U
unconventional fruit
New Member
italian; english
- May 8, 2010
- #1
Hi all. What is the difference between "to be fond of" and "to love"? I know they mean almost the sam thing, but I was wandering which one is stronger or deeper. For example, can somebody "be fond of" a friend? Or: can I say "I'm fond of my hausband"? and does it mean something different from "I love my hausband"?
thank you
se16teddy
Senior Member
London but from Yorkshire
English - England
- May 8, 2010
- #2
Love is stronger and deeper.
U
unconventional fruit
New Member
italian; english
- May 8, 2010
- #3
thank you. Is also "be fond of" something less serious, so to say, than "love"?
J
jackaustralia
Senior Member
Australia English
- May 8, 2010
- #4
They mean quiet different things. What Se16teddy says is correct. To be fond of someone or something is to quiet like it. Whatever it is makes you comfortable and gives some pleasure. To say you love is more serious. Two things though:
(1) You can use love loosely. I love chocolate, for example, is different to saying I have found my true love.
(2) You can, and usually would, be fond of someone you love. Being fond for someone though does not, in itself, imply love.
I hope this helps.
G
George French
Senior Member
English - UK
- May 8, 2010
- #5
Note that we use both word for inanimate objects as well.
GF..
U
unconventional fruit
New Member
italian; english
- May 8, 2010
- #6
thank you again. I'm afraid I can't understand -though- in which sense I can be fond of someone without loving it....could you give me some examples?
J
jackaustralia
Senior Member
Australia English
- May 9, 2010
- #7
Look, what makes it confusing is that in everyday language we can say we 'love' something which is probably really to say we are fond of something not using it in the romantic sense. If I say "I love chocolate", for example. This is quiet different to saying you love your partner.
The other thing to keep in mind is that I don't think they are interchangable, 'to be fond of' has a more narrow meaning. As I have already said for a thing it means it gives you sensual pleasure (taste, visual) or makes you comfortable. For a person it means you like aspects of their character, feel comfortable with them, value them and are a good friend or lover. Love is more than this and if used romantically means there is an attraction, more than physical, an intimacy and many things shared in common and perhaps a base of friendship. It could be defined differently.
I
iskndarbey
Senior Member
Lima, Perú
US, English
- May 9, 2010
- #8
If you say "I'm rather fond of my husband", you should probably be looking for a new husband.
nzfauna
Senior Member
Wellington, New Zealand
New Zealand, English
- May 9, 2010
- #9
I'm fond of creme brulee. I'm fond of my aunty.
I love my husband.
If my husband said that he was "fond" of me, instead of "loved" me, I would be offended and hurt.
C
Cypherpunk
Senior Member
Springdale, AR
US, English
- May 9, 2010
- #10
This is interesting. Sometimes the two phrases can be used in a quite different way, yet the essential meanings of both are quite clear. For example, let's say that my family argues often, and members of my family say or do mean things. I would still love them (have a life-long relationship with them and care about them), even though I might not like the things they do. However, if I have a particular niece, nephew, or cousin that I like to spend time with, I could say that I'm quite fond of that niece, nephew, or cousin. I love (care deeply about) all the members of my family, but I am fond of (actually enjoy spending time with) one or two of them.
E
ElbaArali
New Member
Spanish
- Aug 21, 2019
- #11
So, in conclusion , is it okay to say to a friend that you are fond of him/her without implying that you love him/her in a more compromising way? Sorry if I’m asking something that was already cleared up. I’m new in the forum and I wanted to start using it with this specific question. In Spanish we use the expression “querer a un amigo” or “apreciar “ which is quite different to “amar a alguien” . Thanks
entangledbank
Senior Member
London
English - South-East England
- Aug 21, 2019
- #12
You're probably fond of all your friends. It would be difficult to be friendly with someone you weren't fond of. You could be fond of other people too, without knowing them well enough to be friends. It's basically the same as 'like'.
Actually saying to someone, 'I like you' or 'I'm fond of you' is a bit more risky. Some friends will understand it the right way ('Thank you, I like you too'), others might think you're implying more.
T
tunaafi
Senior Member
Česká republika
English - British (Southern England)
- Aug 21, 2019
- #13
In BrE, we can say 'I like him/her' but we don't often say 'I like you'. If someone were to say that to me, I would be waiting for the 'but ...'
E
ElbaArali
New Member
Spanish
- Aug 21, 2019
- #14
Thank you so much, entangledbank, for your quick response, and help as well. I’ll be careful whenever I use this expression in order to avoid misunderstandings 🙂
E
ElbaArali
New Member
Spanish
- Aug 21, 2019
- #15
Thanks also for your response tunaafi, I really appreciate it.
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