Love is a beautiful feeling that extends throughout all of humanity. We use the word "love" in daily conversation constantly, but do you know all the ways to express yourself when it comes to love?
It may seem English doesn’t have as many expressions to say “I love you” as, let’s say, French or Spanish, which are considered two of the most romantic languages in the world. However, there are more ways to express love in English than you may expect! That’s because there are many different situations that call for different ways to say those three little words.
So, to help you do that, we’ve prepared a (long) list of ways to say I love you in English. Ready? Let there be love!
Why learn how to say I love you in English?
Some people have no trouble expressing their feelings. For others, saying “I love you” doesn’t come easily. But no matter which one you are, knowing how to express your love for someone is important.
Here are a few reasons why:
It will help you express your feelings more fluently
Whether you’re falling in love, already deeply in love with someone, or want to express your feelings of love to your parents or friends, you may need different ways to say it.
Without a doubt, knowing how to say I love you in English will help you express your feelings more accurately and fluently.
You never know when you might meet your soulmate
Maybe you’re one of the lucky people who have already met their soulmates. Or, maybe you’ll meet them in the future. Either way, it’s important to be able to express how you feel about them! And even if you don’t believe in soulmates, there’s someone out there you care about.
It will help you express your appreciation of your close ones
Saying “I love you” isn’t reserved just for your romantic partner. You can also say it to your friends, family, or even your pup. A platonic “I love you” can mean many different things. It can mean that you appreciate them, love their company, or care about them.
Ways to say I love you in English
But, saying these three words may not always be appropriate, or you may not be ready to say them yet. So, other expressions beyond the standard “I love you” can come in handy in some situations.
Here are some ways to say I love you in English in different situations.
To a boyfriend, girlfriend, and/or romantic love
Maybe you’re happily in love with someone you really care about and feel like shouting it from the rooftops. Or, perhaps you’re at the point where you want to express your feelings for someone, but you’re not really sure how.
Either way, here are a few ways to say “I love you” to your bae to help you express your feelings.
I love you
I love so much
I love you a lot
I love you too
I love you forever
I love you unconditionally
I love you to the moon and back
I love you with all my heart
I love you more than life itself
I love you more than anything
I love you more than I love myself
I love you from the bottom of my heart
I love you from the bottom of my soul
I love you more than any word can say
I’m nothing without you
I’m lost without you
I have feelings for you
I’m crazy about you
I’m head over heels for you
I’m head over heels in love with you
I adore you
I’ve fallen for you
I’m falling in love with you
I’m in love with you
I’m yours
You fill my heart
You’re the love of my life
I can’t live without you
I need you
I care about you
You’re my everything
You’re the one for me
You’re my one and only
You’re my sunshine
You rock my world
I want to spend my life with you
You mean so much to me
I’ve got a crush on you
You’re the light of my life.
I will always love you
I’m mad about you
I’m nuts about you
I cherish you
You’re my angel
You stole my heart
You give me wings to fly
You mean the world to me
You mean so much to me
I’m fond of you
You make my heart skip a beat
There isn't a word in the dictionary for how much I love you
My heart is where you are
It's so easy to love you
I'm so lucky to have you by my side
My heart is yours forever
I love you more each day
I love you more than coffee, and that's saying a lot.
To a friend, family member, or platonic love
Family and friendships are an important part of every culture. In English, there are many different ways to express your feelings of love and appreciation to your friends and family. Here are some of them:
You’re my best friend
I love you, mum/dad/grandma/grandpa
You always make my day brighter
You put a smile on my face
I love you as a friend
I love your company
I love you guys
I love you, you’re the best!
You are one of my dearest friends
I miss you!
I’m so grateful to have you as a friend
I couldn't have asked for a better friend/mum/dad
You’re the best mum/dad/brother/friend in the world!
Ain’t nothing better than a bestie like you!
Thanks for being my best friend!
Thanks for being the best mum/dad/brother/sister!
How to say I like you in English
In that awkward stage of not-yet-in-a-relationship but not friends either? Trying to ask your next-door neighbor out? The way you flirt with the person you like will likely impact what happens next. So, to help you be fully prepared, we’ve gathered a list of a few useful ways to say “I like you” in English:
I like you
I really like you
I like you a lot
Will you go out with me?
Can I take you out?
Would you have dinner with me?
