regard or appreciate

[Hanka]

Hello,

could you please tell me whether it is possible to say:

"I regard your friendship highly" or "I highly appreciate your friendship"?

Thank you very much.

Hanka

[Tdol]

You could, but the first doesn't sound particularly natural to me.

[BobK]

You could, but the first doesn't sound particularly natural to me.

Yes, it seems to me to suggest there's a but coming: I regard your friendship highly, but I don't love you.

b

[Tdol]

I agree- if someone said it to me, I'd start watching my back.