We all know the importance of those three little words—I. Love. You.—but we often forget to talk about the importance of knowing why someone loves you. Because even though saying, “I love you,” can say so much, it doesn’t say everything. And it’s nice to let the people you care about know what it is that makes them so important to you.
If you’re looking for a few sweet ways to tell the person you love, why you love them so much, remember that the best compliments can be found in the details that are particular to your partner and your relationship. Do you love the way the two of you can hang out for hours without needing to talk? Do you love your inside jokes? The particular smell of your partner’s shampoo? The way they walk across a room, laugh when they’re nervous, or even how they turn into a big baby whenever they’re sick?
These seemingly small details are the things that make your partner so uniquely who they are. So when you’re trying to tell someone why you love them so much, don’t forget to get specific.
If you’re stuck for ideas, or just want a few examples to get the ball rolling, here is a “I love you because” list to inspire your own messages. Use them along with your own ideas to let the person you’re in love with know how special they are to you.
1. I love you because when you laugh your crinkle your eyes like an old person.
2. I love you because you treat other people, even total strangers, with dignity and respect. You’re always chatting up waiters and people on the street. It’s like people flock to you, and it’s beautiful to see.
3. I love you because you challenge me and make me want to be a better person.
4. I love you because you’re passionate about what you do and you put your whole self into your work.
5. I love you because you know how to tease me out of my bad moods.
6. I love you because you push yourself to be better and never stop trying to grow and evolve as a person.
7. I love you because you stand up for what you believe in.
8. I love you because you care about your friends and are always there for them.
9. I love you because when you sing along to songs on the radio you really get into it.
10. I love you because you’re always ready to go on an adventure.
11. I love you because you can be crazy at times.
12. I love you because you cry at movies.
13. I love you because you can’t cook and you know it.
14. I love you because you show me every day how to live a better life.
15. I love you because your laughter is amazing.
16. I love you because you’re smart and talented.
17. I love you because sometimes you have a such a dark, twisted sense of humor I can’t help but be shocked into laughter.
18. I love you because your smile is the first thing I want to see every morning and the last thing I want to see at night.
19. I love you because when I see your smile it feels like coming home.
20. I love you because you smell good—all sweet and tangy and warm and you.
21. I love you because because you constantly introduce me to new art, music, and pieces of life I might have missed otherwise.
22. I love you because you know what it means to be loyal.
23. I love you because you were once a little kid who was mischievous and wild.
24. I love you because you’re pretty damn sweet when you want to be.
25. I love you because you do the right thing, even when you think no one is paying attention.
26. I love you because you’ve had some hard times and experienced things that could have made you bitter and mean, and yet you’re still so generous and giving.
27. I love you because you can love others openly, honestly, and freely without caring about getting hurt or being vulnerable.
28. I love you because you give so much of yourself to others.
29. I love you because you make me feel cherished and loved.
30. I love you because you give as good as you get.
31. I love you because you’re the life of the party. You’re so outgoing in a way I can’t be but being with you gives me more confidence and makes me more comfortable with myself.
