In theory, telling someone you love them should be pretty simple and straightforward. However, at times, it’s not. It can feel like you need to say it differently to have the intended impact you want. Or maybe you really want them to feel just how much you love them and you’re worried these three words just don’t do enough.
Today, we’ve got you. We’re going to look at 22 of the best ways to say I love you. And while many of these can be used for family and friends, the primary focus of the article is for those looking to say I love you to a romantic partner.
Saying ‘I love you’ can be verbal or non-verbal.
The first thing we need to make clear is that saying I love you isn’t just something you say. It’s something that can be both verbal and also non-verbal through your actions.
Which is better? Neither! Ideally, you’re using a mix of both to make sure your special someone knows just how much you love them. And in light of that, we’ll be sharing ways to say I love you in both categories.
Best Ways to Say ‘I Love You’ With Your Actions
To start, let’s look at some of the ways you can say I love you with your actions.
1. Being a great listener.
This might be a surprising one, but one of the best ways to tangibly say you love someone is by being a good listener. When they talk, put your phone down. Focus on what they’re saying. Learn to be a better listener and the love will show through.
2. Planning special date nights.
When you plan a date night, you’re saying, “Hey, I want to spend time with you.” In the context of a romantic relationship, this is everything and all but screams ‘I love you’. You’re saying that they’re important enough for you to take some time and resources to put together a special night.
Want some help with date nights? We got you! The free LoveTrack app is a date night planner that does all the work for you. It has hundreds of fully planned date night ideas for you ready to go. And the best part is that it’s 100% free.
3. Holding their hand.
This simple gesture shows care and love in a classic and timeless way. While it’s not the exact words ‘I love you’, mixed with everything else here, it’s a winner.
4. Handling a chore or task for them they don’t want to do.
While a lot of the ways you say I love you are romantic, sometimes they’re practical.
Taking care of something for your significant other can be a great way to show that not only do you love them, but you’re willing to show up for them. Yes, in platonic relationships and even professional relationships this action doesn’t necessarily demonstrate love. However, when done in the context of a romantic relationship, it’s spot on.
5. Making a heart shape with your hands from across the room.
This one we’d file under cute ways to say I love you, but it’s certainly a winner. If you’re ever across the room or down a grocery aisle from your special someone, make a heart with your hands and smile at them. You can blow them a kiss too if you’d like!
6. Writing them a love note.
While technically not verbal, you can still use your words in other ways, like on paper! Take the time to write them a love note and tell them you love them. If you aren’t sure what to write, start by telling them you love them. Then, share some of the things you love about them like how they make you feel, what they’re great at, what they do that makes you smile, their best traits, etc.
7. Hiding a little sticky note that says ‘I Love You’ in their car or bag or on their computer.
Love notes that say ‘I love you’ don’t always have to be long. In fact, sometimes shorter is better. One great way to say I love you is to write it on a small sticky note and hide it somewhere that your partner is going to find it. This could be on the steering wheel of their car, in their bag, on their phone at night after they go to bed, etc.
As a side note, if you love little romantic ideas like this, the free LoveTrack app we mentioned has an entire section titled Random Acts of Romance where we share hundreds of ideas just like this one! It’s such a handy way to find little romantic things you can do.
8. Respecting a boundary they asked for.
Love is also about respect. By respecting a boundary that your partner asked for, you’re tangibly demonstrating your love! Failing to do this one may negate a lot of the other things you say to them or do for them.
9. Remembering an important milestone in your relationship.
When you remember an important relationship milestone, you quietly but definitively show you love them. This could be remembering your actual anniversary or maybe something like the anniversary of your first kiss or when you met. If you want to see them smile and melt (in a good way), utilize these milestones!
And if you want help with this, the free LoveTrack app also helps you track these, sends you reminders when it’s coming up, and help you with ideas to celebrate!
10. Remembering a unique detail about something they like or dislike.
Remembering milestones is a great way to say you love someone, but there’s another option you have too! By remembering key details about what they like and dislike, you’re again, tangibly displaying your love.
If you want some help with this, the free LoveTrack app does this too!
11. Checking up on them to make sure they’re safe.
This one doesn’t 100% always signify love as it can be used early on in a relationship, but it still applies once you’re in the ‘I Love You’ stage. Checking up on them to make sure they made it home, made it to a meeting safely, got through a long drive, made it back to their hotel, etc. You don’t want to be overbearing here and do this too often, but checking in to make sure they’re safe through a quick text or call really goes a long way toward showing you care (and love them).
