If you like a guy, when a guy calls you bro and dude you’re right to wonder if it means it likes you or he’s just being friendly.
The terms ‘bro’ and ‘dude’ mean different things to different guys, but it’s certainly worth looking into.
Here are some of the most common meanings behind these terms, see which you think applies to you!
What It Means When a Guy Calls You ‘Bro’ and ‘Dude’
1. It’s How He Refers to All His Friends
The first possibility is that he just refers to most of the people he talks to as ‘bro’ or ‘dude’.
This doesn’t mean he’s not interested in you, he just hasn’t picked up on any signals that you’re into him.
If you want him to know that you like him, try flirting with him a little and seeing if he starts to treat you differently.
Related – How to respond to being called ‘angel‘ and ‘pretty‘!
2. It Shows That You’re Considered a Friend
For some guys, using the names bro and dude is a sign that they consider you a friend.
To figure out where you stand, start paying attention to how he talks to other people.
You should get a clearer idea of who he’s calling bro and dude, and the other names and things he says to others.
3. He Could Be Seeing how You React
Let’s be honest, both of these terms suggest that someone is treating you as a friend or one of the ‘lads’, even if you’re a girl.
He might be doing this to see how you react though. It’s a common tactic guys use to make the girl show their hand and say something in return.
So, if you think – or hope – this is what he’s doing, why not oblige him and say something like, “do you call all the girls you fancy ‘bro’ or ‘dude’ then?”
4. He Could Be Making It Clear You’re in The ‘Friendzone’
This might not be what you want to hear, but if a guy is calling you ‘bro’ or ‘dude’, it might be his way of putting you firmly in the friendzone.
There’s not much you can do about this except take the hint and move on.
It’s not worth putting out a lot of energy or getting your hopes up over someone who doesn’t see you in the same way as you want to see them.
It’s still worth looking into a bit further though, using these terms can be ambiguous at best.
5. It Might Mean He Likes You But Is Hiding It
This one actually applies to a good friend of mine, so I thought I’d cover it here.
He really liked a girl who was part of our circle of friends, but was too embarrassed to let her know.
So he tried becoming better friends by referring to her as one of his ‘bros’, but honestly, it was obvious to us that he liked her.
The way he talked to her… how he acted around her, there were so many signs that he liked her more than just a mate.
So, if you like the guy who is calling you bro, don’t just write him off as a friend without digging a little deeper!
How You Can Tell if He Does Like You
I know what the most important thing for most of you reading this is going to be; how can I tell if a guy calling me a bro or dude actually likes me?
Well, there are a few ways you can try and work out if he likes you
The best is by paying attention to his body language and the way he talks to you.
Don’t just pay attention to the words he’s using, but how he’s actually saying it and what else he’s saying.
Also, if he’s constantly standing close to you, making eye contact, and finding excuses to touch you, these are all classic signs that he likes you.
He might also start acting differently around you when other people are around.
For example, he might be more protective of you or get jealous if someone is talking to you for too long.
Then there is something that I think most, if not all of us have felt at some point in our lives, that gut feeling that someone likes us.
Call it magnetism, intuition, gut instinct, whatever it is – sometimes we just know!
If you feel like he likes you, do something about it. That’s the only way you’ll know for sure, and it’ll put all those doubts and anxiety to rest.
Related – More on why some girls call you ‘hun‘ and some guys call you ‘mama‘.
How Should You Respond to Being Called ‘Bro’ or ‘Dude’?
If you’re not sure how to react when someone calls you ‘bro’ or ‘dude’, the best thing to do is just act natural and go with the flow.
You can carry on the conversation as normal and see where it goes from there.
However, some people really don’t like being referred to as either of these terms.
If it offends you in any way, you should certainly speak up and say something. You could say, “being called ‘bro’ is a bit weird for me, you could use my name instead.”
But if you’re trying to figure out what the person’s intentions are, instead of shutting them down you should do a little investigating.
You could flirt in response, such as saying something like, “do you call everyone ‘bro’, or just me?”
Or, “Thanks, dude, why don’t you save my name as ‘dude’ in your phone so you’ll know it’s me texting you.”
It’s really up to you how you respond, but if you want to get to the bottom of it, a little lighthearted flirting is probably your best bet.
Image credits – Photo by Wasa Crispbread on Unsplash
Phil lives in England, UK, and has around 20 years experience as a professional life, career and executive coach. He started this blog to help others find and define their own self development journey. Blogging about a wide range of topics to help facilitate a better future.