34 Ways Guys Hint They Like You (2024): In Real Life & Through Text

Welcome to your comprehensive list of ways guys hint they like you.

Ways Guys Hint They Like You
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Below, you’ll discover 34 of the most common subtle hints you’ll spot when a guy likes you. 

In my role as a life coach, I am often helping clients better understand themselves and those closest to them. 

That’s why I’m excited to share this guide with you. 

So, let’s dive in. 

Contents hide
How Do You Tell If A Man Is Attracted To You But Hiding It?

How Do You Tell If A Man Is Attracted To You But Hiding It?

My list of 34 subtle signs a guy likes you is divided in six categories for your reading pleasure.

Guys Behavior When They Like You

1. He Touches You Unecessarily

This is one of the most obvious signs a guy likes you. Physical contact is a key part of flirting. He won’t do this if you’re just friends, because there’s too much of a risk that you won’t like it.

Related Reading: Subtle Signs He Likes You MORE Than A Friend

2. He Invades Your Personal Space

This is a subtle body language cue that a guy will only do to see if you’re on the same page romantically. If you back away, he’ll (hopefully) read that you’re uncomfortable with the idea of being physical with him. If you don’t back away, that’s a great sign that you’re OK with it.

3. He Makes An Effort To Be Liked

If he’s not the people-pleaser type who tries to be liked by just anyone, but he makes an effort to try and impress you, that’s another clear sign that a guy likes you. 

4. He’s Jealous Of Other Men Around You

Why would he act jealous of other men if he didn’t want you all to himself in an intimate relationship?  

5. He Tries To Compete With Other Guys

If he tries to prove that he’s better than other men, he either likes you or has a serious ego problem. 

6. He’s Finding Excuses To Be Around You

Guys don’t do this even with close friends. They’ll only find excuses to spend time with you one-on-one if they want to seduce you. 

What Are Subtle Signs A Guy Likes You?

7. He Looks You Up And Down

This is an unconscious body language hint that many guys do when they’re attracted to someone.

8. His Body Language Shows He’s Romantically Interested

We’ve already mentioned breaching your space. Does he also maintain eye contact in an intense way? Is his body always turned towards you when you speak? These are more tell-tale signs of attraction.

9. That Spark In His Eyes

If a guy likes you, you’ll be able to see it when you make eye contact. That spark of desire in his eyes is hard to explain, but you’ll know it when you see it.

10. He Glances At Your Lips

This is another subtle body language tell that happens subconsciously when a guy likes you.

11. He’s Always Focused On You In Group Situations

If he’s giving you his undivided attention only talking to you, even when his other male friends are in the room? It’s rare for a guy to do this, unless he is attracted to a woman.

12. He Seems Distracted

If he seems distracted or distant around you, it’s often because he’s nervous.

Is he nervous around other people or just you? That’s the dead giveaway as far as whether he likes you. 

If he only seems distracted around you, that’s because talking to you is a big deal for him. Most likely, he’s too busy figuring out how to push things forward with you to be relaxed and calm while talking.  

Related: Psychological Signs Someone Likes You

What Do Guys Say When They Like You?

13. They Try To Discover Your Relationship Status

Most guys won’t care about your love life unless they’re romantically interested in you. 

14. He Compliments Your Appearance

Again, most guys won’t risk doing this on a woman they don’t find attractive. Some will though.  So, it’s once again key to compare how he treats you versus other women. Does he compliment  most women or only you?  

15. He Talks About Your Body

Most men are socially savvy enough not to talk about this unless they’re trying to flirt. 

16. He Discusses Sexual Topics

Again, most men won’t risk getting into these risque topics unless they’re naturally flirty. 

17. He Boasts

When a guy boasts, he’s either trying to impress you or someone else in the periphery. If you’re the only one who can hear him, that’s a telltale sign that he’s attracted to you. Either that or he has a serious ego problem.

18. He Talks Badly About Your Boyfriend

This is one of the most clear signs that a guy likes you. One of your guy friends might do it if it’s incredibly obvious that this guy is an asshole. But, even then, a lot of close friends still won’t pry into your dating life like this, if only because it can get a bit awkward when you disagree with them.

19. He Asks About Your Future Plans

If a guy asks for a detailed overview of your plans for the next week, the chances are he’s trying to figure out the best time to pitch your first date.

When A Guy Has A Crush On You, He Always Says These Words

20. Sexy, Beautiful, Stunning, Gorgeous Etc

These less-than-subtle compliments will never leave his lips unless he’s attracted to you. The one exception to this rule is if he’s gay.

21. Date, Adventure, Rendez-Vu, Escapade Etc

If you’re arranging to meet and he tries to spice it up using these words, he’s usually hinting that he wants you to see it as something more than two friends hanging out.

22. Connection, Relationship, Bond, Chemistry Etc

If he’s using these words to describe the two of you, he’s most likely dropping hints that he likes you and hoping that you’ll agree. Gay gays are once again the exception here, as they are partial to the occasional use of flamboyant idioms. 

Ways Guys Hint They Like You Through Text

23. He Texts You For No Significant Reason

Guys aren’t the type to text ‘just for a chat’, unless they’re trying to build a romantic connection. 

24. He Replies Quickly To Your Texts

This is an obvious sign that you’re important to him. However, it’s so obvious that some guys will deliberately text back slowly to play hard to get. Why does the dating game have to be so confusing?

Related Reading: Signs – How To Tell If A Guy Likes You But Is Hiding It

25. He Tells You Cool Stuff About His Life, Even If You Don’t Ask

It’s rare for men to do this unless they have a crush on a woman. If it seems like he’s texting you his entire life story, you can be pretty sure he has a crush on you.  

26. Compliments

Bonus points if he’s leaving compliments on the pictures you uploaded to your social media accounts. Of all the signs a guy likes you, this is perhaps one of the most surefire signs. 

27. He’s Excessively Positive

If he reacts incredibly positively in his text messages, he’s trying to build rapport with you. This is true when you’re talking in real life too, by the way.

Excessive liking of your social media posts, use of exclamation marks or addition of the final letter of a word (e.g heyyyyy) definitely count as hints. These small details can reveal a lot about a man’s intense feelings.  

28. Use Of Emojis

It’s genrally known that some emojis are reserved for flirting. This includes the kiss emoji, the aubergine and the peach. If you know, you know. If he’s using them, he probably knows…

Related Reading: 😘 Meaning From A Guy & Others: Complete Guide

Ways Guys Hint They Like You At Work

29. He Treats You Differently To His Colleagues 

Does he treat them professionally and you casually? Is he trying extra-hard to discover the ‘real you’ outside of work? That’s a good sign that he’s trying to make you feel some kind of way about him.

30. He’s Seemingly Always In A Good Mood Around You

Work ‘friends’ often bond about how miserable their work is. It’s the easiest form of common ground for them to reach. However, most men know that being a misery-guts isn’t that attractive.

So, if he’s always cheerful in your presence – or at least trying to act ‘cool’ around you and not others – take that as a not-so-subtle sign that he likes you. 

31. Playful Nicknames 

This is another example of casual behavior that separates crushes from colleagues.

32. Teasing

Teasing is a common form of flirting, although friends do often tease each other too. However, If a guy is walking the tightrope of teasing you at work, it’s probably because he has a crush on you.

33. He Finds Excuses For You To Be Alone Together

Are you always paired together for group projects? Does he always volunteer to help you with little things around the office? Do you always find yourselves talking at the water fountain?

34. He Focuses Only On You At The After-Work Drinks Or The Xmas Party

This is one of the easiest ways to know if a guy from work likes you. Everyone knows that these events are where the magic happens between colleagues. So, if he’s especially keen to be spending time with you here, it’s probably because he’s planning to make his move. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s round off the guide with the answers to some frequently asked questions about this topic. 

How Do You Tell If Someone Is Hinting That They Like You?

The more of the hints listed above that they show, the more sure you can be that a guy likes you. 

How To Trick A Guy Into Admitting He Likes You

There are subtle ways to tell if someone is hinting that they like you, but there’s no need for you to co-operate with these silly mind games. You’re not the nine-year-old in the playground gossiping with the other girls about whether a boy likes you.

The best way to know if a guy likes you is to ask him. Stick with that. 

Then, you can go ahead and let them know if you feel the same way.

How Can I Make A Guy Like Me?

If you’re wondering how to make a guy like you, I’d recommend you read my list of principles on how to be a high-value woman.

There’s also a guide I wrote on activating a man’s ‘Hero Instinct’. Relationship expert James Bauer created the concept of the ‘Hero Instinct’, as well as a formula for tapping into a man’s innate drivers of passion. Once you do that, he’ll see you as more of a candidate for a relationship and he’ll start giving you a lot more attention. Here’s a link to the guide.

These guides aren’t the only ones on this topic featured on my blog, but I think they’ll help you the most.    

Any More Questions? 

Thanks for reading my list of ways guys hint they like you.

If you have any questions on this topic, feel free to leave a comment below. 

It would be great to hear from you.

About The Author

Bijan Kholghi is a certified life coach with the Milton Erickson Institute Heidelberg (Germany). He helps clients and couples reach breakthroughs in their lives by changing subconscious patterns. His solution-oriented approach is based on Systemic- and Hypnotherapy.

Bijan