When I say “I love you” to a partner, it means I feel grounded with, by, and in them. It means I feel supported and supportive, caring and taken care of. When I say “I love you”, I offer a verbal embrace of the entirety of another person. “I love you” means that you make me feel something especially rich and meaningful and that I want to give some part of myself to you. Answer from returnoftheporla on reddit.com
Medium
medium.com › the-ascent › the-powerful-difference-in-i-love-you-and-love-you-15f740bf532c
The Powerful Difference Between “I Love You” and “Love You” | by Sara Emily | Ascent Publication | Medium
June 17, 2020 - The phrase “I love you” justifies the involvement of you and the other person. It not only means that there is love for you, but it also means that the love for you is from me, creating emotional intimacy.
YourDictionary
yourdictionary.com › home › dictionary meanings › i-love-you definition
I-love-you Definition & Meaning | YourDictionary
I-love-you definition: An affirmation of affection or deep caring, especially to a family member.
Videos
Oprah
oprah.com › relationships › understanding-the-real-meaning-of-i-love-you-robert-holden › all
Understanding the Real Meaning of "I Love You" - Robert Holden
April 10, 2013 - Discover what "I love you" truly means. Learn about the deeper significance behind these words and how they can transform your relationships.
Substack
leaningintolight.substack.com › p › the-meaning-of-i-love-you
The Meaning of “I love you” - by Jessica Rios
March 27, 2024 - I love you means I want you in my life.
Reverso
dictionary.reverso.net › english-definition › I+love+you
I LOVE YOU - Definition & Meaning - Reverso English Dictionary
I love you definition: declaring romantic feelings. Check meanings, examples, usage tips, pronunciation, domains, and related words. Discover expressions like "I love you to bits".
Reddit
reddit.com › r/datingoverthirty › what do you actually mean when you say "i love you"?
r/datingoverthirty on Reddit: What do you actually mean when you say "I love you"?
March 27, 2022 -
Seeing all these posts asking about when to tell a new partner had me wondering about what everyone here thinks they mean.
I feel like if we all have different opinions on WHEN to tell the partner, we might also MEAN something very different by it. (But then I guess the question is, does it really make sense to say "I love you" ? Ooof...)
Do you have really strong feelings for that person and "love" seems to describe it best? Do you use "I love you" as code for something else? Like "You're the person I think of the most" or "You're the person I wanna get old and wrinkly with" etc.? Do you talk to your partner about how you both define love so you're on the same page?
Those are just examples that I could think of; in my last two relationships I (32f) I said those words and seeing the responses, I feel like my declaration was received very differently from what I intended. ("Finally!" and "Noo, I wanted to say it first!") To my new partner (30m) I say things like "You're my favorite person" and "I think about our future together" so he knows he means a lot to me.
I'm not looking for answers to only the example questions above, I would really love to see what other possibilities there are 🙃
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When I say “I love you” to a partner, it means I feel grounded with, by, and in them. It means I feel supported and supportive, caring and taken care of. When I say “I love you”, I offer a verbal embrace of the entirety of another person. “I love you” means that you make me feel something especially rich and meaningful and that I want to give some part of myself to you.
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I really like bell hooks’ definition of love, which is: "Love is a combination of care, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, respect and trust." I think we often think of love solely as that very intense kind of tender-hearted emotion (which is wonderful!) but I like defining it both more expansively and with responsibilities. So I’m not just saying “I feel incredibly tender toward you,” I’m also saying “I want to have a responsibility to you” and “I have a certain level of trust toward you.” This is true of both romantic and platonic love, which is why I’m not someone who throws it around—love connotes a significant responsibility and care to me, in addition to tender feelings.
The West Ottawan
thewestottawan.com › 11456 › opinion › i-love-you-but-what-does-that-mean
“I love you.” But what does that mean?
For others, love is anything but selfish. It is a commitment with a focus to put the others’ needs before your own. A husband said, “I love you means I’ll stick with you through the good and the bad. My love for you is not dependent on circumstances or anything external.
