How To Say ' I Love You '

The phrase ' I love you' is one of the most important combination of three little words that has ever existed! And it's the most commonly used phrase of all time.

So knowing the best way to say it is vital for your happiness in life!

To help you our advice is split into the following categories:

- The first time you tell someone you love them.

- What to do when someone tells you they love you.

- How to show you love someone without using words.

- How often to tell or show someone you love them.

- How to say I love you in other languages.

The First Time You Tell Someone You Love Them

So you're dating someone and you've fallen in love. And now it's the big moment when you feel it's time to declare your feelings!

If you're a normal human being, you'll probably be nervous. And the more time you've been thinking about it, the more anxious you're likely to be. Most of your nerves are probably down to being worried about how the other person will react.

To be honest, there are going to be a lot of possibilities about how he or she is going to react…it'll range from ecstasy on one side of the scale through to surprise and right down to awkwardness on the other side of the scale.

Okay, so most of us would like a positive response. But it's really not important how they react. This might sound strange at first. But the whole point of telling someone how you feel is that YOU are declaring your feelings for THEM.

Our article what is love? explains that one aspect of love is that its unconditional. So if you really love them, you'll love them whatever they are able or unable to express to you.

So don't get angry and don't let it knock your confidence. If you don't get a positive response, there will be any number of reasons for this. For example, it might be because the other person isn't ready to open up. Or he or she might not be able to express themselves. Or your timing and their timing for falling in love just isn't the same.

The most important thing to remember is that feeling love is not a guilty secret. You definitely shouldn't feel ashamed of declaring such a beautiful emotion. And holding any feelings in is really unhealthy for you.

So our tips for saying I love you for the first time are as follows:

-Be sure that what you're feeling is love. If you're in any doubt read our article on what is love?

- find somewhere quiet and private (or at least where you can't be overheard or interrupted!) to talk.

- Try and be relaxed and calm. If you're nervous, your partner will pick up on this and become nervous too.

- look your loved one in the eye…

- …and just let the words come flooding out!

It sounds easy…because it is easy!

What To Do When someone says I Love You

So what do you do if someone tells you that they love you?

If you love them back, then it's simple…you can tell them how you feel or thank them. Or show them how you feel. Or do all of them together for maximum impact!

If you're not sure how you feel or you know that you don't love them then it can be a bit harder. There's a fine balance between being honest and being aware of the other person's feelings.

The best thing to do is to simply say thank you. Don't fake it…never tell someone that you love them when you really don't feel it – the other person will pick up on your insincerity and it will make him or her feel uneasy. And it will put doubt into their mind about how genuine you've been about other things.

Not everyone falls in love at the same time so don't feel pressurised into having emotions that you don't feel.

How to show you love someone without using words

As the old saying goes 'actions speak louder than words'. Or as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow put it 'When one is truly in love, one not only says it, but shows it.'

This is great if you have difficulty in verbally expressing your feelings. And it can be very effective because a lot more effort goes into doing something for someone than just telling them how you feel. After all, anyone can say 'I love you'.

There are five great ways to do show someone you love them:

- Write a romantic love letter

- Send a love poem to your loved one.

- Give a gift to your partner

- Take him or her out on a romantic date.

- Do something kind and considerate for the person you love.

This could include doing some of their chores, giving them a massage, being affectionate towards them (hand-holding, hugging and kissing) or complimenting them on something.

How Often To Show Someone that you love them

There are no rules about this – some people tell their partner how much they love them twenty times a day and they shower their partner with gifts and compliments constantly.

But unless you really want to do this, there's usually no need to go this far. Most people are very happy with one or two gestures of love (see above) or declarations of love per day.

Remember, though, that there might be times when one of you is having a tough time in your life and needs to be shown love more often. It’ll depend on the two of you as individuals to be able to pick up the signs.

If your partner feels loved by you and you feel loved by them, then you’re both doing a great job!

Saying 'I love you' in other languages

And if you want a bit of variety, why not try saying (or maybe writing, if pronunciation isn't your thing!) I love you in other languages. We've picked a selection below.

Italian – Ti amo

French - Je t'aime/ je t'adore

Spanish – Te amo

German - Ich liebe dich

Portuguese – Eu te amo

Polish – Kocham cie

Japanese – Aishiteiru

So now you know how to say I love you, go out and spread your loving feelings into the world!

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