What does it mean when a girl calls you bro? Is she friendzoning you or she actually has feelings for you but is hiding it behind this universal term? Today you’ll learn everything you need to know about the “bro” phenomenon, so stay tuned.
One thing is for sure. If a guy or a girl calls you bro — that’s something special. It’s a connection that can’t be broken. It’s a bronnection that doesn’t have any limits but sometimes it’s much more than that!
Guys call each other bro because they really mean it. They really feel the deep connection between each other like they are brothers and most importantly, best friends.
And they act that way. Of course, they won’t call every guy they meet in the street bro, no, because saying bro has a deeper meaning — it’s reserved for close friends only.
Although there is an exception to the rule. Sometimes co-workers call each other bro and not because they are so close but because they see each other every day, so bro calling becomes a thing which occurs in the work environment often.
In the office, you all have the same or similar problems, so it’s easy to connect with each other.
But if you look on a deeper level when someone calls you bro, it’s more like a sacred bond between two men who feel like they were supposed to be brothers but unfortunately, they are not. This is also known as ‘brother from another mother’.
The same applies to a man and a woman or even two women (especially if they are legit tomboys like me) because ‘bro’ has become a universal name for people you care about.
A Short History Of The Word Bro
The word bro sneaked into the English language in the 1660s, solely as an abbreviation of the word ‘brother’.
The same goes for ‘sis’, abbreviated from the word ‘sister’. Back then, the meaning of the word bro was restricted to a sibling but slowly in the 1970s, bro began to mean something completely different.
Bro shifted from a sibling to a male friend. By the end of the century, bro earned more meanings.
A man was known otherwise as bro or brah, or bruh which became a synonym for a young guy, the real masculine type who was partying and having a good time almost all the time. (I bet I know what you’re thinking if he calls you bro now, lol ).
But you don’t have to worry because calling someone bro has become a universal name for people you like, respect and love — people who mean a great deal to you.
Okay, now that we’ve established the origins of the word bro and why men call each other bro, let’s move on to the big question—why do girls call men bro?
This is so confusing because when you look at it, you have no idea whether she is friendzoning you or she likes you and wants to get your attention.
If you believe you’re absolutely ready to leave the dreaded ‘friend’ zone, CLICK HERE and show her what you’re made of.
It’s not weird that you get confused after you have been called that because in most cases, you have a crush on that girl and her using ‘dude’, bro or even brother can really sting and you can feel like you’ve just been bro-zoned.
It’s entirely possible that a girl calls you bro because she calls all her friends that, it’s just what she calls people she likes but in most cases, her calling you bro has a different meaning or she just doesn’t like you romantically and sees you as nothing but a friend, a bro if you will.
Take this from a girl and find out why she calls you bro.
What Does It Mean When A Girl Calls You Bro?
There are many reasons why a girl would call you bro. She might be friend-zoning you, seeking attention, or hiding her feelings for you. However, things are not that simple. There are more possible meanings besides these, so let’s see!
She does it to everyone
I know a girl who calls everyone bro. Her female friends are bro, her guy friends are bro, her sister is bro, her mom and dad are bros, she calls her boyfriend bro and even her cat is bro. (Well, that’s A LOT OF bros for sure.)
So, if she calls everyone bro or ‘dude’, then you can definitely be sure that she is not trying to bro-zone you.
What’s even better is that you can be sure that she likes you because you wouldn’t call someone that if you didn’t like them.
But, this doesn’t necessarily mean that she likes you romantically. It may not be a big deal but it sure is better than being just a friend.
From this point on, try to push your relationship in the direction you want it to go and that’s taking her out on a date to see where it goes. Maybe that bro turns into something more personal.
Verdict: Possible attention-seeking
Related: How To Make Her Chase You: 18 Tricks That Work Every Time
She trusts you
If a girl calls you bro, this means she is comfortable with you. She wants to talk to you and tell you her problems because she really thinks you can help her.
She needs a shoulder to cry on and she doesn’t have a boyfriend, ergo The Bro is the best choice she has to spill her heart out to.
I’m sorry to say this but this is all screaming the friendzone.
If this bothers you, you should be honest and tell her that you don’t want her to call you that but you have to know that she’ll probably take it the wrong way and get angry and she won’t talk to you for days.
She may even realize that you like her and cease any contact with you because she is scared of what she has done.
You have to realize that doing this can be extremely risky because you could chase her out of your life forever.
