When WILL he say 'I love you'? Men take 88 days to say those three words - but girls make their man wait a lot longer...

Over 39% of men say 'I love you' within first month of relationship...

... and 77% of men remember saying it for the first time



They're the three little words every girl is apparently dying to hear - but we we take longer to say them for the first time in a relationship than our boyfriends do.

It's official: when the boys fall in love they do it fast, with men take only 88 days to tell their partner they love them, compared to a woman's languorous 134, according to new research.

Moreover, 39 per cent of men say 'I love you' within the first month of seeing someone, compared to 23 per cent of women.

Loved-up: Women take 134 days to say 'I love you' while men take just 88

Adding to the idea of men now being 'commitmentphiles' instead of 'commitmentphobes', a third of men (33 per cent) had met the family of their partner within the first month of dating, compared to just a quarter (25 per cent) of the ladies.

Men are also quick to commit, with 33 per cent of men questioned in the study by YouGov for eHarmony claiming they moved in with their beloved one within the first month.

Contrary to the widely held stereotype that men are bad at remembering milestones, a high percentage of men remember important dates, with 77 per cent of men remembering when they said 'I love you' for the first time.

And just five per cent of men couldn't recall the first time they held hands with their partner.

Forever, treasure: Some 33 per cent of men move in with their squeeze within the first year, and 37 per cent of respondents who were married or engaged went down on one knee within twelve months

The study also found that young people (18- to 24-year-olds) are more reserved than expected: they were the slowest of all age groups to both hold hands and share a first kiss.

Some 43 per cent of men say they consummated their relationship within the first month, compared with 36 per cent of women



But they were the fastest of all ages to consider themselves in an exclusive relationship: 39 per cent claim to consider themselves exclusive after just one week.

When it comes to getting even more intimate, 58 per cent of men and women confess to having had sex within the first three months of their relationship, while higher percentage of men (43 per cent compared to 36 per cent) admit having done so within the first.

Let's get physical: When it comes to getting intimate, 58 per cent of men and women confess to having had sex within the first three months of their relationship

Men are also quick to commit to long term relationships. Some 33 per cent of men move in with their squeeze within the first year, and 37 per cent of respondents who were married or engaged went down on one knee within twelve months.



Jenni Trent Hughes, relationship advice expert for eHarmony , said: 'Boys are softies and can be way mushier than us girls!'

Jenni Trent Hughes, relationship advice expert for eHarmony, believes many traditional perceptions of men being afraid of commitment are outdated.



She said: 'After centuries of women questioning the reluctance of men to commit or be romantic, it seems that we may just have been wrong all along! Boys are softies and can be way mushier than us girls.

'Realistically, and physiologically speaking, the average man tends to be more focussed and task oriented than the average woman.



'They establish a goal and set out to accomplish it at all costs, be that running the marathon in less than three hours or wooing the girl of their dreams.'