Love, Like People, Comes in All Shapes and Sizes

"Is there a difference between saying "I love you" versus saying i <3 you, or i luv u, etc.?"  - Dahlia


This may simply be my personal opinion, but I believe there is a HUGE difference between each of these phrases. Something like putting a <3 or saying luv ya, those strike me as something you would say to a friend while hanging up the phone or if they say something amusing and you reply "oh, i heart you." I say things like this all the time while talking to friends, but I've also said similar things to significant others before it was serious enough to break out those 3 big words. For example, I would say "I less then 3 you," to one of my boyfriends, simply because I wanted him to know that I cared but wasn't ready to admit real, serious love for him. This little phrase became something cutesy that we could say back and forth to each other when trying to get a smile out of the other person involved. Granted, if this is being said in a relationship, it can be taken in a playful manner and not a serious one, just be sure to gauge the situation accordingly.

Now saying something like Love You, and simply keeping the "i" out of it, this seems like it would either be something said to your parents while hanging up the phone, or said out of frustration when in a relationship. If you've already said the three big words, I Love You, no abbreviations, no nothing, than I would say this means something is wrong. I know there have been several times when I've been in an argument with my significant other and upon leaving I've said, Love You, and they immediately knew something was bothering me. So, perhaps it depends on the situation, but if you really mean it, i think you should always spell out "I Love You". If you're texting it's not hard, seriously.

Now, I think the sweetest most romantic way to get it across to your sweetheart that you really love them is to use their name at the end. Ex: I love you, name. Simply because stating their name at the end gets their attention and focuses the sentence on them. It really seems to strike a chord with anyone I've heard use it. It's usually used in serious situations, trying to make a point, cheer the other person up, things like that. It is very very useful and romantic though.

So in short, I really do believe that there are different meanings behind how you say certain things. There are many different types of love, so there are many ways of interpreting one single phrase to mean much more.