Verdict: Definitely friendzoning
She’s hiding her feelings for you
When a girl calls you bro, she might be doing it to hide her feelings for you. The thing is that she probably likes you but is afraid to do something about it and as long as things are platonic, she feels safe.
Maybe she thinks that you will reject her because you don’t like her or maybe she is just scared of rejection in general because she has had a bad experience in the past.
So, to make things not so suspicious, she calls you bro. It’s always wise to try to read her body language because these signs never lie, so it’s best to check them before you do anything about it.
Remember, there is always a risk that you’ve misinterpreted her behavior and that it turns out she doesn’t like you in that way. Then your friendship is over.
Verdict: Attention-seeking
She sees you only as a good friend
Okay, this one is pretty obvious. She doesn’t want to have a romantic relationship with you. You can get that from the way she acts around you.
If she’s just like one of the guys, if she answers your texts with short messages, taps you on the shoulder, talks to you about the guys she likes, then I’m really sorry but you’ll have to find another crush, bro, because you’ve been heavily bro-zoned.
Don’t even try to think about having a romantic relationship with her because she probably sees you as her BFF.
If your feelings for her are too much, the best thing to do is tell her how you feel before you stop seeing her.
Make sure she knows why you can’t hang out with her anymore because it would be unfair to leave her hanging just because you’re not on the same page.
Verdict: Definitely friendzoned
She is unsure of how she feels about you
What if a girl calls you bro? This might mean that she is scared to fall in love with you. Maybe you are the hottest guy she has ever seen and she feels she doesn’t deserve you—that exists, you know?
Maybe her self-esteem is not that high, maybe she has stumbled upon jerks and fuckboys in her past and she doesn’t want to make the same mistake twice.
Be careful with the vibes you send out because she might take them the wrong way.
Don’t come off as too strong toward her if you see that she has some unresolved issues, and if she is unsure of the whole situation.
This is probably why she calls you dude and spends a lot of time with you but doesn’t have a boyfriend. This is why she texts you in the middle of the night with the excuse of being bored.
She feels safe to text you, double-text you, and talk to you over the phone but when you’re together she calls you bro and acts like you are nothing more than just friends.
Verdict: Secret attention-seeking
She has different feelings for you
The common usage of the word bro is getting bigger and bigger. Everyone calls each other bro these days. But, when a girl calls you bro, I get it. It leaves you confused and it gets you thinking.
As I’ve said before, there are a few reasons why she does that and each of them has a perfectly good explanation.
I’m sad to say, one of those explanations is that she really loves you, she cares for you, but in a way you don’t want her to.
She truly sees you as a brother. Maybe she never had a brother and you’re the closest thing to one she’s ever had.
In these situations, forget about any kind of a relationship, except the friendly one. That love cannot be undone nor it can be transferred into something else.
Verdict: Definitely friendzoning
She’s interested in someone else
This girl is suspiciously spending a lot of time with you. On one hand, any guy would think that the girl is interested in him and that he’s close to getting a girlfriend.
When women call guys bro, a lot of guys would think they want something more than just being friends.
Her calling you bro leaves you confused because conventionally, that is not the usual nickname you give to someone you like.
In this case, it’s a possibility she is hanging out with you because she likes someone else, someone close to you. The truth is, a girl can have multiple crushes and suitors at one point.
Pay attention to her behavior and if she insists on hanging out with your friends or one friend in particular. If that’s the case, don’t get your hopes up because she’s not romantically interested in you.
Verdict: Definitely friendzoning with a hidden agenda
She’s joking around and being playful
Sometimes, girls call you bro as a way of flirting with you. Now you probably think to yourself: SERIOUSLY? Girls call guys bro even when they’re being playful? How am I supposed to know the difference between a ‘playful bro’ and a ‘friend-zoning’ bro?
Well, you need to pay attention to the tone of her voice as well. Does she say it in a flirty way or in a neutral way? I’m sure you’re able to tell the difference between the two.
(If this sounds even more confusing to you, below you’ll find a mini-guide on how to know if a girl has friendzoned you.)
Here’s one interesting story by one of my male friends. The other day he told me this: The first time a girl I like called me bro, I thought she was friendzoning me. She even sent me a friendzone meme. Then, a few days later, she told me that she’s literally scared of how much she likes me.
