Can’t tell if a guy is interested in you?
You’re not alone. This article is specifically for you.
We often say guys miss clues from girls every time, but I think girls aren’t any different.
Precious, one of our clients, messaged me recently asking: how to know if a guy likes you.
She’s 21 and incredibly inexperienced when it comes to how to tell if someone likes you.
Not only that, she’s super shy and never had a boyfriend.
She’s painfully oblivious to guys’ advances.
Her mom and friends usually tell her that guys are checking her out.
There’s a guy at work she has a huge crush on. They seem to get along so well as friends. And he’s very sweet to her.
But she can’t tell if he’s just being nice or really into her.
Worse part?
Her crush on him makes her perspective skewed.
You’re probably going through a similar situation.
So, in this article, I’ll share some early dating signs he likes you.
11 Signs A Guy Secretly Likes You But Hiding It
1. He Starts And Stay Longer In Conversations With You
Can’t forget:
I was just 16 years old. I had never asked a girl out before—a complete rookie in the dating game.
I had this terrible and stomach-turning crush on Clara.
She lived just two blocks away.
Since I was shy and lacked confidence, I didn’t know what to say or how to start up a conversation.
So, each time I saw her pass by, I’d just wave at her.
But I wanted more than just a wave. I wanted to talk to her.
What did I do?
One day, I followed her to a grocery store nearby. I went to get a biscuit. (Don’t laugh, please)
She, on the other hand, came out with two bags. It was a perfect opportunity for me to strike.
I asked if I could help her with one of the bags since we were heading in the same direction, and she agreed.
From there, I got to know her name, the school she attends, and some other little personal information.
It was the beginning of a friendship until they moved out of the estate a few months later.
I felt high and super excited that day – as if I’d just won a lottery.
If a guy likes you, he’ll make a sincere effort to strike up a personal conversation with you.
And anytime you both have the opportunity to talk, he would look for ways to stretch the conversation for you to spend more time with him.
Granted.
Sometimes, it can be unpleasant, and he may get anxious and say things that don’t make sense, or he may not be able to say much at all, resulting in that awkward silence.
And that’s because he’s nervous.
When I talked with Clara on our way home, there were moments I didn’t know what to say. I got mute.
2. He’s Nervous Around You
Before I even muster the courage to step out and approach Clara, I spent some time giving myself some pep talks, like…
“Nelson, you can do this.” “This is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. Don’t miss it.” Etc.
And even as I approached her, my heart beat as if to push out of my throat. My legs were shaking, and my palm was sweating.
I was a little boy afraid of getting rejected and making a mess of himself.
So, I was nervous.
One of the ways to know if someone likes you is nervousness.
If you pay attention to the things he does when he comes close to you or in front of you, you’ll notice that…
He mumbles words together. He stutters as he speaks to you. You see him scratching his hair and making other tense gestures.
This isn’t a joke.
It’ll be obvious he’s attempting to create an excellent first impression. And that’s why he’s apprehensive.
Trying to make his words come out perfectly, sporadic smiles, shaky hands, feeling shy, and uneasy eye contact are all signs of nervousness.
When you see any of these, it’s one of the signs he secretly likes you.
3. His Body Language Will Tell You
I only understood this in retrospection.
Not until a few years later, when I started to study human behavior, did I realize how much of my body language sold me out on Clara.
I’m not sure she even got the clues since she was around my age…maybe three or two years younger.
At first, when I didn’t have the confidence to approach her, I’d wave at her each time she passed by.
And look for the slightest chance to get close to her and make her notice me. I’d smile sheepishly whenever she waved back at me.
I also wanted her to see me. I’ll talk about eye contact shortly. But each of my actions was deliberate.
One of the signs that a boy likes you is his body language.
And a guy that is shy about approaching you to express his feelings will use body language to let you know he likes you.
He’d always find ways to come near you.
And if you’re in school or at work, he’d jump at the chance to sit close to you…possibly next to you.
And if you ever get the chance to talk, you’d see him lean forward.
His entire body would be pointing at you. That means he’s open and interested.
You have his full attention.
Plus, he smiles a lot when around you and frequently fidgets.
And that brings me to the next point. Which is:
4. Eye Contact
Before I even became friends with Clara, I used to stare at her… a lot!
And quickly look away whenever she catches me staring at her. And then, I’d look again—kind of back and forth thing.
At first, she probably thought I was weird. Honestly, I was.
I just stared at her passionately when she wasn’t aware of it.
You can’t blame me for this; she was beautiful. But she almost always caught me every single time.
At times, I just kept the stare a little longer – especially after we became friends.
And no, I’m not talking about the creepy kind of look.
I’m talking about the “I notice you, I find you attractive” kind of look.
When you notice any of these signs in a guy, it shows he’s admiring you.
We can’t keep our eyes off when we like a girl.
And we don’t even realize that it’s so obvious.
5. He Keeps His Promises
At the time, I was two classes ahead of Clara.
I remember her complaining about her Math assignment…
That if she doesn’t do it before the deadline (which was just two days away), she will lose some marks in her upcoming exams.
