Hi,
I’d like to know what different meanings could have this phrase “I feel you”. Or what context it is used in…
Thanks…
“I feel you” =? I am feeling you -> a kind of feeling of oneness, IMO. A lovestory may serve it a good context.
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“I feel you” is an odd phrase, and I would probably never use it.
The only time I would be able to use it would be if I were blind or in a very dark place where it is impossible to see. I would be looking for another person in there, and I’d have to do it by touch instead of by sight. Once my hands had found the person, I’d say, “Ah! I feel you!”
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‘I feel you’ is a slang expression, meaning to understand, sympathize, or agree with. I think it originates from rap/hip-hop slang or BE/AAVE.
It’s very similar in context to the phrases “I feel your pain”, or “I hear you/I hear that.”, and the usage is similar.
After hearing somebody go off on a rant or make some complaints, you’d respond with “I feel you, (___)” normally followed by the person’s name or some form of address, such as ‘man’, ‘bro(ther)’, ‘sister’, etc.
It’s also the title of at least a half-dozen or more songs by various artists.
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Yeah…Skrej. That’s the way I heard of that expression, in a movie. And these guys were kind of rappers. However, one of these guys said it like, “I feel you, dude”.
But I would like to know if that expression has to do with the one you say when something bad is going on: “It doesn’t feel right”.
Once more, thanks !
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“It doesn’t feel right,” is standard English that means that something doesn’t seem normal.
“I feel you,” is street slang among the lower classes of black Americans, and probably then imitated by younger Americans. It just means, “I sympathize with you,” or, “I empathize with you.” If someone wanted to, he could choose to misinterpret, “I feel you,” as meaning something like, “I put my hand in your trousers.”
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There’s also a quite popular song by Depeche Mode called “I feel you”.
Hi skrej,
I hear you.
@Torsten - I’m sure that Dave Gahan felt something similar to what Haihao perceived. Remember the chorus? “This is the morning of our love, its just the dawning of our love”
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Hah, seems like everybody has done a song with that title.
I didn’t listen to these to see if they’re covers or all original songs, but in addition to Depeche Mode, all of the following have a song called “I Feel You”:
3 Doors Down
Schiller (featuring Heppner)
Desiré
Nelly Furtado
Placebo
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Heppner (Wolfsheim) 
Love them. It’s been ages since my last concert. Just a bit of fond memories here 
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You are absolutely right, Dana. Peter Heppner is one of very few Germans who have been creating electronic music on an international level for decades. He truly is a great musician and entrepreneur 
. By the way, welcome to our forum!
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Aside from pop songs and the like where language can do somersaults whenever it likes, I’d like to get back to the original post about ‘I feel you’. The phrase sounds odd but no doubt it falls into the meanings that have been suggested. I would use this expression instead - I feel for you .
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Not quite - this is an AAVE derivative.
“I feel for you” implies sympathy or pity (standard english)
“I feel you” indicates deep understanding of circumstance or perspective, AAVE
“I’m feeling you” indicates feelings of affections or attraction, AAVE
“I’m feeling it” indicates a mood of inspiration or jubilance , AAVE
“I’m not feeling it” expresses a desire to not participate *or a partial dislike, AAVE
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The expression is nuanced, ambiguous and diffuse within Americanized standard english. AAVE derivative but not class stratified or reflective: informal but suitable within formal conversational setting at various (social) class levels. Not appropriate for unqualified written communication, emotive if used in written communication. Conveys understanding as compared to sympathy or empathy. The understanding (emote) may be sympathetic or empathic but the usage semantic is “I understand (you)”
(Spoken or written) AAVE dilution or code switching would be “I feel where you’re coming from”
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It means more than I understand. It’s a little more like empathy, or understanding because of a shared experience. It’s usually used in response to another person talking about something negative that happened in their life.
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