What Does “I Care About You” Mean? (Plus, How it Compares to "I Love You")

• “I care about you” is a thoughtful way to express concern toward someone’s health and well-being.
• Respond with “I care about you too” to let the other person know how important they are, or use “I appreciate it, but I don’t feel the same” to politely reject them.
• While “I care about you” and “I love you” are similar, love is more intense and emotional; it’s usually associated with strong romantic feelings (that's not necessarily true for "care").

What does “I care about you” mean?

“I care about you” expresses concern toward someone’s well-being. It’s a supportive statement used to tell someone you feel responsible for their health, happiness, and safety. In other words, you want to protect them from harm and see them thrive. This phrase is often viewed as more platonic than romantic, but it can definitely be used in the early stages of a romantic relationship too. In those cases, it's used to tell someone that you’re developing deeper feelings for them. What it means from your crush: Romantically, people use this phrase to put themselves out there and let their crush know how important they are. It allows them to be vulnerable (and hopefully, encourages their crush to do the same). If your crush tells you they care about you, it might mean they’re really into you since it’s a risk to admit their feelings and possibly ruin your friendship.

“I love you” vs “I care about you”

Love is a feeling of affection, while care is usually a feeling of concern. By definition, love is a feeling of strong attraction and emotional attachment toward someone. It signifies you care about their well-being and happiness, and it’s associated with emotions like admiration, affection, and devotion. Telling someone you love them is a selfless act because it communicates you care about them wholeheartedly, without expecting anything in return. Telling someone you care about them, however, conveys concern about their health and well-being. It’s not necessarily as deep as love because it’s associated with milder emotions like anxiety, responsibility, and compassion.

Love is more associated with romance, while care is often associated with friendship. Romantically-speaking, people express love to others when they’re dating them (or want to start dating them). Romantic love is a combination of intense attraction and idealization toward another person, and signs of being in love include visualizing a future with someone, thinking about them constantly, and valuing their opinions and perspective. Care, on the other hand, is expressed to people you cherish and want to protect. It usually comes from a place of compassion and empathy, versus desire and affection. Though it's worth mentioning that this isn't always the case: as we mention, "care" can also be a way to describe early, less intense romantic feelings.

Love is a long-term commitment, while care is often short-term commitment. Generally, people confess their love when they’re looking to share a long-term bond with someone. Saying you love someone is considered one of the highlights of a romantic relationship because it reveals your true feelings toward the other person and puts you in a vulnerable position. In this regard, it’s much more serious than saying “I care about you.” “I care about you” is a meaningful statement, but it can be said to anyone—it doesn’t have to be directed toward someone you wish to keep in your life for a long time.

People express love to friends and family, while care is directed to anyone. Since loving someone is more intense and emotional than caring for them, people usually reserve the phrase “I love you” for people they share a close relationship with. Love itself is quite personal in nature, so it's usually only used in very intimate relationships. Meanwhile, care can be expressed in much more casual contexts. Care is usually expressed when you want to show someone support. Whether it’s a colleague or acquaintance, telling someone you care about them is sure to brighten their day and make them feel appreciated.

Both love and care express concern toward someone’s well-being. Loving someone and caring about them are interconnected because care is a part of love. When you love someone, you only want the best for them, and that means you want them to be safe—just like care. You can’t love someone without caring about them too, and both love and care are required to build healthy relationships. If someone expresses either sentiment, it means: They value you. They want to protect you. They have feelings for you. They want to see you succeed. They want to help you if you’re down. They want you to feel seen and heard.

Responses to “I Care About You”

I care about you too. If you feel responsible toward the other person’s health and well-being, let them know you feel the same way! This phrase might be short and simple, but it’s incredibly meaningful—it validates the other person’s emotions and communicates that you want to see them succeed. Them: “I care about you.” You: “I care about you too. I’m so grateful we met…You’re my soul sister!”

I sure hope so, or this was going to get awkward. If the other person has just revealed they have romantic feelings toward you (and you feel the same way), respond with humor to make them feel comfortable. It can be pretty scary to open up and tell someone you have a crush on them, and this response is a great way to lighten the mood. It’s silly, sweet, and supportive, and it communicates you’re willing to take your relationship to the next level. Them: “I care about you.” You: “I sure hope so, or this was going to get awkward???? But thanks, I’m glad we’re on the same page????”

Thank you. That means a lot to me. If you don’t feel the same way about the other person or you’re not ready to admit your feelings, use this response to show appreciation for their words. By telling them that their words mean a lot to you, it hints that they’re someone you value, even if you don’t directly state it. It’s also a polite reply to acknowledge their feelings, without making them feel embarrassed or uncomfortable that you didn’t reciprocate. Them: “I care about you.” You: “Aw, thanks. That means a lot coming from you????”

I appreciate it, but I don’t feel the same way. If someone you’re not interested in admits they care about you, it’s perfectly okay to halt their advances and turn them down—just be sure to be polite if it’s someone you’ve known for a while. This response clearly communicates that you don’t feel the same way about the other person, while remaining kind and gentle. Them: “I care about you.” You: “I really appreciate that, but unfortunately, I don’t feel the same way. I don’t want to lead you on, so I want to make sure I make myself super clear. I hope that’s okay.”

I feel like you don’t really know me. If you’ve been talking to someone for a short time period and they say “I care about you,” it’s totally okay to reject them more directly. This response helps you set boundaries because it communicates they’re way more invested in the relationship than you, and it hints that their behavior isn’t normal—you don’t understand how they can develop deep feelings for you if you haven’t let them in. Them: “I really care about you????” You: “Since we only met 2 weeks ago, I feel like you don’t really know me…”