10 meanings when a guy says: “You mean a lot to me”

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When a man sweetly says to a woman “you mean a lot to me,” he is not just saying it, but also meaning it. 

The sentence is usually said when the man wants to express his love or admiration for the woman. It’s true that every day, people say things they don’t mean and others things they don’t say at all. 

What makes this statement so different?

Let’s explore the 10 most popular meanings behind this confession.

1) He really cares about you 

It is common that whenever a man chats up with a woman, he’ll make empty promises, such as “I can take care of you,” or “I’ll change your life.” 

These are strong statements meant to impress the ladies. But this sentence is different from these empty statements. When a guy says this to you, he actually means it.

He really wants to care for you and make you happy. This sentence is not like a pick-up line, but rather a genuine show of affection.

Apart from saying these sweet words to you, he’ll show that he cares for you by:

  • Making you dinner occasionally
  • Calling or texting you to know how you’re doing
  • Offering help whenever you need it

It’s not about how much you’ll gain from these acts of kindness; what matters most is that he is genuinely concerned about your well-being. He is showing that his care for you comes before other interests, including the things he wants in life

You may notice, when he does something for you, he doesn’t ask for anything in return. He is simply happy to know that he’ll be part of your life.

2) He would like to have a relationship with you

When a guy says “you mean a lot to me,” it could also mean that he wants something more than friendship from you. 

He’s saying this so that you can realize how much you mean to him. He’s getting the message across clearly so you won’t miss it. This phrase doesn’t merely mean that he loves you; rather, it means that he wants to take the next step from friendship to a relationship. 

He doesn’t need to ask for your consent in this; rather, he is urging you to take the next step towards him. He is also willing to be patient for a while before he asks for something more.

When a man wants more than a friendship with you, he will constantly show his affection for you so that you can realize how much he cares for you. 

This sentence is important as he isn’t asking for anything in return; it’s simply an expression of his affection towards you. 

3) He wants to make you feel special

This is another reason why a guy may say “you mean a lot to me.” Expressing this sentence will show that he considers your needs. This phrase is not only for those who are ready for a relationship, but also for those who want to be treated right. 

A man saying this has his priorities straight. He knows that what makes a woman happy is when she’s treated like she’s the most important thing in his life.

But always remember, if he said these words yet he doesn’t do anything to show you that he means it, then you should be suspicious. 

You see, I was also a victim of such kind of a man – I thought he was sincere with his words. But I was wrong.

He was a man who was very serious, yet he didn’t care much about me. I felt like he wasn’t concerned about me at all – it’s like our relationship was only on the surface, nothing deep.

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He taught me how to feel loved and how to let a man love me. It was the most important lesson that I’ve learned so far, and feel very grateful for it.

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4) He thinks that you’re very important in his life

Women often enjoy the sweet words of their guy. 

Nevertheless, some women can get offended by such phrases because they are too “flowery”, and not very direct. Some women hold it to be a beta-male response, while others think a guy using these phrases means that he is really into her.

Whatever the case may be, a guy who says these words is making a big deal out of the relationship. 

He’s not saying it casually, but he wants you to know how important you are in his life. He is showing that without you, his life would be incomplete and he will try to convince you that he means what he says. 

He might try to make you feel needed with little things he does for you – such as writing down your name on his phone or carrying your pictures in his wallet. 

You’re one of the most important people in his life and he wants you to know that. 

5) He values you like a family member or best friend

A man who says that you mean so much to him is not trying to invite himself to your bed. He just wants to show you how great of a person you are. 

If he has romantic motives, he wouldn’t say this because by saying this, he is making room for rejection. Also, a man who tried to make a move on you would usually do it when the opportunity presents itself, not before.

He doesn’t want to be your boyfriend; rather, he wants you to be like his sister or best friend figures in life. 

When a guy says this sentence, it doesn’t mean that he’s ready for a relationship and will get one as soon as possible; he actually means that being friends don’t have to end after several years of being together.

Maybe he is at the point in his life now where dating isn’t high on his priority list. What matters to him is that he wants a strong relationship with you.

He wants the relationship to grow in time, but if he feels that you share a deep affection for each other, he’d do anything for you. 

