What Does it Mean When a Girl Calls You “Love” + How to Respond

• Calling someone “love” is a way to show affection and appreciation, and it doesn’t always mean someone is attracted to you.
• To find out what someone means when they call you “love,” think about the context. Pay attention to her body language, tone of voice, and what else she’s saying.
• If it seems romantic or flirty, respond by calling her a pet name. If you’re in a professional setting or you’re not sure what she means, respond as if she hadn’t said it.

What does it mean if a girl calls you "love?”

Calling someone "love” is a way to show affection and appreciation. While it’s not necessarily romantic, if she says it while smiling or after you’ve been kind to her, it could mean that she cares about you and wants you to know. “I’m so glad I got to see you today, love.” “You’re such a good friend, love.”

“Love” can show someone’s romantic interest. If a girl calls you love, she may be flirting with you or hinting that she wants more from your relationship. If she gets close to you, makes a lot of eye contact, or touches you, she may be flirting. What someone means by “love” is all about context. Take her tone of voice, body language, and what else she’s saying into account to figure out if she’s flirting (and if you should flirt back). “You look so handsome today, love.” “Oh, you’re so funny, love.”

She’s thanking you for a favor. If you’ve just done something for her, she may add “love” to her thank you to express even more gratitude. She might say it if she asked you to do a favor, if you were there for her when she needed someone, or if you were just especially kind. “Thank you so much, love.” “I really appreciate it, love.”

“Love” can be a neutral way of addressing someone. In some cultures, love is just a casual way of addressing someone, and doesn’t necessarily mean anything else. If you notice her calling other people love (or if she’s British), this may be the case. Sometimes, people in the service industry will call people “love” to try and make them more comfortable. “What can I do for you, love?”

She’s in love with you (partners). If your partner starts calling you “love,” it could mean that she’s in love with you, or she’s ready to say “I love you.” Many people use pet names to show affection when they’re in relationships, so this could just be what she wants to call you. “Love” can be interchangeable with other pet names, like “honey,” “sweetheart,” or “darling.” “Let’s go out tonight, love.” “I’m so lucky to be with you, love.”

She loves you in a platonic way (friends). People can feel more than just romantic love. If you’re a very close friend (or even family member) of this person, they may call you “love” to let you know their feelings. This kind of “love” is more familial, and doesn’t mean she’s romantically interested. Once again, take the context of the situation into account. If you have a deep relationship with her that’s always been platonic (and it doesn’t seem like she’s flirting), this is more likely to be the case.

If you already call her “love,” it may mean she’s comfortable with it. If you usually call people terms of endearment (whether you mean it romantically or not) this could be a sign that she appreciates it. This can be a playful, friendly thing to say to people you’re close with. “What’d you bring for lunch today, love?”“Oh the usual, another chicken sandwich, love.” “Oi love, what are you up to today?”“Just going on my merry way, love.”

She’s forgotten your name. Sometimes when people forget someone’s name, they’re too embarrassed to ask what it is. It’s a little more difficult to tell if you’re in this scenario, but if she only refers to you as “love” and you don’t know her very well, that might be what’s happening. She may also be using it in place of your name if you’ve never been introduced, or if she’s only briefly interacting with you (for example, if she’s a server at a restaurant). If she asks to add your number to her contacts, that can be a sign that she’s forgotten your name.

She’s being sarcastic. Sometimes people use “love” to be patronizing or sarcastic. She may be using it to make you feel young or small, since “love” is a diminutive (a word that makes something “cute” or small). This is pretty rare, though, so just listen to her tone of voice to figure out if she’s being sarcastic. “Ah love, did you never learn about that in school?” “It’s so cute that you think that, love.”

How to Respond to a Girl Calling You Love

If it’s romantic: If you’re in a relationship or you think she’s displaying romantic interest, respond by calling her something sweet back. Use pet names like “sweetheart,” “darling,” or “honey.” You can also respond by calling her “love,” back. “You’re looking good today, love.” “Thanks, you too sweetheart.” “Hey love, it’s good to see you.” “It’s always good to see you, darling.”

If you’re unsure: If you’re still trying to determine what she means, or if she uses “love” with everybody, respond with something neutral. “Hey love, how are you doing?” “I’m feeling alright, thanks.” “Do anything fun this weekend, love?” “Not especially, I just got some work done.”

If you don’t want her to call you “love”: If you think her use of love is inappropriate for your relationship, politely ask her to call you by her name. “What’s up, love?” “Oh, not much. By the way, I’m not really into being called “love,” would you mind just using my name?”

If you’re in a professional setting: Calling someone “love” in a professional setting is usually inappropriate, so address her formally by calling her “Ms.[their last name]. If you still want to address her by something other than her name, use terms like “ma’am” or “miss.” “What can I do for you today, love?” “I’m just checking on those reports, Ms. Greene.” “Are you ready to order, love?” “Just one second, ma’am.”

If you think she might be flirting: If you’re unsure if she’s flirting or not, ask her directly. It can be hard to address, but it’s the best way to figure out exactly what she means. “I’m just wondering, but what do you mean when you call me “love?”