He says he's not ready to date after two weeks: what to reply

Before you think about wording, look at how he has been communicating. If he's been replying within a few hours and making plans, a sudden 'not ready' is more likely about some specific pressure in his life than about you. If the replies have been getting shorter and slower for a few days, the message is just confirming what the pattern already told you. Two weeks is early enough that most people haven't built much history together, so the pattern is your main evidence.

Also notice what he said and what he didn't. He said he's not ready right now, which is a time-bound statement. He didn't say he isn't interested, or that he doesn't like you. Take the words as written. Don't overread a kind line as a secret yes, and don't treat a gentle no as a cruel one. Most people who say this are trying to be honest without being harsh.

The first thing to get right is your own reaction. If you feel a pull to ask follow-up questions, pause. Questions like 'was it something I did?' or 'is there someone else?' hand him a job he doesn't need to do, and they signal that you're still negotiating. A calm, short acknowledgement works better. Something that shows you heard him, makes clear you're not upset in a way that would make him feel responsible, and closes the topic without slamming it.

Keep the reply to a few lines. Thank him for being straightforward if that's true for you, because people who say this clearly are doing you a small favour. Then stop. The absence of a question is itself a message: you're not chasing, you're fine, and you're leaving him room to take the next step or not. If you want to keep things friendly, say that in one clause. Don't write a speech.

Timing affects how the message reads more than most people expect. A reply sent late at night, after you've been stewing, often carries an edge even when the words are fine. Give yourself a few hours, or until the next morning, before sending. This also means you're less likely to fire off a second message, which is the most common way people undo a good first reply.

If he doesn't respond, leave it. Silence after a message like this is an answer, and you don't need to fill the gap with a follow-up. If a few days pass and you're still thinking about it, you can send one short, low-stakes note in a different context, like sharing something you saw that made you think of him. Only do that if you'd be fine with no reply. If he does come back later, let the conversation take its own pace and don't pick up the thread as if the 'not ready' line never happened. Stop reaching out once you've sent one clear reply and one light follow-up, unless he starts things again.