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Things Guys Say And What They Really Mean (41 Things They Are Really Trying To Say)

Plainly speaking, men and women think, reason, and interpret situations quite differently. This is why there are bound to be misunderstandings in relationships. Men are quite straightforward, but sometimes, the true meaning of their statements is deeply hidden.

If one party doesn’t take the extra step to try to completely understand what the other party is saying, it might be hard to get along. However, relationships like this take time to build, making it tough for ladies that are still getting to know someone. 

If you desperately need to understand what a guy is saying to you, then this article is for you. With up to 41 different phrases men say, with a descriptive explanation of what they mean, you’ll better understand that guy in your life. 

Table of Contents

41 Things Guys Say And What They Really Mean

1. “I don’t care!”

This means, “I’m trying not to make such a big deal of the matter since you’re probably already going to do what you please.” In the meantime, let’s forget about this situation and focus on something else. Whenever you’re ready to have a favorable conversation, you can bring this conversation up again.”

2. “She’s just a friend.”

When a guy tells you another girl is just a friend, it means, “Yes, I’m attracted to her, but I can’t really do anything about that attraction now because of you. It doesn’t change the fact that I’m still attracted to her, but I still want to be with you.”

3. “Look, I’m sorry.”

look, i'm sorry

If he says this, then it means, “I know I probably offended you, and you’re angry, but let’s move past this argument, and focus on something else instead, because I don’t think I can argue much longer.”

4. “I don’t know.”

If he says this, then the interpretation is, “What I actually mean is my answer might easily be misconstrued by you, so I’m doing my best to avoid answering the question as much as possible. I actually have the answer, but I’m not really sure I should tell you.”

5. “I think we should consider hitting the gym.”

If he says this abruptly, it means, “I’ve noticed your weight gain for some time now. But I have no clue how to bring it up without offending you. Requesting that we hit the gym is just a reasonable substitute.”

6. “I was kidding!”

When a guy says this, it means, “There was a bit of truth in what I said, but I really expected you to take it as a joke. But now that you didn’t, I take back my statement, while trying to convince you that I was only joking.”

7. “I didn’t even notice her.”

If he was checking someone out, and you caught him, and he said he didn’t even notice her, what he really means is that, “Yes, she’s very attractive, but I’m trying not to offend you by admitting I was checking her out.”

8. “I’ll call you.”

When a guy tells you he’ll call you, he probably isn’t going to. This might sound contradictory to the fact that guys are pretty straightforward, but the truth is, guys would tell ladies what they want to hear at times, in order to go undisturbed.

9. “Can we talk about this later?”

What he really means is that “I really have no intention to continue talking about this subject. Let’s forget about it for now, and I hope it never comes up because I’m really not up to talk about it again.”

10. “It’s a guy thing.”

He simply means. “Don’t take it too seriously. I promise it’s not as serious as it sounds. I probably would have explained it to you, but it would be hard for you to understand it as plainly as I would say it.”

11. “I’ll call you later.”

This simply means, “I don’t have the time to talk to you now, but whenever I’m free, and I have the energy to deal with the situation, then I’ll definitely call you.” In other words, he’s telling you that calling you is under a big consideration.

12. “I like girls that don’t wear makeup.”

If you don’t wear makeup, it means, “I think you’re really attractive, and the fact that you don’t wear makeup only reveals your natural beauty more.” If you wear makeup, it means, “You actually look good without makeup, and I hope you’ll wear makeup less.”

13. “You look incredible.”

you look incredible

He means, “I’m very attracted to you at the moment. I may not be able to tell you in plain words, but I hope you get the message from my little statement.” or “I would really love to have sex with you.”

14. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

When a guy says this, it means, “I’m sorry. I actually meant what I said, I just didn’t expect you to take it so seriously. You were supposed to think it’s a joke, but now I have to explain why it’s really not as serious as it sounds.” 

15. “My ex was crazy.”

They may say this but are really trying to say, “Please don’t make every little incident a big deal because that’s what I had to deal with before. I’m also just hoping that you’re pretty normal and you’re willing to build something profitable.”

16. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship.”

When a guy says this, it means, “I actually cherish what we have together, but I don’t picture the two of us being in any romantic situation.” It also means, “I’m not that attracted to you, and I don’t want a relationship, but that doesn’t mean I don’t value our friendship.”

17. “I don’t want a relationship right now.”

When he says this, it means, “I just want to have fun at the moment, without anything too serious like a relationship. I don’t want to be committed right now, neither do I want to think about my future for now.”

18. “We need a break.”

When a guy says this, it means, “I’m actually done with this relationship, but I don’t want to be the one who says it. I want a break so that you can have the opportunity to call it off.” This is one of the things men say, but they really mean they want everything to be over.

19. “Want a massage?”

If a guy asks you this, it means, “I just want to be close and intimate with you, and a massage will make that possible. Men use this question to get women to entertain the idea of having sex with them”

20. “I love watching you eat.”

He means, “You actually look attractive when you’re eating, and I’m glad I found a girl who’s not afraid to show interest in her food. I’m not indirectly talking about your weight. I’m simply admiring how you eat.”

21. “Let’s hang out”

When a guy says he wants to hang out with you, he may probably want a relationship. Instead of being direct, he would want to know how you feel first, before proceeding to something more serious. He’ll want to hang out with you more often, trying to see if there’s any possibility. This is what guys would say when they like you.

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22. “It’s not you, it’s me.”

When a guy says this it means, “There’s an underlying reason why I want us to call off the relationship, but in order not to upset you, I’ll simply use this phrase to get away with it.”

