How to Tell a Friend You Love Them

Never rush things through – be clear

Firstly, analyze your own feelings thoroughly. Are you really sure that you're passionately in love with your friend and that you want to be more than just friends? Also try to weight the negatives and the positives. For example, if you do start a relationship, it can get destroyed faster than you may think, especially if you're not completely sure about your feelings. If it succeeds, it'll still require a lot of time and effort on your part as well as your friends. Can you commit to such emotional and physical commitments? Don't let your unclear feelings destroy your friendship.

Friends are forever

This is one of the most important things to consider when thinking about how to tell a friend you love them. During the revelation of your feelings to a friend, you have to make it clear that you want to stay friends if they don’t feel the same way for you. They need to be assured that they won’t “lose” you if they don’t feel the same way about you. This is why you should go out of your way to tell them that nothing can destroy your friendship.

Listen to what they’re telling you

When you're talking with a friend who you truly love, pay attention to what they're saying. A lot of people talk, but most people don’t listen. Some just end up in denial. This is why it’s important that you listen to what your friend has to say about his or her feelings. What does he or she feel about you? Is it a definite no? Is it a maybe? Does your friend like you but doesn’t want to risk losing your friendship? Their feelings should be taken into consideration just as strongly as yours. So try not to be dismissive of your friend's opinions.

Watch out for signals

Who knows, maybe your friend feels the same for you. But you being you, never noticed anything. There are so many non-verbal ways in which people express what they feel. Does your friend often want to be alone with you? Is he or she touching you often? Does she play with her hair or blush when you compliment her? If you can notice any such positive body-languages, it would make things much easier for you. It’s one of the best ways of knowing how your friend feels about you before “the talk”. And then you can go about zeroing in on how to tell a friend you love them.

Talk to mutual friends

If you aren’t that great when it comes to reading body language, then do things the old-fashioned way. Hanging out with your mutual friends can easily reveal juicy information about your love’s feelings for you. Maybe they constantly tease you about him or her, or vice versa. Maybe they always embarrass you by singling you two going out in group activities. And if they do nothing of the sort, don’t worry. Just ask the one person you trust the most for advice on the situation.

Try flirting with them

Have you ever tried to flirt with your friend? If not, maybe it's time to start showing some visible signs via flirting. This has 2 advantages. First, it will help you assess the type of reaction your friend gives you when you treat him or her as more than a friend. Do flirtations from you make her blush or lose his head? Then that’s a good sign. Do your flirtations make your friend cringe? Then it’s probably best to keep your feelings to yourself. Second, flirting before confessing your feelings eases your friend into the situation. That is, instead of dropping the bomb out of the blue, ease your friend into thinking of you as more than just a friend.

Take the final move

When you have guessed that your friend may have the same feeling for you, or when you just want to get a direct answer, you should just confess your feelings and wait for the result. Here are some ways you can use to move the final move and solve the question of how to tell a friend you love them:

• Ask your friend out, spend some time together and then confess your feelings face to face when the atmosphere is great.

• Write your friend a letter with causal tongue to suggest bringing your friendship to the next level, or a simple note saying how about moving from friendship into relationship.

• Or just write your friend a love song or sing a love song to express your feelings.

• Make jokes about you two as a couple to see how your friends react and then decide what to do next.

Since you two have been friends for some times, you must know each other's quirks. Just find the most appropriate ways to bring up this and get the answer.