"You belong to me" or "You belong with me" [closed]
What's the difference between the titular expressions? if any, at all.
Oxford and Cambridge dictionaries could not help!!
Solution 1:
The phrase "you belong to me" is an expression in English (at least American English) most often used in an address to a romantic partner. The phrase belong to, in this case, clearly conveys possessiveness
(belong to) Be the property of: the vehicle did not belong to him
Oxford Dictionaries Online
There is a bit of a chattel tone to the overall phrase, and may stem from a period when a man was seen as owning his wife and children (but not necessarily vice-versa). Such usage dates back to at least the early 19th century. In The Ariel: A Literary Gazette, in 1827 we find
You are my betrothed wife, and as such, you belong to me alone!
However, in current marriage ceremonies in the US, the phrase Do you take this [man/woman] ...? is used bilaterally.
Another meaning of the phrase belong to is a bit less possessive, but still obligatory
(followed by to) to be bound to (a person, place, or club) by ties of affection, dependence, allegiance, or membership
Collins
The term belong with (or belong in or at) conveys aptness rather than ownership
to be in a proper situation
Merriam-Webster
Both you belong to me and you belong with me convey that the speaker and the listener should be in a romantic relationship. However, the former suggests that the relationship clearly exists, and he or she intends to maintain (or enforce) it. The latter suggest that it should be the case, and might be more likely heard as an entreaty rather than a statement of fact.
Solution 2:
The difference is huge.
"Belong to" means you treat the person as your property. (This may not go down well with your significant other.)
"Belong with" means you find it proper that you should walk together.
Solution 3:
They can have similar or even identical meanings in certain contexts, e.g.: a 'romantic' relationship with one particularly dominating partner.
Typically, though, "belong to" implies outright ownership (like a master owning a slave) while "belong with" suggests that the speaker feels that s/he and the person s/he is speaking to belong together.
It's probably not very politically correct to say either to your partner, though!
Solution 4:
It's funny how a single word can change the meaning.
"You belong to me": It has a sense of ownership in it, implying that the person or the thing that is being referred to is owned by you or is yours to keep.
"You belong with me": It has a lighter tone and a sense of opinion in it. that in your opinion, the person or the thing being referred to "SHOULD" be with you. but it is not a must.