The feeling of falling in love is unparalleled. It’s as if a switch turns on and suddenly makes everything beautiful. But there is one feeling that is even better than falling in love — having those feelings reciprocated. The situation only becomes precarious if you think that your partner does not feel the same way. Especially if it’s a man because, more often than not, it’s a little tricky to get a read on what men are feeling. Hence, it is important to be on the lookout for hidden signs a man is falling in love with you.
The age-old teaching of “men don’t cry” that is instilled in them from birth prevents them from talking about their emotions. Even so, according to this 2022 research, men are more likely to confess their feelings of love before the other person. Clearly, there are many ways even the most repressive guys hint at their affection for you.
23 Hidden Signs A Man Is Falling In Love With You
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Even though a study shows that men are just as emotional as women, they are still conditioned to appear tough and strong in front of others. They think, and rightfully so, that feeling ‘feminine’ emotions expose them to hurt or mockery. Then how do you know if a guy is in love? Because there are times they let their guard down and let others in. That usually happens when a man is vulnerable with a woman he loves.
If you’re trying to gauge whether the guy you want wants you back, we have with us a list of 23 hidden signs a man is falling in love with you. Here’s how you can check if he has love on his mind:
1. You are his priority
This makes it to the top of the list of hidden signs a man is falling in love with you. Priorities are nothing but a list of things/people sorted according to the hierarchy of perceived importance. And if you suddenly find yourself on top of that list, then it could be because he’s falling for you. He’s starting to catch those pesky little things called ‘feelings.’
- He checks in with your well-being in the morning and then again at night before you both go to sleep
- If you have a problem, he will have a solution ready before you even finish telling him the problem
- He takes your opinion before making important decisions and actually listens to your input, the mark of a secure relationship
2. He wants your advice about his life
This is one of the major ways a guy shows interest in you, so don’t miss out on this one. He will start asking you for your thoughts and advice about his daily life and the things that are important to him. This is because he values your opinions.
This is an important sign because, usually, men prefer to have autonomy in their decision-making. So if the special man in your life suddenly starts involving you in his decision-making process, that means you’ve become an indispensable part of his life. Stop thinking so hard and know that he’s only days away from whispering “I am falling in love” to you.
Related Reading: 15 Signs A Commitment-Phobe Loves You
3. He remembers little things about you
Out of the 23 hidden signs a man is falling in love with you, you’ll catch this one immediately. Ah, the universal sign of love — remembering little things about your loved one. This is what your man might do in the early stages of your emotional connection — He starts to notice small details about you, details even you never noticed. In fact, here are some of the cutest things men do when they’re falling for someone:
- Your guy notices that you tend to frown when you’re stressed
- He knows your favorite song from when you were in high school
- He knows that ice cream is your comfort food
- He notices what sets you off and avoids doing that
- He notices your fashion style and gets the perfect gifts for you
Remember, true love is not always about huge gestures like rushing to the airport to propose to your partner. It is more about the little things, which give you a glimpse into the psyche of a man falling hard for you. It’s time for you to dance around in happiness. This is a complete giveaway of his romantic feelings for you.
4. He starts being protective of you
How to know if a guy loves you but is hiding it? One of the clear signs a man is falling in love is his tendency to protect his partner. If he starts trying to guard you from even the smallest of issues, it’s a sign he’s slowly falling for you. According to a study, men tend to protect their loved ones since it comes naturally to them. And if this care has extended to you as well, this is the sign you’re looking for. You now occupy a place on his list of close friends and loved ones.
It doesn’t matter if he’s doing it to make you feel more comfortable in the environment you’re in or if he’s trying to shield you from incoming traffic, both situations have one thing in common — He is developing feelings for you.
5. When a man is in love with you, he compliments you
According to a study from the University of Kansas, The Verbal and Nonverbal Correlates of the Five Flirting Styles, every person has a different tactic for communicating attraction and a different flirting style. There is a fine line between complimenting and healthy flirting, but that doesn’t mean you should mistake one for the other. If a man is complimenting you, don’t jump to the wrong conclusions.
To differentiate between romantic feelings and aimless flirting, here’s our tip: It usually portrays genuine interest if the praise is directed toward things about you that very few people notice. Such compliments can surely be taken as hidden signs he is in love with you.
6. Signs a man is in love with you: He drops everything just to meet you
When you’re in love, you find ways to be with your loved one no matter what. If your man spends all his free time with you, he surely has a soft spot for you. You never feel like an option around him; he makes you the main event. He starts to prioritize meeting you to the point of dropping everything just to meet you — These are the signs he’s falling for you but hiding it. He might even subconsciously pencil you in amidst a busy schedule because he “just wanted to see you.”
Also, notice how he reacts when you’re in distress. Nothing is more important than when the person you’re in love with needs you. So, if he starts to push everything aside to offer you support, it is one of the 23 hidden signs a man is falling in love with you.
Related Reading: When You Catch A Guy Staring At You This Is What He Is Thinking
7. He wants to know your future plans and supports your dreams
If in the middle of a stupid conversation, he stops and asks you about your distant future plans, it’s because he thinks you are meant to be together and wants you in his life permanently. He is planning his future around you and is trying to see if you’re on the same page as him. Consider it one of the telltale signs signs he’s falling for you but hiding it.
Not just that, he will also care about your goals and help you feel more confident about achieving them. He will start investing in them too. So, if he’s starting to take a newfound interest in your ambitions, it’s time to sit and talk about your future together.
8. He tries his best to make you happy
Liv, a clinical researcher from Ohio, recalls how they picked up on the signs of a man in love, “No matter his mood or how he was feeling, his priority would be to ensure I’m feeling better. It didn’t matter if I was sad, mad, stressed, or depressed, he would free up some time to help me when I was struggling.”
Here’s the question, though. How to know if a guy loves you but is hiding it from even himself? When a man loves you, he will help you overcome your pain and do his best to improve your mood. It would look like this:
- He will goof around just to make you laugh
- He will send you long paragraphs with cute texts to get you in a good mood
- He will bring you your favorite snacks and chocolates to cheer you up
- He will hug you tightly and try to get you to smile
- He will listen to your problems and let you vent to him
Do you want to know why he does this? It is just one of the many hidden signs a man is falling in love with you. A man will stay restless as long as the one he loves is upset. The list above is his way of taking care of the person he has a deep emotional connection with. So, the first thing he’ll do is to ensure that he’s there to support you. He’ll even learn how to make a girl laugh, just to get you to feel better.
9. You feel a deeper connection forming in your relationship
True love involves a strong connection, that’s a no-brainer — a deep and wide connection that ensures you both understand each other intimately. Men tend to integrate their partners into their lives if they see potential in a loving relationship. This usually manifests in multiple facets of your man’s life and will not always be very obvious. Nevertheless, here are a few signs a man is in love:
- He might ask you to meet his closest friends or family
- He will start bringing you to his favorite activities and introduce you to his hobbies
- He’ll ask you to stop by the workplace; he doesn’t care what others think
10. He picks up thoughtful gifts for you
If you’re looking for signs he is in love with you, this is a clear one. A study shows that gift-giving is a means through which individuals communicate the value they assign to their loved ones. When someone loves and values you, they tend to show it by picking up thoughtful gifts for you. So, this happens to be one of the many things guys do when they secretly like you.
When a man is in love with you, he keeps himself up to date on your life and what you like in order to ensure the gift is meaningful and something you will actually appreciate. He tries to spoil the person he is in love with to the best of his ability.
If you’re unsure of whether he is exhibiting this sign, just lay out all the gifts he’s given you and see if they’re meaningful. They will tell you if this is a man falling hard for you or not. If they’re a result of something you mentioned to him in passing and he turned up at your doorstep with that present in tow, then we don’t need to explain anymore, do we? You can confirm this as one of the hidden signs a man is falling in love with you.
Related Reading: 16 DIY Gifts For Girlfriends — Homemade Gift Ideas To Impress Her
11. He tries to enjoy the things you love
One of the many things guys do when they secretly like you is to take part in your hobbies and interests. So, if your man is trying to enjoy the things you are into, then this is one of the hidden signs a man is falling in love with you. This is also his way of setting a good impression on you. He wants you to know you are an important person in his life.
Participating in your favorite activities with you will make your man happy as he gets to see you smiling and content. This means that if he has to sit through a 2-hour documentary on penguins and their varied habitats just because you want to watch it, he will happily do so. This is one of the signs he’s falling for you but hiding it, because he is subconsciously indulging in all these minor activities without a huge display of love for you.
12. He’s in love if you’re the one who receives the good news first
When something good happens, his first instinct is to call you. Even if it’s as small as him finding a dollar on the floor, you’re the first person he will want to tell about it. So if you find yourself suddenly bombarded with calls or funny texts so he can tell you what happened that day, it’s your sign to understand he likes you.
He shares his own happiness and success with you because he cannot think of anyone else but you to celebrate with. And he will make intense eye contact with you when he tells you something that makes him happy! Take it as a win, and consider it one of the 23 hidden signs a man is falling in love with you.
13. He can tell you’re upset without you saying it
How do you know if a guy is in love? He will always be able to tell whether you’re sad or happy just by your tone or your body language. This is a sure sign of his love. And then, he will make an effort to ensure your bad mood doesn’t linger. One of the hidden signs he is possessed by love is that he picks up on all your subtle emotions, as he now knows you inside out.
When Roxanne, a 24-year-old actor from Santa Fe, started falling for Steve, she would spend days agonizing over whether he liked her or not. But when he started being able to tell she was upset without her having to say it, she knew he liked her back. She didn’t think he had mixed feelings anymore. “When a man starts to fall for you, he becomes more connected to you. So he will start showcasing this superpower of recognizing your mood without you having to utter a single word. You’re only paying attention like this to someone you’re in love with, right?” she says. It’s true. Emotional attunement is certainly the start of a happy, healthy relationship.
14. He loves to spend time with you
How to know if a guy loves you but is hiding it? Craving your presence becomes the norm when a guy starts to fall in love with you, but doesn’t want you to actively know it yet. He clearly expresses his need to spend more quality time with you. In a world full of people governed by unrealistic expectations, this is a spectacular sign of his feelings. Here are some more hidden signs of a man in love:
- Finding ways to talk to you: He might ask you something insignificant that he could have googled or send you a cat photo that he knows you’d love
- Finding excuses to be with you: He will plan activities you both can do together or tell you he is “just around the corner”
- Being physically affectionate: He may use physical touch to convey his feelings like hugging you a little tighter
Related Reading: Quality Time Love Language: Meaning, Ideas And Examples
15. He starts to look at the bright side
One of the greatest signs a man is falling in love with you is that he suddenly develops a brighter outlook toward life. A study on the neurobiology of love indicates that the feeling of love deactivates regions of the brain associated with negative emotions, social judgment, and ‘mentalizing.’
Love happens to be one of the most powerful and optimistic forces on the planet. So even if he used to be a moody and grumpy man before this, he’ll suddenly turn into the happiest man on Earth, a man who never sees the glass half empty. As the positive emotions start to take hold of him, the negative ones start to bid adieu.
16. He rarely uses his phone around you
This is one of the best ways to figure out if he is genuinely interested in you or thinks of you as just a friend. When someone is trying to avoid conversation with you, the first thing to come out will be the phone. But if someone cares deeply about you, about what you have to say, and about having a quality conversation with you, the phone will never leave their pocket. I am actually speaking from my personal experience here.
So, if he only brings out the phone in case of emergencies, it’s a pretty sure sign that he is falling in love with you. His focus will be on you, never on his phone, and he will be completely engrossed in talking to you. When he wants to spend time with you like this, he’s showing his emotional investment and compassionate love for you.
17. He loves your quirks
Everybody has their quirks. If he doesn’t run as fast as he can after hearing you order the same thing everywhere you go, he’s the one! If he finds it endearing and charming, that is even better. If he laughs and teases you about these habits or gives you a silly pet name, these are the signs a man is in love.
Plenty of guys will find your first date nerves cute and funny. But you revealed your weird quirks on the fifth date, and your guy still finds you the cutest. If his reaction to your weirdness is laughing his head off (and not in a hurtful way) and smiling fondly, these are physical attraction signs that he is starting to fall in love with you and understands you very well. This acceptance can transform into an enduring state of strong feelings, and become compassionate love.
18. Signs he is in love with you — His future plans include you
When a man is in love with you, he starts to talk about his future goals with you and asks what you think of them. He’s checking if you place yourself right next to him in those plans or not. He might talk about these things:
- Does he tell you where he pictures himself in the next five years?
- Has he started talking about what his career goals look like?
- Does he talk about raising his own family?
If you’re worried and thinking “I am falling in love but I’m not sure he is,” you can stop fretting if there is significant talk from his end about the future. When men talk about their plans, they’re giving a sign that they’re ready to settle down. So, if your boyfriend has started mapping out his future and talks to you about it regularly, it’s because he sees you both in a long-term relationship. These could even be the signs he wants to marry you.
19. He doesn’t play games with you
You know what they say: Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. That’s what happens when someone resorts to games and dirty tricks in relationships. If a guy is actually in love with you, he will be straightforward with you. He won’t make you jump through hoops to understand whether he loves you or not. A few clear signs that he likes you romantically are:
- He will make the necessary effort and ask you out
- He will do everything he can to include you in his life
- He will be honest if he doesn’t have the time to answer your calls or texts
Related Reading: Is My Best Friend in Love With Me? Quiz
20. He understands your love language
Some people love receiving hugs, and some hate it. Some find it endearing when their partner gives them gifts, while some prefer words of affirmation instead. All this is just to say that everyone has a different love language and if you truly care about your partner, you make an effort to learn it. So, how do you know if a guy is in love or has some kind of a crush on you? If you find a guy speaking your love language often, and intentionally, it is one of the hidden signs he is in love with you.
Many men pay attention to your needs when they want to make you feel content and comfortable. Whether your love language is acts of service, words of affirmation, or physical touch, he will start speaking it soon. He’s trying to send a message that he cares about you.
21. When a man falls in love, he can be himself around you
When we love someone, our actions of love speak louder than words. We tend to be completely comfortable around them whenever we spend time with them. So, if your partner is not afraid to be himself around you, it’s one of the most obvious signs of a man in love.
He will not hesitate to dip his fries into ice cream if he’s truly in love with you. He knows he can be himself without worrying about you judging him. He even indulges in acts of physical touch like touching your hair, tickling you, and playing around in other ways. You’re only days away from him confessing “I am falling in love” to you!
22. He starts to be more present
One of the hidden signs a man is falling in love with you is that he will start paying more attention to you. You’ll get out-of-the-blue kisses and you’ll find him giving all his attention in the relationship to you, even if you’re just telling a joke. All of these are signs he’s falling for you and that he has romantic feelings.
An increase in his mindfulness means an upgrade in your relationship. Many men don’t usually invest in people unless they’re interested in them. So, if he starts to be more present with you, without you having to pester him about it, it’s because he sees a future with you.
Related Reading: 30 Things To Do To Make Your Girlfriend Happy
23. He gets a little jealous
We saved the trump card for the last — He starts to get jealous. If you need to be sure about his feelings for you, try to bring out his jealous side and see what happens. Some women consider this a red flag, but that really depends on the situation.
A few of the hidden signs a man is falling in love with you: Does he get jealous just because some other man wants to spend time with you? Does he get jealous every time you talk to your ex? Jealousy can be a great tool in your arsenal if you don’t know how to gauge someone’s feelings. So, use this tool and start paying attention to his behavior (but just once) to be sure whether he likes you or not.
Key Pointers
- If you can tick off multiple signs from this list, then you can reach the conclusion that your man loves you a lot
- It can be a little hard to tell when a man falls in love, but if you pay attention to the way he expresses care for you, you’ll know
- A guy who is falling for you would prioritize you, enjoy the things you do, love spending time with you, love your quirks, include you in his future plans, and speak your love language
Now, we hope you are no longer wondering, “How do you know if a guy is in love?” The purpose of us enumerating these 23 hidden signs a man is falling in love with you is to allay your worries so that you know this man cares for you deeply. If you spot even a few of these, you might be able to take the next step in your relationship.
A word of caution, though: Don’t take this ‘signs a man is in love’ list to be the ultimate proof of his affection for you. You can’t confirm your suspicions without proper communication. If personal experience has taught me anything, it’s that there is no point living in your assumptions. So, go talk to him. And if he still can’t, confess your feelings first!
10 Things You Can Do When A Guy Acts Interested, Then Backs Off
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