I’d love to go out with you
I’d love to go on a date with you
I’d like to take you out on a date
You’re cute/handsome/beautiful
You look handsome/beautiful
I like your smile/eyes/something else
I like everything about you
I’m really having fun with you
I enjoy being around you
I love your company
I love the way you smile
I find you attractive
You’re lovely
I can’t stop thinking about you
I'm completely smitten with you
I've had a crush on you since the first time I saw you
You're my kind of weird
Cute ways to say I love you in English
Not quite ready to say “I love you”? We get it. Expressing how you feel about someone is not always easy! Especially if you might be afraid they don’t feel the same way.
So, breaking the ice with a cute and funny way to say I love you in English might just be the right solution! Here are a few expressions that you might find helpful (they sound really cute in a text message, too):
I love you so matcha
You’re the LOL to my OMG
You’re the peanut butter to my jelly
You're the peanut to my butter
You’re the crayons to my coloring book
You’re the guacamole to my taco
You guac my world
We fit together like puzzle pieces
I love you from your toes to your nose to where your hair grows!
I’ve fallen for you… and I can’t get up
We go together like biscuits and gravy
My heart is full of emotional emojis right now
I love you more than chocolate, pumpkin spice lattes, and sweatpants combined
You're my favorite person to fall asleep next to
I love you more than pumpkin pie
I love you more than coffee, and that's saying a lot
I love you a bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck
Ways to say I love you in Shakespearean English
If you’re a hopeless romantic like Romeo or Juliet, these love quotes, expressions, and verses from Shakespearean English are for you. If you're looking to get creative with your expression of affection, look no further! Here are some of the most poetic ways we could find to help you express your undying love to your bae.
Thou art wise as thou art beautiful (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
So is mine eye enthrallèd to thy shape (A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
I would not wish any companion in the world but you (The Tempest)
I do love nothing in the world so well as you (Much Ado About Nothing)
When you depart from me sorrow abides, and happiness takes his leave (Much Ado About Nothing)
Lady, as you are mine, I am yours. I give away myself for you and dote upon the exchange (Much Ado About Nothing)
I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest (Much Ado About Nothing)
I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried in thy eyes. (Much Ado About Nothing)
An angel is like you, and you are like an angel (Henry V)
I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say, ‘I love you’ (Henry V)
For where thou art, there is the world itself, With every several pleasure in the world, And where thou art not, desolation (Henry VI)
O beauty, Till now I never knew thee (Henry VIII)
I humbly do beseech of your pardon, For too much loving you (Othello)
Hear my soul speak, Of the very instant that I saw you, Did my heart fly at your service (Twelfth Night)
I love you more than words can wield the matter (King Lear)
Did my heart love til now? Forswear it, sight. For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night. (Romeo and Juliet)
My love is as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite. (Romeo and Juliet)
Sweet, above thought I love thee (Troilus and Cressida)
One half of me is yours, the other half yours - Mine own, I would say; but if mine, then yours, And so all yours (The Merchant of Venice)
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate (Sonnet XVIII)
Say “I love you” with these romantic love songs in English
In the history of music, there have been so many songs about love. They’re all different, and some are more meaningful than others. And if you’ve read any of our blog articles, you know how much we love learning languages from songs!
It’s a fun way to make new vocabulary stick in your head. So, here are a few of our favorite love songs in English:
All You Need Is Love by The Beatles
This is undoubtedly one of the most popular songs about love of all time. The lyrics are straightforward, making the song easy for anyone to understand, even if you’re at a beginner level of English.
All of Me by John Legend
The lyrics in this song are stunning. This song talks about loving someone for who they truly are. This song is a beautiful way to let your partner know exactly how you feel about them and what makes them special to you. And it also contains a lot of practical, romantic expressions in English!
I Just Called to Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder
This beautiful song by Steve Wonder can help you remember different phrases to say “I love you” to someone you care about. It’s catchy, easy to sing, and its lyrics are pretty simple, so you’ll be able to understand it even if you’re not very fluent in English (yet!).
Three little words, countless ways to say it
The expression of love is wonderfully diverse, and whether you're a native English speaker or not, many of us have so much choice in finding the right words when we want to express our feelings beyond the classic three words.
We hope that this extensive list of different ways to say I love you in English will help you find the right words to express your feelings for the one you love and cherish.
And speaking of love, if you cherish this article, you can find more free English vocabulary blog lessons on our learn English blog.