6) He admires your qualities 

Another meaning behind this sentence is that the guy admires a certain quality in the woman. 

When he says you mean a lot to him, maybe he’s trying to let you know that his admiration for such a quality is so strong, that it actually makes him feel dependent on her. It may be subtle, but he does mean it. 

There’s something about you that makes him feel this way – it may be your strong will to achieve goals, your radiant personality, or your selflessness. He really appreciates that quality in you, and he plans to cherish it the way he does now.

He may not admit it, but he does care about you and how you feel. Such a sentence connotes that he wants to give you a fraction of his heart to make you feel happy with him.

If a guy keeps telling you that you mean a lot to him, yet doesn’t show his interest in having a relationship with you, then he’s just using the words in hopes of getting laid. 

However, if he is actually showing his interest, he will ask for your hand sooner rather than later.

He enjoys the time you spend together and is willing to go the extra mile just because of his admiration for a certain quality.

7) He values your opinions 

He is saying this because he respects your opinions, and he thinks that it’s safe to be with someone whose opinion is crucial for him.

Men may use this kind of sentence to let you know that he wants to become your sounding board, or that he listens carefully to what you have to say. You will basically be the focal point for his ambitions and dreams.

His intentions are not malicious – he actually means it, but it only becomes dangerous if he uses too much pressure on you. You might feel like you are getting sucked in, which can hurt your feelings if you’re not ready for that step of commitment.

The best thing about telling this to a woman is that he sees her as an equal. If a guy respects a woman’s opinion, she must be worthy of his respect which is true.

8) He wants to be sure about your feelings for him

When a man says “you mean a lot to me,” he is trying to get across his true intentions and feelings towards you. 

Sometimes, when men say “I love you,” they’re actually testing out how their girlfriend or wife feels about them. They want to see if their feelings are mutual or already have become just one-sided. 

So, when a man says this to you, he is trying to know how you feel about him.

This sentence has paved the way for the words “I love you” to come easily after it. More often than not, a man who says this doesn’t really mean ‘a lot’ of something, he is still trying to test things out with you.

If you have genuine feelings for this man, you should say that he also means a lot to you. That way, you can both be at ease and he will not have doubts in his mind anymore.

9) He wants to build a future with you 

This is another important meaning behind this statement from a man. He may be really serious about the relationship, and he wants to make a future with you. 

When he says that you mean a lot to him, maybe he is trying to tell you so that you will understand his intentions in life and trust him wholeheartedly. 

He is not saying it just to impress you, but instead shows his true appreciation for your presence in his life. 

Building a future with you is a great thing, but this sentence should be uttered only under the right circumstances. I mean, you both should be committed to making your relationship work and have plans to grow together.

You probably won’t hear this kind of confession often. This is because saying it means having strong feelings for you and even wanting to marry you, which is not something most guys are willing to say if they don’t mean it.

He wants the two of you to build a future together with every moment of your lives – in good times and bad. 

10) He’s trying to keep the relationship alive

A guy may say such a line to show that he wants to preserve the relationship between him and his girl. 

He could be thinking about how things were when they started dating, how cute and beautiful she was, and how he wants things to go back to being like that. 

The truth is, he could be tempted to cheat on her and leave her for someone else, but he doesn’t want to lose her so he uses the sentence to remind him of the great relationship they once had.

When a man says that you mean a lot to him, it means he wants to have a deeper and long-term relationship with you. He wants the two of you to have an unbreakable bond of love and trust. 

The next time you hear this from your guy, it’s time to take it seriously and realize that he is only giving you his heart so that he can put your needs above all else.

Final words

It’s never too early to know how a man feels about you. It is important for your relationship, especially if there’s an underlying reason behind it. It can be really difficult to tell the difference between genuine feelings and just using words

Do you have feelings for him? Do you think he feels the same way? 

This list of sentences from men is the perfect way to help you out in those situations where you’re not sure what he means when he says those meaningful words – “you mean a lot to me”.

It’s a beautiful phrase to hear from someone you love and care about, no matter how many times in a day. 

We all need love, and when we receive it, everything seems better.

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If you want specific advice on your situation, it can be very helpful to speak to a relationship coach.

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