32. I love you because you’re incredibly strong.
33. I love you because you can be shy at times and it’s kind of cute.
34. I love you because you understand how I’m feeling before I even do.
35. I love you because you know what I need and how to support me.
36. I love you because you’ve always been there for me.
37. I love you because, even after all this time, you still manage to surprise me.
38. I love you because you can’t dance. At all. I’m sorry but it’s so cute.
39. I love you because you think fart jokes are funny.
40. I love you because sometimes you laugh so hard at the stupidest things.
41. I love you because you’re beautiful, inside and out.
42. I love you because you know how to let loose and always find ways to have fun.
43. I love you because you’re constantly thinking of others and trying to put people at ease.
44. I love you because being around you is a comfort.
45. I love you because you care about the world, not just your one small corner of it.
46. I love you because you’ve introduced me to new ways of thinking about things.
47. I love you because you touch me, and all my problems float away.
48. I love you because you can be a little evil sometimes.
49. I love you because you have a past and a history that I’m still learning about.
50. I love you because you always have interesting things to say.
51. I love you because we could talk for hours and I never get bored.
52. I love you because when you wake up, it takes a good 20 minutes for you to become a fully functioning human being.
53. I love you because you’re not afraid to argue with me when I’m wrong about something.
54. I love you because you’re good at reading people and situations and always know what to say.
55. I love you because you care so deeply about people.
56. I love you because you take risks and go for what you want.
57. I love you because you can admit when you’re wrong and grow from your mistakes.
58. I love you because you don’t give up on people.
59. I love you because you snort when you laugh.
60. I love you because you are an amazing kisser.
61. I love you because we have so much fun together.
62. I love you because I love who I am around you. You bring out the best in me.
63. I love you because you’re not perfect. You’re a mess sometimes, but you’re my mess.
64. I love you because you get sensitive sometimes, and it’s sweet how much you care about things.
65. I love you because every moment I spend with you feels exciting and alive in a way other moments don’t.
66. I love you because I feel an incredible sense of warmth when I’m around you.
67. I love you because you’re still such a mystery to me.
68. I love you because you’re complicated.
69. I love you because you get worked up about things you’re passionate about.
70. I love you because you understand the broken parts of me.
71. I love you because you’re not like anyone else in the world.
72. I love you because you’re always coming up with fun things for us to do.
73. I love you because you always notice the little things.
74. I love you because you you save me the last cookie.
75. I love you because you’re so creative.
76. I love you because you’re always bringing people together, even if it’s just for a dinner.
77. I love you because you somehow magically remember everyone’s birthday.
78. I love you because you let me make mistakes.
79. I love you because you always tip 20%.
80. I love you because you’re open minded and don’t judge other people.
81. I love you because you believe in yourself and know that you’re amazing.
82. I love you because when you have a bad day you don’t take it out on other people or use it as an excuse to be mean.
83. I love you because you don’t kill spiders even though you’re afraid of them.
84. I love you because you get really excited for the holidays.
85. I love you because you’re engaged with the world.
86. I love you because you’re a good influence on me.
87. I love you because you let me be alone when I need it.
88. I love you because we’ve been through so much together.
89. I love you because you know all the most horrible things about me and yet you’re still here.
90. I love you because sometimes you have this small, wicked smile and when I see it I know I’m in for an adventure.
91. I love you because you can be so random sometimes. I never know what’s going to come out of that mouth of yours.
92. I love you because you actually like listening to me when I go off about the nerdy things I’m interested in.
93. I love you because you’ve taught me how to trust people.
94. I love you because you make me believe in romance again.
95. I love you because you bring so much joy into my life.
96. I love you because you’re great at cuddling.
97. I love you because you love the rain and don’t mind getting caught in it.
98. I love you because you never get hangry. When you’re hungry you’re still very nice.
99. I love you because you don’t mind making a fool of yourself to make someone laugh.
100. I love you because you’re a good listener.
101. I love you because you really get to know people and what makes them tick.
102. I love you because you’re a little silly and cheesy sometimes and it makes me feel like I can be that way too.
103. I love you because you use a big spoon and eat ice cream straight from the carton.
104. I love you because you don’t expect me to be perfect.
105. I love you because you have good manners.
106. I love you because you’re always learning new things.
107. I love you because you tell the best stories.
108. I love you because sometimes you do nice things for no reason at all.
109. I love you because I also love your friends and family.
110. I love you because when we lock eyes from across a room my heart still does a flip.
111. I love you because you are such a huge important part of my life.
112. I love you because you know how to make other people feel special.
113. I love you because you take such good care of all the people around you.
114. I love you because we always have fun when we’re together.
115. I love you because you’re my favorite thing in the world.
116. I love you because when you’re sleepy, you’re also kind of sexy.
117. I love you because you like to stay in and watch movies with me.
