using the word love when not inlove so to speak....

[purplehouse]

My boyfriend(we are 25 and 26) have been dating since October. We became 'official' on January 3rd when he hopped into bed and hugged me really tight and said said he wanted to make it official and give it a good go. We have known eachother for 15 months though and had a growing attraction the whole time.

 

Anyway i know we are not inlove yet, its early and he is a guy who takes a long time to say it (he told me this ages ago). But i know we reallllly like eachother a lot and he often looks at me and says 'i like you'.

 

But he uses the word love, like for example i 'love' spending time with you. I 'love' your body, i 'love' being with you. i 'Love your hands, etc.

 

Now i know this doesn't mean he is in love. but how can you 'love' someones qualities but not love them?? Does that make sense???

 

 

Is love the wrong word to use when giving a compliment????

 

 

He takes the L word seriously so im not sure what to think.....

 

 

[Ronni_W]

You're asking if HE is using a wrong word to describe what he's feeling.

I would suggest that he is using the word that, for him, comes closest to what he wants to say.

 

'Love' is also an umbrella term for a whole range of good-positive-happy feelings, so there is lots of room for personal interpretation and self-definition. I would say just trust that he is using the word accurately as far as his stuff goes, even if you may not use that same word when you experience those same feelings.

 

He takes the L word seriously so im not sure what to think.....

I think...you don't have to think...just feel and sense, and read the message in his eyes and his smile and his touch.

 

Seriously. You're over-thinking it. It's just a word that means he really enjoys spending time with you and your body and your hands. Leave it at that.

[t0ri]

You can definitely love someone's qualities but not necessarily be in love with them, in my opinion. I love many things about my boyfriend, but I'm not in love with him quite yet. We even occasionally say, "I love you," but we've discussed that we're not in love, but falling there. We're just expressing how we do love each other, as in care deeply about each other, but we're not in love just yet. We've only been together about 3 months.

 

Try not to over-analyze. I think he's saying he loves those things about you, because he does. He adores those things, and is saying "love" to express it. Simple as that, enjoy it I'm sure you will know when he has fallen for you completely and ready to say it.

[shadowplay]

You can definitely love someone's qualities but not necessarily be in love with them, in my opinion. I love many things about my boyfriend, but I'm not in love with him quite yet. We even occasionally say, "I love you," but we've discussed that we're not in love, but falling there. We're just expressing how we do love each other, as in care deeply about each other, but we're not in love just yet. We've only been together about 3 months.

 

Try not to over-analyze. I think he's saying he loves those things about you, because he does. He adores those things, and is saying "love" to express it. Simple as that, enjoy it I'm sure you will know when he has fallen for you completely and ready to say it.

 

I think you have it backwards. I guess it all depends on how we personally define, but saying you "love" somebody is stronger to me than saying you're in love with somebody.