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

In English, “I love you” is the most common phrase used to express your feeling of love. It is a short sentence, but it is very powerful. We usually say it to our romantic partner or someone we’re in love with. However, it can also be used platonically, for example, to your mum or your best friend.

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 youI love so muchI love you a lot
I love you tooI love you foreverI love you unconditionally
I love you to the moon and backI love you with all my heartI love you more than life itself
I love you more than anythingI love you more than I love myselfI love you from the bottom of my heart
I love you from the bottom of my soulI love you more than any word can sayI’m nothing without you
I’m lost without youI have feelings for youI’m crazy about you
I’m head over heels for youI’m head over heels in love with youI adore you
I’ve fallen for youI’m falling in love with youI’m in love with you
I’m yoursYou fill my heartYou’re the love of my life
I can’t live without youI need youI care about you
You’re my everythingYou’re the one for meYou’re my one and only
You’re my sunshineYou rock my worldI want to spend my life with you
You mean so much to meI’ve got a crush on youYou’re the light of my life
I will always love youI’m mad about youI’m nuts about you
I cherish youYou’re my angelYou stole my heart
You give me wings to flyYou mean the world to meYou mean so much to me
I’m fond of youYou make my heart skip a beatThere isn’t a word in the dictionary for how much I love you
My heart is where you areIt’s so easy to love youI’m so lucky to have you by my side
My heart is yours foreverI love you more each dayI 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 youI really like youI 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 youI’d love to go on a date with youI’d like to take you out on a date
You’re cute/handsome/beautifulYou look handsome/beautifulI like your smile/eyes/something else
I like everything about youI’m really having fun with youI enjoy being around you
I love your companyI love the way you smileI find you attractive
You’re lovelyI can’t stop thinking about youI’m completely smitten with you
I’ve had a crush on you since the first time I saw youYou’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.

Expression From
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 by 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 blog.