I guess this is a trending thing among girls who are, for some reason, scared of their feelings for someone. If she’s one of those girls, don’t expect her to tell you ‘I love you‘ too soon but give her some space and time to sort out her feelings.
Verdict: Secret attention-seeking
She’s looking out for you
When a girl calls you bro, it could mean that she’s protective of you. Now, don’t get me wrong. She doesn’t think that you’re incapable of taking care of yourself but she feels the need to keep you safe.
She probably sees you as her younger brother. I can relate to that one very well because I have a younger brother and Lord knows how protective I am of him.
Whenever he has a problem with something or someone takes him for granted, I immediately jump into rescue mode and do my best to help him out. Perhaps that one girl feels the same way about you.
She cares about you but not in a romantic way. If you secretly like her, then this might be a problem for you. If you’re not happy with being her bro, then consider letting her know how you feel about her.
If you want to be her boyfriend instead of a friend, then don’t let her treat you as her little brother.
Still, no one can guarantee you that things will change once you admit your feelings. Things could go south as well and she could pull away if she doesn’t perceive you as a potential romantic partner.
Coldplay’s lyrics have never been more true: But if you never try, you’ll never know… (Fix You)
Verdict: Definitely friendzoned
She’s upset with you
I’m one hundred percent sure you never assumed that one of the reasons why a girl calls you bro is that she’s angry with you. Well, this mostly applies to those who are in a romantic relationship.
Here’s one worthy example by my male friend. The other day, he told me this: I was so confused last night when I texted my girlfriend on Whatsapp and she called me BRO. Why would she do that?
Well, the first thing that came to my mind was: Do you think she’s mad at you for some reason?
He thought about it for some time and then it struck him: I think she is mad at me. I haven’t been a great boyfriend recently. I don’t remember the last time I surprised her with one of those unique romantic gestures that boyfriends do for their girlfriends. So, she probably feels like I’m her bro and not her boyfriend. Damn, this makes total sense now!
So, if your girlfriend ever calls you bro, just think about what you could have done wrong. It’s as simple as that.
Verdict: Attention-seeking
How Do You Know If A Girl Has Friendzoned You?
Besides calling you bro, there are lots of other signs that indicate she’s friendzoning you. One of those signs is you not being her priority.
When a girl calls you bro, this doesn’t necessarily mean that she’s deporting you to ‘the Friend Zone’ country. You need to pay attention to other signs as well that scream she’s just not that into you, bro:
She constantly makes excuses of why she can’t spend time with you
She either has to walk her dog, see that one old friend she hasn’t seen in a while, wash her hair, hit the gym, you name it. Whenever you invite her for a drink or for a walk, she immediately thinks of a perfect excuse to avoid hanging out with you.
Wait, why would she do that in the first place? I have a confession to make. A few days ago I did the same thing to one guy that I friendzoned. Every time he asks me to hang out with him, I tell him how busy I am at the moment.
I do that because I don’t want to hurt his feelings or appear bitchy for rejecting him. I do this in hope that he will take the hint and realize that he’s being friendzoned and I don’t want to give him false hope. I bet this is what every girl does when she’s not romantically interested in a guy.
“She’s not ready to be in a relationship”
She tells you that she’s “finding herself”, she doesn’t have time to commit to anyone, she needs to work on herself, and in order to do all that she needs to be alone.
I know, other girls know and Lord knows that when a girl says something like “I’m not ready for a relationship right now“, it means she’s not interested in YOU but if she really liked the guy, she would jump in a relationship without questioning it.
Of course, sometimes a girl truly isn’t ready to be in a relationship because she hasn’t moved on from her past relationship and similar. Well, you’ll have to learn to differentiate between the two, bro.
She only talks to you when she wants something
Have you noticed that the only time she ever talks to you is when she needs something from you? Does she always come to you for advice or vents about the things that bother her and similar?
If she only talks to you when she wants something or needs your help, then bro, you’re officially in a friend zone. She obviously doesn’t care about how you feel and she’s not interested in things that are going on in your life.
She sees you as her male friend to whom she can come when it’s convenient for her. Are you okay with that? And I thought so.
She talks to you about other guys she (secretly) likes
If a girl talks to you about other guys she likes, then you can be one hundred percent sure that she’s friendzoning you (unless she’s trying to make you jealous).
If she’s not sure if you like her, she might try to make you jealous by talking about other guys she “likes”. Girls are complex beings (I get it).
