He loves me, he loves me not…
By Maria Hakki
Men and women speak different languages when it comes to love and relationships. That’s why, if you’re seriously falling for someone who’s not openly showing you their interest, it’s natural to wonder if this guy is into you the same way, or he’s only interested as a friend.
How do you know how he feels?
Here are 10 signs a guy likes you more than a friend and may be falling for you.
1. He calls you instead of texting.
Only texting or messaging is a roundabout way of showing he’s actually not that into you. Guys who aren’t serious or see you as a friend might keep distance and communicate indirectly.
But if he keeps calling and talking with you over the phone in his free time, he’s most likely got feelings for you. A man won’t lose time in long phone talks, unless he’s into you and needs to hear your voice badly. And this is cute!
2. He pays attention to you.
He’s always trying to keep in touch. He calls and texts you. He reacts to your posts on social media. He’s usually the first one to like your new profile picture.
On the top of that, he takes every occasion to talk to you. He calls you just to say “Good morning” or “Good night.” He asks how your day was, notices your new dress or hairstyle, and pays you a compliment.
Usually, when men are that obsessed with a lady, it’s because they are falling for her. You should pay attention!
3. He wants to know who you really are.
Guys who aren’t into you might not be that interested in your personality. But a man who’s falling for you would like to know everything. No topic of conversation is boring for him so long as it’s related to you.
He will be happy to listen about your favorite music band or the problems that you’ve been having with your best friend lately. He will watch your family pictures with interest and would listen to the funny stories from your childhood.
4. He listens… and remembers.
Girls love long conversations, while men don’t. Guys can’t handle all the gossip and drama women talk about. A man would often just pretend he’s listening to you.
However, he changes when he falls for a woman. Her opinion matters to him. He listens and tries to remember what she says. He’s interested in her tastes. He wants to know what kind of food, movies or sport she likes. He values what she thinks and wants to learn more about it.
If you notice that the guy you’ve been flirting with lately is all ears while you’re talking, he might be seriously into you.
5. He acts like a gentleman.
Sadly, nowadays being a gentleman is not typical of all men. If you notice that he’s been kind and chivalrous, it might be a good sign he’s falling for you.
He will do things like pulling out your chair or holding doors open for you. He will offer to drive you after work and might even want to bring your heavy bags to the door when he drops you home.
The point is to make you feel at ease and comfortable in his presence, and like him as much as he likes you.
6. He gives you nicknames.
If a guy likes you, he will use sweet nicknames instead of addressing you by name. Calling you baby, babe, or sweetheart reveals his feelings of affection for you. He might also use pet names or make up jokes about you two involving goofy nicknames.
The last one could sound a bit blunt. However, according to a research on couples’ “secret language”, published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, the more goofy names or made-up words a couple used, the higher the relationship satisfaction would be.
If he keeps calling you nicknames, he’s trying to build intimacy with you and is very likely to be seriously falling for you.
7. He’s generous with you.
If a man is falling for you, he will be generous. He might try to impress you.
But this doesn’t mean he will always buy you super expensive gifts. He might surprise you with a small gesture like paying for your drink in the bar or buying you a cute teddy bear.
There are other forms of generosity he could display toward you, as well. Paying you lots of compliments might be one of them. He could also let you drive his car, which is a sign he’s really into you.
8. He smiles when he sees you.
A Yiddish proverb says, “Three things can’t be hidden: coughing, poverty, and love.” Even if he’s not telling you directly he’s into you, his unconscious signals can be extremely telling about his inner emotions. Especially when it comes to strong feelings like love or hatred.
Pay attention if a man smiles and whether his whole face lights up every time he sees you. This surely means he’s not indifferent.
Genuine smiles extend beyond the mouth. When his stretches along the whole face, it’s a signal he’s strongly affected in a positive way and has something about you.
If you notice that he looks at you with a love-struck grin every time you meet, he could truly like you.
9. He wants you to feel safe.
A guy who’s into you wants to protect you. He will do whatever it takes to make you feel secure when he’s around.
If it’s late, he will walk you home. He will call a cab and phone to check whether you got home if you’re too far from your house. If you’re watching a horror movie, he will hug you and cover your eyes during the bone-chilling scenes.
He might even save the day by killing the big hairy spider that is scaring you to death.
10. He shows long-term interest.
Maybe one of the most obvious signs a guy likes you is the fact he’s making plans for you two. If he’s thinking where to spend your next summer holiday or is asking whether you want to go to a cottage in the mountain this weekend, he’s showing a long-term interest in you.
If he’s making plans about both of you, it means your relationship is becoming more serious. It’s getting to a next level, which is an indication he’s really falling for you.
Last but not least, ladies should remember that men speak through their actions.
A man’s behavior could reveal what are his intentions for you. If you’re unsure whether the guy you’ve been falling for is into you, just being friendly or only wants to be in your pants, the tips you’ve just read might come in useful.
Maria Hakki is an English teacher and translator, and writes about various topics, including relationships, lifestyle, and love.
This article was originally published at I Heart Intelligence. Reprinted with permission from the author.