23. “I’m confused about the relationship.”

i'm confused about the relationship

This simply means, “I have no viable reason to end this relationship. I’m simply tired and I want to call everything off. I’ve actually been thinking about it for some time now, but this situation just brought it out.”

24. “I’m really tired.”

When guys mention this to women, it means, “I’m actually quite tired, but I still want to have sex with you. You’ll just have to juggle a lot this time.”

25. “How do you know him?”

If he’s asking how you know a guy, it means, “Are you attracted to him? Do you guys have a history together? Have you had sex with him? What’s your relationship with him now?”

26. “I’m okay.”

When guys tell women they’re okay, it means, “I’m really not okay, but it’s more honorable to me if I can figure out my problem, rather than allowing you to fix it for me. So instead, I’ll rather tell you I’m okay.”

27. “You’re really beautiful!”

If you’ve known the guy for a while, this could mean, “I actually like you, and I’m just realizing that.” If you’ve just met, it could be that you’re really just an attractive person, and he’s pointing that out, or that he just wants to have sex with you. 

28. “How many guys have you slept with?”

If a guy asks you this, it means, “I’m simply asking to know where I stand with you – whether I’m a novice, expert, or even a player in your eyes. I’m hoping to hear something nice, so please don’t tell me what I don’t want to know.”

29. “I’ve been busy.”

If he says this without giving a viable explanation, then it means, “I really didn’t want to talk to you, neither did I remember to. For now, I’d rather not talk, so let’s talk later.”

30. “What’s wrong?”

If a guy says this, it means, “I’m actually concerned about your well-being, and I want to know what’s wrong in the most logical way, without you passing off blame to me, or making me feel bad for asking.”

31. “I want you.”

Many women would ask, what does “I want you” mean? Truth is, if a guy says this, then he’s definitely interested in having something serious with you. This could either be a relationship or just casual sex, depending on his personality.

32. “I’m emotionally unavailable.”

This means, “I’m not even in this relationship anymore, and I’m giving you the opportunity to see it. I want you to end things before I have to do it.”

33. “You’re fun!”

When a guy says you’re fun, he’s actually trying to tell you that he enjoys your company, and loves hanging out with you. It doesn’t validate his feelings for you, neither does it tell if he’s interested in something serious.

34. “Nothing’s wrong.”

If a guy tells you this, it means, “I’m trying my best to understand my problems too. I can’t put them into mere words to explain to you, so it’s best for me to tell you that nothing’s wrong, even if it is.”

35. “I want you to go to a party with me and my friends.”

i want you to go to a party with me and my friends

If he’s asking to go to a party with his friends, it means, “I’m actually proud to have you, and I’d love you to meet with my friends. I would seriously like to show you off to everyone.”

36. “I don’t like posting about my relationship.”

This simply means, “There are other people that I don’t want to find out about our relationship. Though we're quite serious, I’ll prefer if we keep a low profile about you for now because I still want others to think I’m single.”

37. “I really like you.”

When a guy says he really likes you, it translates to, “I don’t like you like that,” and “I'm not looking for anything serious with you.” I just like the fact that we’re having sex together, or that you’re giving me certain privileges. Apart from that, I don’t think there can be anything serious.”

38. “I’m not angry.”

If a guy says this, it means, “I’m actually angry but I’m doing my best to let it go. The more we stop talking about the subject, the faster I’ll get over it. So I’m telling you I’m not angry so we can move past things.”

39. “You’re a great person.”

When a guy says you’re a great person, it means he actually cherishes the type of person you are. It doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s interested in something serious. It’s just one of those things guys say.

40. “I want you so bad.”

When a guy says he wants you so bad, the interpretation is, “I actually mean I’m dying to have you in bed with me.” This also doesn’t indicate he has interest in anything serious. It simply shows how much he wants your body.

41. “I love you.”

i love you

If he says this on a regular basis, then it means he’s really into you and doesn’t see himself with any other person except you. If he says this during sex, it means he’s probably having the time of his life at that moment. 

FAQs

What do guys say when they like you?

If he likes you, he will most likely give you random compliments. He’ll tell you that he likes the way you eat, dress, laugh, and so on, just to ensure you get the point he’s trying to make. 

Why do guys say things they don’t mean?

Men can say stuff they don’t mean at times because they are too logical and sometimes cunning. They know women read easily into what they say, so they’d rather use simpler terms. They don’t want to hurt you, they’re just trying to avoid unnecessary quarrels.

Do guys always mean what they say?

In some cases, men mean what they actually say, especially when they’ve known the lady for quite some time. They are certain that she’ll interpret the statements in the right manner as intended. 

What are things you should never say to a guy?

If you don’t want to hurt a guy, then ensure you don’t say anything that questions his masculinity or makes him feel inferior. More so, ensure you don’t ridicule any of his body parts because that can easily taint his self-esteem. 

How do you tell if a man is falling for you?

Men sometimes wear their emotions on their sleeves, so it’ll show when he’s actually falling for you. If he’s making an effort to impress you, gives you all his attention, and compliments even your imperfections, then it’s certain that he’s falling.

In Conclusion

Did you enjoy this article? For men and women in communication, there are a lot of things guys would say, which women can easily misconstrue. If you’re finding it difficult to understand, then you can simply ask him to clarify. Leave a comment if you liked this article, and don’t forget to share it with friends. 

Utilize this tool to verify if he's truly who he claims to be
Whether you're married or just started dating someone, infidelity rates have risen by over 40% in the past 20 years, so your concerns are justified.

Do you want to find out if he's texting other women behind your back? Or if he has an active Tinder or dating profile? Or even worse, if he has a criminal record or is cheating on you?

This tool can help by uncovering hidden social media and dating profiles, photos, criminal records, and much more, potentially putting your doubts to rest.

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