In English, saying "I love you" for the first time is what we say when we fall in love with someone and it shows that we want to build a further relationship. In Chinese and Japanese, "I like you" really means something similar. Does "I like you" in English more or less the same if said to an opposite gender, or just a way to show friendliness?
Learn English – Does “like” mean to build a further relationship
meaning
Related Topic
- Meaning – Is There a Word Like ‘Compersion’ Not Limited to Romantic/Sexual Situations?
- Meaning – What Does ‘You Were the Best Thing That Never Happened to Me’ Mean?
- Meaning – How to Understand This Quote from Mark Twain About Life and Love
- Learn English – Why does “Not in a month of Sundays” mean “It won’t happen”
Best Answer
"I like you" can mean many things. A few of many possible examples I could provide:
I might say to someone, "I like @SEUser." What does that mean? Well, I don't know @SEUser personally, so what I mean to say is "I admire the quality of @SEUser's questions, answers, and comments on ELU SE."
I might be having some work done on my house and say to the service provider, "I like you." Well, again, I don't know the service provider personally, so what I mean to say is "I like the way you do business. You do quality work at a reasonable price. It's a pleasure to work with you."
I might say to a coworker, "I like you." While in this case I do know the other person personally, what I mean to say is "I like the way your brain works. I like your work ethic. We make a good team."
When it comes to more personal relationships, I might say to someone who has attracted my attention (e.g., psychologically or physically), "I like you." What I mean to say is "You appeal to me personally. I'd like to get to know you better. I might like to have a personal relationship with you." In general, my saying "I like you" would not mean "I love you" in the sense that I'd like to spend the rest of my life with you. That said, the relationship could evolve, or not, from one of "I like you" to one of "I love you"; there are no guarantees. "I like you" does not carry the high degree of commitment of "I love you".
"I like you" clearly involves multiple nuances.