2

I have two different sentences as follows:

  1. I do love her.
  2. I really love her.

Question:
1. Are do and really have the same meaning or interpretation?
2. What are both of them?

Improve this question

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
2

I really love her means you love her a lot. The really intensifies the emotion.

I do love her means you do, in fact, love her. The do intensifies the verb, and asserts it as fact.

I would expect the "really" version to be used when someone is deeply in love with the other person, and wants to express that fact.

I would expect the "do" would be used in less frequent situations, such as when someone is doubting that person's love:

Do you even love Jennifer?
Yes, I do love her!

although that person might also reply:

Yes, of course I love her!

Improve this answer
8
  • 1
    I would expect the "really" version to be used when someone is deeply in love with the other person, and wants to express that fact. is subjective opinion. Okay, do you mean do is the highest level to emphasize about the real love?
    – Klikdesainweb
    Commented Mar 2, 2016 at 15:16
  • So, there's another question. How to emphasize ... in English. There will be many version and answers, right?
    – Klikdesainweb
    Commented Mar 2, 2016 at 15:18
  • I mean I can imagine a lot of native speakers saying really love in several contexts: I really love Jennifer, I really love chocolate ice cream, I really love watching football, etc. On the other hand, I have a harder time imagining native speakers using do instead of really except when the context steers them in that direction. It's grammatical, but it doesn't sound natural. As for emphasis, yes, there are many ways to add emphasis: I really love her, I love her a lot, I love her very much, I love her so much it isn't even funny, etc. (That last one is idiomatic slang.)
    – J.R. ♦
    Commented Mar 2, 2016 at 15:19
  • 1
    And also because do is not commonly used. I do love chocolate ice cream sounds very old-fashioned; I really love chocolate ice cream sounds idiomatic and contemporary.
    – J.R. ♦
    Commented Mar 2, 2016 at 15:22
  • 1
    Yey! I got it. thanks. But, I have to say to my students that do is an adverb - like really since they both have the same way to emphasize. Indonesian learners often gets confused to understand it since Indonesia has more than 1000 ethnics. It's hard to make them understand it grammatically.
    – Klikdesainweb
    Commented Mar 2, 2016 at 15:27
1
  1. I do love her is using emphasis. You can just say I love her, but by adding do, you make it emphatic. The meaning in this case is Yes, I love her.
  2. I really love her it's kind of similar. The adverb is used along with the verb to say how something happens. The meaning is like I'm in loved.
Improve this answer
4
  • If really is an adverb, so what the do is (in that context)?
    – Klikdesainweb
    Commented Mar 2, 2016 at 15:05
  • 1
    It's the auxiliary just used to make the sentence emphatic.
    – Schwale
    Commented Mar 2, 2016 at 15:06
  • As far as I can see that, An auxiliary is to help - help to build a certain sentence pattern.
    – Klikdesainweb
    Commented Mar 2, 2016 at 15:08
  • 1
    I also see that really is to emphasize how something happens too (like you said)
    – Klikdesainweb
    Commented Mar 2, 2016 at 15:13

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .