This article was co-authored by John Keegan and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. John Keegan is a dating coach and motivational speaker based in New York City. He runs The Awakened Lifestyle, where he uses his expertise in dating, attraction, and social dynamics to help people find love. He teaches and holds dating workshops internationally, from Los Angeles to London and from Rio de Janeiro to Prague. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Humans of New York, and Men's Health.
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After fighting with your girlfriend and having a little time to cool off, it’s normal to want to reach out to her. But when you’re feeling emotional, it can be tough to craft a message that smooths things over. By writing a loving, thoughtful text, you can reconnect with your partner and remind her how much you love her. We've got you covered with tons of texts you can send to your girlfriend after a fight to open the line of communication.
Steps
“I’m so sorry, babe. I never meant to hurt you.”
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A simple apology lets her know that you’re in the wrong. If you were the one who started the argument, text her something short and sweet to let her know that you messed up.[1] X Expert Source John Keegan
Dating Coach Expert Interview. 18 November 2019. You don’t have to go into detail over text—save that for when you two see each other in person again.- “I can tell you were really upset last night. I’m so sorry for hurting your feelings.”
- “It made me so sad to see you cry. I never want to hurt you like that again.”
“I was a jerk, and there’s no excuse.”
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Tell your girlfriend that you messed up to take all the blame. If you’re the one who caused the fight (there’s no shame in it—it happens), let your girlfriend know that you understand your actions were wrong. Apologize for being mean to her or for your part in the fight to make things right.
- “I never meant to hurt your feelings. I promise to do better next time.”
- “I’m an idiot, and what I did was messed up. You were right, I'm so sorry. I hope you can forgive me.”
“I’ve had some time to cool down, and I was wrong.”
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Prove that you’re level-headed after thinking for a bit. If you and your girlfriend left things when they were still heated, let her know that you’ve done some self-reflection.[2] X Expert Source John Keegan
Dating Coach Expert Interview. 18 November 2019. Tell her that you were the one who is wrong, not her, so that you two can move on together.[3] X Research source- “I’ve done some thinking, and I want to talk. What I did wasn’t right, and I’m so sorry that I caused you any pain.”
- “I woke up this morning feeling really awful. I got too heated last night, and that wasn’t fair to you. I’m so sorry for how I acted, and I realize that I was in the wrong. I hope you can forgive me.”
“I’d like to figure this out together. Can we talk?”
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Open the line of communication if there’s still more to talk about. Maybe one of you (or both of you) stormed off before you could really settle things. If that’s the case, it’s important to keep talking about what happened so that you can conclude your fight. Text your girlfriend and ask her to chat with you soon so that you can reflect on what happened and put your fight to rest.[4] X Research source
- “I’m sorry that I left like that. It wasn’t fair to you, and I’d like to keep talking. Are you free tonight?”
- “I think we still have more to talk about. I’d like to meet up later so we can resolve things together.”
“Can I have a chance to explain myself?”
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Ask your girlfriend to hear you out and make things right. If your fight went off the rails a bit, there might be something else you want to explain about how you acted. Ask your girlfriend over text if you two can talk, then see if she’ll give you another chance.[5] X Research source
- “I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m so sorry, baby. Can I come over and explain why I was so mad?”
- “I know I didn’t act like a good partner, and I’m sorry. I really want to explain why I acted like that.”
“You mean everything to me.”
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Let her know that you value your relationship above all else. When you get in a fight with your partner, it can be easy to forget that you two really love each other. Text your girlfriend a sweet message like this to remind her that she’s your number one.
- “This relationship means more to me than any fight ever could. I love you so much.”
- “I know it got a little heated earlier. I just want you to know that I love you, and that you’re the best girlfriend I could ever ask for.”
“Is there anything I can do to make this right?”
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See if you can make it up to your girlfriend if you hurt her. Maybe you messed up pretty badly, and you aren’t sure that your relationship is okay just yet. If that’s the case, reach out to your girlfriend and see if she has any suggestions. Together, you can both work on finding a solution and repairing your relationship.
- “I’ll do anything, just say the word.”
- “Let me know what I can do to convince you that I’m sorry. I know my words sound pretty hollow right now, but I really want to make things work with you.”
“Let me know what you need right now.”
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If you aren’t sure, ask your girlfriend what you can do. After a fight, some people want to talk about it together, while other people need some space. Let your girlfriend know that you’ll respect her wishes by asking her what she needs from you.
