Dating Vocabulary in English

Dating is always a little bit funny (strange). You go get dinner or go to a movie with a complete stranger, talk to them, realize you either like or don’t like them, and then maybe you fall in love with them. I always find it interesting how the most important people in our lives start out as strangers and come to mean so much to us!

Like many other things in the English language, dating has its own set of vocabulary to go with it. And you probably won’t learn this dating vocabulary in class! If you intend (want to) to start dating in English (or already are dating in English), this dating vocabulary can help you make sense of the situation…at least linguistically! The rest is up to you. 

To have a crush on

I love a good crush. There’s something about having a crush on someone that can be fun and carefree (not having any worries or thoughts). When you have a crush on someone, you are always eager (ready, excited) to get a text from them, may think about them more than other people, and they may give you butterflies in your stomach (make you nervous) when you see them. You may even smile randomly when you think about them!

Having a crush on someone isn’t as intense as being in love with them. Some crushes won’t last very long at all, and others will turn into full relationships. You never know what will happen with a crush, but you can enjoy it while its there!

For example:

• I have a huge crush on her. I think she’s so gorgeous (beautiful), funny, and she’s such an interesting person!
• I can’t believe I used to have a crush on him. I thought he was the greatest person ever until I got to know him better. Whoops!

Going out

When it comes to dating vocabulary, there are a few different ways to say that you’re dating someone. One of these is going out. The phrase going out always reminds me of high school, when everyone was interested in who people were going out with…and this could change every few weeks!

Going out is just another, casual way to say that you’re dating someone. Think of how when you’re dating someone, you go out to different places and do different things with them. That may help you remember this dating vocabulary.

For example:

• How long have you guys been going out? -Oh, only for a couple of weeks. Our relationship is very new.
• Emily and Jane have been going out for about six months. They’re so cute together!

Seeing each other

If you’re looking for another way to say that you’re dating someone, you can also use the phrase seeing each other. Sometimes it can be nice to shake it up a bit (make things different) and use a different phrase. If you’re tired of saying that you’re going out with someone or dating them, you can use the phrase seeing each other, and people are sure to know what you mean.

For example:

• We’ve been seeing each other for about a year now. I think she may be the one!
• They had been seeing each other for eight months before they broke up. I don’t know what happened. I really liked them together.

To hook up

Sometimes when you’re dating, you don’t want a serious relationship. Maybe you just want to have sex with someone, but nothing more. In this case, you can use the verb to hook up. To hook up with someone is a slang term for having sex with someone, with no expectation or need for a relationship to come with it. As long as everyone’s being safe and having fun, go for it! 

For example:

• Did you end up hooking up with him on Saturday? -No, I didn’t. I didn’t really want to, so I just went home and watched Netflix.
• We hooked up for the first time on Wednesday, then again on Friday. We had a lot of fun together! 

To like

What do you say when you start to have more than a crush on someone? When your feelings start to develop (grow), but you’re not completely in love with them yet? In this case, you can say that you like someone. This phrase also reminds me of middle school and high school, since everyone always seemed to like someone else. 

If you want to keep things casual and don’t want to be so serious yet, you can use like to describe your feelings for someone. Maybe your feelings will grow into love further down the road!

For example:

• I really like her, but I don’t know if she likes me back. I’d love to talk to her about it, but I don’t know how to start the conversation.
• He used to like Mike, but then Mike moved away, and they lost touch. It’s sad, because they would’ve made a great couple.

To fall for

Finally, we have a great phrase to round out (finish off, at the end of) your dating vocabulary. Falling for someone can be a really fun experience. If you fall for someone, you fall in love with them, usually quite suddenly or unexpectedly. If they fall for you at the same time, then all the better! When was the last time you fell for someone?

For example:

• I think I’m falling for him. I love hanging out with him, and I think we get on really well. We want all the same things, and I’m really happy when I’m around him.
• I fell for her right away. On our first date, I knew that she was someone I could love forever.

Have you used any of this dating vocabulary before? Do you have any good dating stories to tell? Share with us in the comments below!