I told her it wouldn’t happen that I’d come by to her house and put her through.
Guess the topic?
It was simultaneous equation: the graphical method.
Honestly, I didn’t do well on the topic myself. I just hated plotting graphs.
But I had already promised her I was going to put her through.
That night, I got home, brought out my Math textbook, and began studying.
My parents were shocked. The way I studied all through the night, they thought I had an important exam coming up.
I told them I wanted to help my new friend with her assignment. They all laughed.
Was I able to pull through?
You bet. Even though, at a point, I got tired of the whole graph thing.
But I didn’t want to disappoint her. I tried to impress her.
One of the sure signs a guy secretly likes you at work or anywhere is that he never wants to disappoint you after he’s promised to do something for you.
He’d go above and beyond to ensure he put smiles on your face.
And it doesn’t matter the promise made.
6. He Remembers Everything You Say To Him
How can you tell if someone likes you? They’ll remember even the most minor details about you.
She was shocked – with her mouth wide open.
“How did you know this? I can’t remember telling anyone about my fight in school,” she said.
You see, a week before this discussion, Clara casually mentioned during one of our conversations that she got into a fight with her best friend in school.
And that the school authority had to punish them.
She didn’t tell anyone in the house, not even her siblings or parents.
I brought it up because I wanted to know how she was getting along with her friend and if they’d settled their difference or still ignored each other.
Not only that, I remembered almost everything we discussed – including her favourite colour. I still do. It was pink!
You’ll be shocked to discover that a guy who secretly likes you even though he’s hiding it remembers everything you say to him…
Whether it’s your favourite celebrity or movie or colour…whatever!
A guy who likes you will always be attentive to the things you say, no matter how trivial they are or could be.
This is how he shows his affection towards you and that you’re important to him…and he’s interested in getting to know you better.
7. He Uses Social Media To Stay In Touch With You
When I had a crush on Clara, there was nothing like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other social media. I’m talking about early 2000.
But these days, the story is different.
Every one of us uses a smartphone and has social media accounts.
So, how do you tell if a guy likes you online? It’s pretty simple.
A guy who likes you will make an effort to stay in touch with you regularly just to get to know you and learn more about your life.
And if you make a post or share any photo of you, he’ll almost certainly be the first to comment with a heartfelt response.
One sign that a boy likes you is that he would DM you whenever he sees you online if he’s not shy and makes an effort to keep a text conversation going.
And if you want to know signs he likes you over text, watch out for his flirty and teasing messages.
A guy who’s shy and afraid of rejection will use more social media and technology than face-to-face conversation with you.
He knows that social media will hide his awkwardness.
8. He Replies Your Message Promptly
No matter how busy a guy claims to be, he will always find time for the things that are important to him.
If he is interested in you, he will always be on the lookout for your messages, and when they do arrive, he will answer quickly.
It makes no difference in the number of unread texts on his phone.
One obvious sign he likes you is that he prioritizes you. And it shows in the way he handles everything that concerns you.
9. He Compliments You Constantly
You probably know this: girls love compliments. And guys know this, too.
We’re attracted to people that make us feel good about ourselves.
And that’s why, if a guy likes you, he’ll always compliment you to make you feel good.
He notices your clothing and will never miss a chance to tell you how beautiful you’re in them.
10. He Flirts And Teases You
This may appear to be a silly means to capture someone’s attention, but it’s an approach many guys apply when they desire a girl.
They assume that by teasing her, she will become fascinated with them.
They’re usually harmless and just friendly remarks, so don’t take them to heart.
He’s only trying to get your attention because he has a crush on you.
It’s natural for him to flirt with you.
11. He’s A Gentleman Around You
If you say chivalry is dead, it’s most likely because you’ve never been in the company of a man who likes you.
He’ll always strive to exhibit his best qualities in the hopes that you’ll find them appealing enough to like him.
He’ll pull your chair out whenever you go out, open the door for you, and even accompany you home.
He treats you nicely and respects you like a gentleman. And always ask whether you’re comfortable.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Know If A Guy Likes You Secretly?
He may think his secret is safe, but his actions and body language betray him every time.
A guy who secretly likes you will always smile whenever he’s around you and stare at you. He’ll try to touch you and make you notice him.
He’ll stare at you, but he cannot sustain eye contact because of his shyness.
How Do Guys Act When They Are Falling In Love And Are Scared?
They use body language to communicate with you. They try to be kind and friendly to you.
And because they’re scared of getting rejected, they’ll try to hide their feelings for you.
How To Know If A Guy Loves You But Is Hiding It?
Once again, body language reveals a lot about a person.
A guy that secretly loves you will try very hard to impress you. He respects you and treats you differently.
Like the way he looks into your eyes and want to physically touch you.
How Do You Tell If A Guy Likes You But Doesn’t Want To Admit It?
It all boils down to body language and his behaviours around you.
If a guy doesn’t admit he likes you after you’ve made it easier for him, chances are, he doesn’t.
I mean, who wouldn’t admit that he wants a girl when she’s already done the work for him.
When you ask him, unless he’s playing games, he’ll acknowledge it.