If the majority of signs resonate with you, then you don’t need to question it because you’re deep in the friendzone, bro.
What Does Bro Mean In Texting?
“Brother” is the most common definition for BRO on WhatsApp, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
If a girl you like calls you bro in texting, you can apply the same meanings above. Texting has become the main means of communication so you can feel free to treat it as real-life conversations.
If you’re looking for texting signs that a girl is friendzoning you, indulge yourself:
- She sends you one-word replies
- She never initiates the conversation
- Never or rarely sends you flirty emojis
- Ghosts you
There are lots of other signs that scream she’s not romantically interested in you but the above ones are the most obvious ones.
What Does It Mean When Your Crush Calls You Bro?
When your crush calls you bro, this can mean a lot of things such as lack of attraction or they might be playing reverse psychology. Let’s see:
There is no sexual attraction between the two of you
If there is no sexual tension between you and your crush, this might be the reason why they are deporting you to the Friend Zone country. When that happens, you’re nothing more to them but a good old bro.
They see you as someone they can come for advice to or vent about their day. They call you bro to indirectly tell you that they aren’t interested in anything more than being friends with you.
Playing reverse psychology
If you’re not familiar with the concept of reverse psychology, I’ll try to explain it in the simplest way possible. It is when you tell someone the opposite of what you want them to do. For example, I tell you this: Don’t read this article till the end.
If I tell you this, you will feel determined to read it till the end just because I told you not to do it. It’s truly amazing how the human psyche works.
So, if your crush calls you bro, they might be doing the exact same thing. By calling you bro, they hope you’ll want to be something more than that to them.
They might also tell you that you’re taking them for granted and similar only to motivate you to make an effort. Would you also play reverse psychology or do something else?
No specific reason
Perhaps your crush genuinely likes you but still calls you bro for no specific reason. Most of the time we don’t even think about what we’re going to say next and when we do, well, then it’s kind of too late.
Even though they say that everything happens for a reason, sometimes you shouldn’t look for reasons why your crush suddenly calls you bro.
Truth be told, the less you overthink, the happier you’ll be. This is something I keep repeating to myself but my mind has become a pro at refusing to implement it. Well, I hope your mind is more obedient than mine.
What Does It Mean When A Guy Calls A Girl Bro?
When a guy calls a girl bro, this doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s not romantically interested in her. It can also mean that he just wants to see how you’ll react because he likes you.
Here are the three main reasons why a guy would call a girl bro:
He wants to see how you’ll react
If he really likes but he’s not sure if you like him back, he might call you bro to see if you’re on the same page. Obviously, he wants to see how you’ll react. In other words, he wants to see whether you’ll be surprised by him calling you bro or you’ll accept it as something normal and expected.
If he sees that you’re surprised by it, he will know that you probably like him back. If you accept it as something normal, he will know that he’s in a friendzone.
If you’re not sure whether this guy is romantically interested in you, here are some body language signs he secretly likes you:
- His pupils dilate when talking to you
- Finding excuses to subtly touch you
- Holds prolonged eye contact with you
- Shows jealousy when other men are around
- Adjusting his hair or clothes when around you
- Talks to you with a deeper voice than he does with others
- Stands closer to you when talking to you
If he does any of the above things, then you know he’s crazy about you!
He’s not romantically interested in you
When a guy calls a girl bro, this can also mean that he’s not romantically interested in her but he doesn’t know how to tell her that. Well, one way to know for sure if he’s genuinely interested in you or not is by paying attention to his efforts.
If he goes out of his way to spend time with you and make you feel special, then you know he totally likes you. If he doesn’t do any of that, well, then he probably is not that into you.
He feels comfortable around you
Multiple times I’ve experienced a guy telling me something in a masculine form because he accidentally thought of me as his male buddy. I never get offended by it. On the contrary, this is a huge compliment because it means he feels comfortable around you. Well, maybe that’s the reason why he “mistakenly” or intentionally calls you bro.
Final Verdict
When a girl calls you bro, this can mean lots of things but in the majority of cases, she is deporting you to the Friend Zone country. However, it’s important to look at all the above signs carefully because you could always be wrong.
If you think of telling her how you feel about her and that you’re not okay with being just friends with her, you have my full support!
But before you do anything, think about the fact that you can lose her if you decide to take a risk and go for it. Is your relationship with a girl who calls you bro worth fighting for? Good luck!
