Just friends?

What does it mean when a guy you're seeing says he just wants to be friends, and still wants to hang out together just not romantically?

It's been 3 weeks since he and I ended things and we haven't talked outside work since. He just left and got a new job and I'd like to still be his friend he's fun to hang out with, but I don't know if that's something he really meant or if that's just something guys say to be "nice". I don't wanna date this guy and if he hadn't've ended things I would have but like I said he's fun to hang with and I like having friends I can call up and just chill with. I could ask him but what to say.

EDIT: We were only at the beginning of the relationship and ended it because it wasn't what we expected it to be. We weren't at the exclusive point yet.