Pro Tip: This doesn’t just have to be a pleasantry to say I love you. Genuinely make sure they’re safe! If something feels off or you don’t get a response when you think you normally would, follow up and make sure they’re okay. This is even more of an example of love in action.
Best Ways to Say ‘I Love You’ With Your Words
To continue our list, we want to transition to the best ways to say I love you with your words.
12. Be direct and tell them you love them.
The single best way you can tell someone you love them is to…tell them you love them! We’ll give you some more creative ways to say it, but this should always be the one you use first.
13. Telling them how important they are to you.
When you tell them they’re important to you, it helps to highlight your love. Again, simple but effective.
14. Telling them how much they mean to you.
This is similar to the previous option, but focuses a bit more on a longer detailed description of what they mean to you. The more detailed and specific you can be, the better.
15. Telling them they make you a better version of yourself.
When you have a great partner that you love, they tend to make you a better version of yourself. By sharing with them that you’ve noticed the changes, it helps to strengthen your bond and share your love.
16. Telling them they’re your person.
This is a cute way to say I love you. Let them know they’re “your person”. This very clearly demonstrates your love and is sure to put a smile on their face. It can be as simple as, “Hey, ou know you’re my person, right?”
17. Letting them know you were thinking about them.
This is a great casual way to say I love you that you can use when you’re not with each other. This can be as simple as a short text message that says, “Thinking about you! Miss you,” or something like that.
18. Telling them you feel safe with them.
Telling someone you feel safe with them is a big deal. It’s one of our favorite ways to say that you love them, because it ties into our primal characteristics and love at the deepest level.
19. Letting them know you’re with them.
This way to say I love you has to do more with showing support when they’re going through something. By telling them that you support them and you’re with them and in it with them, you’re letting them know you are ready to both verbally and tangible display your love.
20. Letting them know you miss them.
Similar to letting them know you’re thinking about them, letting them know you miss them (or did miss them) is a great way to say I love you. It demonstrates they’re important to you and that while they weren’t there, it felt like something was missing.
21. Thanking them.
Gratitude is a big part of a loving relationship. By taking them time to tell someone thank you for what they did, you’re implying care and appreciation. When this is said in the context of a romantic relationship, it 100% implies love.
22. Did we mention just telling them you love them?
Okay, yes, we already said this one, but it’s so important that we want to close with it and say it twice.
The single best way to tell someone you love them is to tell them you love them.
The other ideas we shared here are important and we highly recommend you do them. However, this is something that at its core does not need to be overcomplicated. If you want them to know you love them, don’t beat around the bush. Let them know directly that you love them.
From there, you can mix in these other ideas for ways to say ‘I love you’ to complement that.
Things You Can’t Forget When Saying I Love You
Now that we’ve covered all of the different ways to say I love you, we want to look at a few key things you’ll want to remember when doing or saying them!
Only say something if it’s true.
This should go without saying, but we want to say it. Only tell them you love them if it’s 100% true. Never say it just because you feel like you have to or for any similar reason.
The only reason to tell someone you love them is if you love them.
Never use your move in a manipulative fashion.
On that same vein, you should never use telling someone you love them in a manipulative way. Love is a strong emotion and sometimes can be used for nefarious reasons. We implore you to please never use it this way.
Keep in mind that this is possible to do with someone you actually love, so be careful.
Don’t say something in hopes of reciprocation.
When you tell someone you love them, yes, you hope that they say it back to you. However, you should never say or do something for the sole purpose of getting them to say or do it back. Tell them you love them because you love them, not because you need them to say it to you, too.
Don’t keep score.
This is especially true when it comes to the tangible displays of your love. Don’t ever keep score. Never think, “Well I did this many love things, but you only did this many!” When you fall into that comparison and counting trap, it’s all bad news bears.
Embrace it if it feels a little awkward!
If you’re not someone who regularly says or displays your love, a lot of this is going to feel awkward. Embrace it! Any time you’re doing something you don’t normally do (especially with emotions), it’s going to feel a little weird. Be okay with that! The rewards are well worth it.
Many of these ideas work for all types of relationships.
To close, we did say that our primary focus today was on ways to say I love you to a romantic partner. However, it’s important to reiterate that many of these can be used to show love and care with friends, family, etc. This is more so with the actions and not the verbal versions.