life. I hated how women were treated in Egypt. and, you know, get to promote to such a whole-high level in your relationship that fast too considering the huge diffrances bet. It is as if you have people belonging to different cultures..so, again it depends on who and where you are with. Can you now understand the complexity and the beauty of the term? Theres no way around this in Egypt when they say its over, its over. that would be nice since I would like to see it from a different perspective and who better to do that than a foreign guy who lived in egypt. Can somebody imagine, that even knowing all of this, surely not in detail and, depending on the her families traditions, why I shouldn't run away? Terms of endearment are used for a variety of reasons, such as parents addressing their children and lovers addressing each other. I'm an Applied Linguistics graduate, teacher and translator with a passion for language learning (especially Arabic). Theres no such thing as privacy in Egypt (unless youre in the loo). As for language, that was a compromise also, we speak English at home: my second language, my husband's third). There are assholes everywhere, but they do not define the culture of a society. If I was, my life experience would tell me that I probably would not be so excepting of her families devotion. I felt caught in the middle of two cultures, unable to explain to either side why there was so much hate and misunderstanding. Terms of endearment are often romantic, but they can also be used in non-romantic situations. Men shouldn't either but because the obstacle of 'whose religion the future kid will take' is solved (since he always takes the father's religion) they go easy on that one. Asking for a women's hand in marriage should be done by all guys, no matter the country. That shows respect. Mon ange 15. There is definitely a less conservative sector who is much less concerned with religion (if at all). I take my hat off to you blokes for doing that. The endind left me feeling blue.Such a great post, and an amazing experience you had. Most people never marry legally, so the lines are pretty blurry and I am introduced as friend, girlfriend, fiancee, wife--whatever the person speaking chooses. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Here are some examples: Mi vida. Arabs are passionate, affectionate and extremely loving people. This is not necessarily a minority opinion; it is held by a large number of scholars. Theyre very narrow-minded which makes me hate living in this country! It can be used to jokingly address your friend as "man" or "woman". Mon chou is less commonly heard beyond the French-speaking populations of the world but is widespread within them. Lets take another example from the king of 90s pop, Amr Diab. This of course excludes families that may have since grown apart in contact, but in my situation, my wife's family is very family oriented, and I love that about them. Similar thing happened to me in Morocco. So just as you'd say "man, don't worry about it", that word "man" could be substituted for "chico" - and you'd say "chico, no te preocupes por eso". One of the most common words used for mother in Muslim culture is "umm," which is derived from the Arabic word for mother. I am German, but I was married 17 years to a South Italian woman. Here's lesson 13 for u, go for older and mature, independent business professionals. Even then he was hesitant and had to phone an Egyptian friend of mine in Australia (the woman who taught me Arabic who I also call my second mother) to verify that I was telling the truth. This is insightful. Dear friend Asalamo Alikum my name is Khan from Pakistan currently I m in Riyadh Saudi Arabia. You dont have to be a medical professional to be a doctor in the Arab world. egyptian teenagers are supposed to make it through all of these opstacles to get the woman they lovedaaaaymn! Take a look at my other site: TalkInArabic.com. well, your post is about right by 85% I think. Problem is I happy too much when I stay with him even just only 10 minute,,,,, He ask me for going to study Arabic language,,,and change my religion to be Muslim,,,He said Allah give me to him(At first time we date by 3 person another one is his friend who translate Egyptian language to English). This post could not be written any better!Reading this post reminds me of my old room mate! I had an intimate relationship with an Egyptian man but I suspected he was already married to an Egyptian girl. You are my life, a light that has started my day, How much of my life before you was wasted, Oh my love, how much of my life has gone by, And my heart has seen no happiness before you. Rather than the usual, general topics of conversation when you stay with a host family, we were discussing our future together, all our engagement and wedding arrangements, our political and religious views, our feelings and so on. Wow. I'm an Egyptian girl, knowing the girl doesn't mean kissing or touching her, we have an engagement period in which we can get to understand each other. Of course we weren't ordered to change religions but those who are careless enough about their religion might. We have amazing chemistry and are great partners, but communication is a struggle. This Spanish term of endearment translates to "boy" or "girl". I mean, you mentioned at the top that this is your own personal experience and whatnot, and I must admit it's wonderfully written, however I don't agree with most of it. But now, she, her ex- and their son are enjoying life much more. It basically implies something like I love you to death. There are so many Egyptians Christians who are married to an American guys and did not break the rules eventhough they live in USA. You can imagine the thoughts running through my mind. Here are just a handful of common Egyptian Arabic expressions that we used to say to each other a lot: (Note: The numbers used in the transliterations represent sounds in Arabic that have no English equivalent. Of course, you should note that it depends on which parent is speaking. I'm feeling language envy. I spent months with his family in Algeria and we also traveled together to Tunisia. However, other scholars say that it is makruh, which means that it is objectionable but not absolutely forbidden. It changed my life. The "i" at the end of both is the possessive pronoun, meaning mine. But other than that the girls parents could kiss my well you get the picture. yeah im an egyptian girl but i was born&raised in kuwaitwhen i came to egypt first time i was pretty much chocked by all that stuff.now im 24 years old and the only question i hear is :when you will get married? But on the other hand , Egyptian Youth don't get the chance to provide all the things needed for marriage , like the apartment and the gold etc. This is a type of kufr (disbelief), and after kufr there is no need for discussion about sin. I AM EGYPTIAN AND ARAB, "recently alot of girls *don't think of "Shabkaah" as the same traditional way", What the..! i'm telling you this story only to tell you that people aren't always the same, for me what an egyptian women is looking for is to be with a real MAN, someone to protect her, be her father , brother and friend, someone to treat her like she's the only lady in this lifeto be a good father of her kids and to embrace her =) i'm really sorry for your bad experience and i really wish you have a good life and better chance.