- “If you want to talk, I’m here. Just let me know.”
- “I’d love to see you later. I’m so sorry about what happened. Let me know what you want to do.”
“I want you to know that I love you.”
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Remind your girlfriend that your love together will always persevere. When you’re in a fight with your partner, it’s sometimes a little difficult to remember the love that you share for each other. Send your girlfriend a text telling her that you love and care for her to rekindle those sweet emotions.
- “You’re the best person I’ve ever dated, and I don’t want one fight to tear us apart. I love you so much.”
- “You mean the world to me. I’m sorry that we fought last night, and I hope I can make it up to you soon.”
“I’m crazy about you. I’m so sorry for making you feel bad.”
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Make her feel secure in your relationship. After a big fight, it’s nice to reassure your partner that you still feel the same way about them. Telling her how much you love her and how intense your emotions are will make her feel more secure.
- “This fight doesn’t affect how I feel about you at all. I love you.”
- “Seeing you cry last night absolutely broke my heart. You’re an amazing person, and I’m so ashamed that I hurt you. You’re my biggest blessing, and I’m so lucky to have you in my life. I’m sorry for what I said.”
“I was awful to you. I shouldn’t have gotten so heated.”
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Apologize for your actions during the argument. Maybe you weren’t 100% in the wrong, but you still don’t like how you acted. Let your girlfriend know that what you said or did wasn’t acceptable, and that you know you messed up.
- “I let the moment get the better of me, and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have raised my voice at you or called you names.”
- “Who I was during that fight isn’t me. I let my anger take control, and I know that really hurt you. I’m so sorry.”
“I really messed up. I owe you an apology.”
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Let your girlfriend know that you want to say you’re sorry in person. Apologizing over text is fine, but it’s even better if you can say it in person. Send her a quick text to let her know that you were in the wrong, then ask her to meet up so you can chat face-to-face.[6] X Research source
- “I owe you a thousand apologies. I’m so sorry. Can we meet up later? I really want to see you.”
- “From the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry. I don’t just want to send an apology text, I want to tell you in person.”
“I know I let you down. I promise I’ll do better.”
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Tell your girlfriend that you’ll change your ways in the future. An apology works best when you tell your loved one that you’re not going to make the same mistake twice. Let your girlfriend know that you understand that you messed up, and you’re going to make a real effort to not let it happen again.[7] X Research source
- “Babe, from the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry. I know what I did wasn’t right, and you deserve better. In the future, I’ll take your feelings into consideration.”
- “I’m so sorry that I made you doubt our relationship. I love you, and I don’t want to hurt you. From now on, I’m going to be a better partner to you.”
“I should never have yelled at you. I’m sorry.”
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Take responsibility for a specific action with this message. Sometimes, arguments get a little heated, and you might have done or said something that crossed the line. If there’s one specific thing you said or did during the argument that you aren’t proud of, text your girlfriend and apologize. That way, she knows that you actually mean it, and that you’ll work hard not to do it again.
- “I want to take accountability for my actions last night. I said some things I wasn’t proud of, and I wish I could take them back. I don’t want to take you for granted ever again, because you mean the world to me. I’m sorry.”
- “I would do anything to take back what I said, but I can’t. All I can say is that I’m sorry, and I hope you can forgive me.”
“Thank you for everything you do for us. I love you.”
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Show your girlfriend that you appreciate her actions in your relationship. After you get in a fight with your partner, it’s nice to tell them something you like about them, just as a reminder. Compliment your girlfriend on something awesome she does just to let her know how thankful you are for her.
- “This relationship couldn’t work without everything you’ve done. You’re the best.”
- “You’re an amazing partner, and you always make me feel loved. I’m sorry about earlier.”
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References
- ↑ John Keegan. Dating Coach. Expert Interview. 18 November 2019.
- ↑ John Keegan. Dating Coach. Expert Interview. 18 November 2019.
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fixing-families/201806/after-argument-the-right-way-make
- ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/in-practice/201903/after-fight-11-phrases-repairing-relationship
- ↑ https://www.gq.com/story/is-it-too-late-now-to-say-sorry
- ↑ https://www.nbcnews.com/better/lifestyle/what-do-after-fight-your-partner-according-relationship-coach-ncna965946
- ↑ https://au.reachout.com/articles/how-to-say-sorry-and-mean-it