Wikihow
wikihow.com › relationships › love you vs. i love you: what's the difference?
Love You vs. I Love You: What's the Difference?
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.”[7] X Research source
Published May 3, 2025 Views 2K
Wordnik
wordnik.com › words › I love you
I love you - definition and meaning
I love you: An affirmation of affection or deep caring, especially to a family member.
Facebook
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just as you dont expect it from me. It means that I'll love ...
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Top answer 1 of 4
2
I, I just love you
Don't know why I just do
When are you coming home?
Babe I'm coming home soon
And I just love you too
I just love you in this context means that the speaker loves without any motive, reason or cause.
Like if we say something just disappeared, then it disappeared without apparent cause. It disappeared - and that is all.
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I think that "I just love you" implies nothing else matters or could get in the way, in terms of this love. Maybe a sense that everything else is irrelevant.
TikTok
tiktok.com › anthony | 🇬🇧 english teacher (@pintofenglish) | tiktok › “i love you” ❤️ - what does it really mean? 🧐 in english, the verb ‘to love’ has different meanings depending on the context. it can be used for romantic (ti amo) or platonic love (ti voglio bene). typically, if speaking to a friend, a native speaker will remove the ‘i’ in ‘i love you’ to show that he/she is not being romantic. in the uk, we usually also modify the pronunciation of ‘you’ to ‘ya’ to soften the meaning. alternatively, you can add a word like ‘mate’ (common in the uk) or ‘bro’ (common in the usa). we also often use adjectives rather than a specific phrase. something like “you’re amazing/fantastic” communicates that this is platonic love and not romantic. happy valentine’s day!!! 🌹 (or singles watching netflix day 😂😂) what other errors do you make in english that you want me to explain? tell me in the comments follow me 👉 @pintofenglish for more daily english tips!! #esi #learnenglish #imparalinglese #englishtips #britishenglish #grammaticainglese #ingleseperitaliani
“I love you” ❤️ - what does it REALLY mean? 🧐 In English, the verb ‘to love’ has different meanings depending on the context. It can be used for romantic (ti amo) OR platonic love (ti voglio bene). Typically, if speaking to a friend, a native speaker will remove the ‘I’ in ‘I love you’ to show that he/she is not being romantic. In the UK, we usually also modify the pronunciation of ‘you’ to ‘ya’ to soften the meaning. Alternatively, you can add a word like ‘mate’ (common in the UK) or ‘bro’ (common in the USA). We also often use adjectives rather than a specific phrase. Something like “you’re amazing/fantastic” communicates that this is platonic love and not romantic. Happy Valentine’s Day!!! 🌹 (Or Singles Watching Netflix Day 😂😂) What other errors do you make in English that you want me to explain? Tell me in the comments Follow me 👉 @pintofenglish for more daily English tips!! #esi #learnenglish #imparalinglese #englishtips #britishenglish #grammaticainglese #ingleseperitaliani | TikTok
“I love you” ❤️ - what does it REALLY mean? 🧐 In English, the verb ‘to love’ has different meanings depending on the context. It can be used for romantic (ti amo) OR platonic love (ti voglio bene). Typically, if speaking to a friend, a native speaker will remove the ‘I’ in ‘I love you’ to show that he/she is not being romantic.
Wiktionary
en.wiktionary.org › wiki › I_love_you
I love you - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
I love you, Lolly: I should have been saying it at the end of every one of those goddamn Sunday-evening calls. Should have been calling her.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/love › what does "i love you" actually mean?
r/love on Reddit: What does "I love you" actually mean?
January 8, 2020 -
I think back to all of the people that I dated. All of the people that told me they loved me and I said the same to them. I no longer talk to any of these people. And they no longer talk to me. Our relationship ended for whatever reason and we moved on with our lives.
"I love you" may have even be accompanied by things like "I'll never leave you" "Let's get married" "We'll be together forever" - none of which came to fruition.
