In brief: 'I love you' and 'love you' are phrases used to convey an emotional attachment to a certain someone or something. 'I love you', however, is usually reserved for your significant other or parents. While 'love you' is commonly used between friends.
Say “I love you” when you want to express deep platonic love. Whether you care deeply for a friend, family member, or otherwise, “I love you” is appropriate to use in serious moments with the people you value most. “I love you” is always more meaningful than “love you.”
“Love you” often feels less intimate and typically connotates a less committed relationship with the other person. But if the intent behind the phrase is to make things casual or light-hearted, then saying “love you” isn't necessarily a bad thing.
There's no real difference. They both mean the same thing. I love you, I love you too and I love you also all carry the same meaning. Don't worry so much about HOW it's said.
Signs it's the right time to say "I love you":
You know your partner extremely well. You recognize your partner's flaws—but you still feel like you love them. You've had significant or meaningful experiences together. Statements like "I like you a lot" don't feel like they're enough anymore.
If you are in the infatuation stage of a relationship, it may be best to hold off on saying “I love you.” Infatuation can fade quickly, and you may not feel the same way in a few weeks.
Who should say 'I love you' first? Either partner can say “I love you” first. If you're feeling it and want your partner to know, it's OK to be the one who takes the plunge. In 2011, a study on relationship commitment among college students found most of them believed women generally say “I love you” first.
I would say “I love you” to a person to let them know that I love them. Without a doubt. No hesitation. “I love you too” means they acknowledge the love given and they too would like to let us know that they love us.
1. Say “I Love You” If you want your friend to know you love and care about them, consider saying, “I love you.” It is a direct form of communication to tell your friend how you feel; they might appreciate hearing it if you haven't told them before. You might also tell them why you love them.
He really loves you, and he means it completely when he says those three words. He could say it on the very first date or a few months down the dating lane, but he still means it with all his heart and sees you as a long term lover in his life.
“Telling somebody you love them feeds the relationship, keeps it alive.” It reinforces your feelings and helps remind your loved ones – whether your spouse, sweetheart, child or parent – that you are there for them and that they matter to you.
An curved arrow pointing right. Dating gurus on TikTok recommend a new rule to weed out incompatible partners. They call it the three-month rule, where people can evaluate potential partners for 90 days. They recommend not exclusively dating someone — or even kissing them — for these first months.
If the relationship seems casual or the other person is non-committal, the feelings likely aren't the same. But, if he or she seems deeply committed and devoted, it's a good sign saying ''I love you' will go well. Still, avoid expressing your love to someone you just met or only have been dating a few weeks.
Winter says some people have likely become casual with “I love you” because of the ways we've reconstructed our very understanding of relationships themselves, and even the mediums through which we communicate. “We live in an era where thousands of people we don't know are called 'friends' on social media.
Love you is more of an informal and casual way of saying the essentially meant 'I love you', however this is commonly used as a way to express gratitude or even affection among friends without having it carry a romantic connotation.
Being in love with two people may be more common than some think. Studies show that many individuals worldwide identify as polyamorous, meaning they partake in a romantic relationship with or feel attracted to more than one individual at a time.
It's possible for saying "I love you" too frequently to lose some of its meaning over time, especially if it becomes a habit or a reflex response without any genuine emotion behind it. However, this can vary from person to person and depends on the context in which the words are used.
While early relationship feels (and hormones) can be intoxicating, relationship experts warn that it might be a red flag if you or your partner is too quick to say, “I love you.”
According to a large 2022 study, men tend to say “I love you” more quickly than women. It takes men an average of 108 days (about 4 months) to confess love and women an average of around 123 days (about 4 months).
The average time for men to fall in love is 88 days, while those same feelings of true love take women 134 days. Another dating site, Elite Singles, did a poll in 2017 and found that 61 per cent of women believe in love at first sight, while 72 per cent of men do. These surveys focused on heterosexual relationships.