There's a pretty bitter over tone to what I'm saying perhaps lol. Especially the additional saying that I added. But just in general I'm thinking like what does I love you even mean.
We say it and then we break up. Either it's all just words and doesn't really mean anything. Or it means a lot but we say it too soon, too often, and too frivolously and take away from it's power and weight.
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Personally I thought I meant it many times before. Once I met my husband, I realized every one of those relationships were pretty much a joke. Maybe it's because I had parents who blatantly told me i wasnt wanted, but what i thought was love was so, so wrong. Now I know. Love is real with the right person. Its respectful and a good listener. Its communication about issues and not yelling, or breaking stuff. Its an actual partnership where the chores and work are done by both so nobody feels like everything is on their shoulders. My flaws are still there, as are his, but they're small things that even after 7 years, make me roll my eyes at worst and don't incite rage. Apologies aren't empty because things are worth fixing. I can look at him at his absolute worst and my heart still swells with gratitude that I am certain I have at least one person who is always in my corner. Attraction has never waned even a little bit, and we both love to please each other. I thought I didnt like sex before him and thought maybe I was asexual or something but it turns out I was just with the wrong people. It's actually wanting to spend time together rather than having separate friend groups and just meeting to go to bed at night. I've never had a better friend. Its lifting me up from the point where I thought I never deserved to be born to the point where I feel like a confident, sexy woman. Its quitting smoking cigarettes together, eating healthier, being better together. The first thing I do after we've been apart all day is go in for a kiss and transition to a hug where I bury my face in his neck and SNIFF because that's the smell of home. It makes every bad day fall away. Dont let some bad experiences make you think a meaningful, loving relationship cant be had. Everyone deserves to find their person.
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Why do you expect eternity in this finiteness?
Thought Catalog
thoughtcatalog.com › love
What I Truly Mean When I Say ‘I Love You’ | Thought Catalog
May 20, 2020 - And it means that I would never ever want to do anything to hurt you. For me, the word ‘love’ holds weight. It means something to me. It means something more than ‘I like you’ or, ‘I have a crush on you’. To me, ‘I love you’, means that I see my universe pointed in your direction.
Quora
quora.com › What-does-it-mean-when-you-say-I-love-you-to-someone
What does it mean when you say 'I love you' to someone? - Quora
Answer (1 of 9): When I say I love you it means that person is a part of my heart. Love has many meanings. When I say I love you to my children it means I would give my life ,my last breath, anything for them. They are loved beyond words. When I say I love you to family or friends I want them to ...
Reddit
reddit.com › r/askmen › what does “i love you” mean to you?
r/AskMen on Reddit: What does “I love you” mean to you?
October 11, 2022 -
What does “I love you” mean to you?just curious as to me it’s very important snd a special thing. Just wondering how men think about these words and what they mean when they are said.
Quora
quora.com › What-does-I-love-you-mean
What does 'I love you' mean? - Quora
Answer (1 of 140): Love. In C.S.Lewis’ book “The Four Loves”, published in 1960, Lewis speaks of the four loves discussed in the Bible by Jesus. Love is an undervalued but overused term, and the meaning has become so blurred that we no longer know how to draw the line.
Urban Dictionary
urbandictionary.com › define.php
Urban Dictionary: i love you
In a guys eyes, the exact words that you say just to get the girl in the bed. I love you means something at some point. But when you are a teenager and a guy pressures you to have sex and they say "If you love me, you'll do this" it is the direction to regret and guilt.
Lingoda
lingoda.com › home › learning materials for english learners › 10 ways to say “i love you” in english
10 different ways to say I love you in English - Lingoda
February 10, 2021 - Telling someone, "You’re the love of my life" implies that you want to be with them forever and there’ll never be anyone else. What’s more romantic than gazing at the moon? Maybe telling your partner, "I love you to the moon and back." The phrase is quite famous for being in the children’s book "Guess how much I love you?" but it’s used for romantic as well as non-romantic love now. This is quite a modern and different way to say "I love you". And it doesn’t always mean "I love you", it could just be that you really, really like someone.