Men can be incredibly difficult to read when it comes to relationships, because they’re known for keeping their emotions and feeling to themselves. And it’s not always their fault—man men have been taught that being seen as overly emotional or in touch with their feminine side is a sign of weakness; which of course, it’s not.
So how do you know if a man is in love?
Here are some of the most tell-tale signs.
1. He listens to you.
Does he remember important dates like your birthday or when you first became a couple? Do you feel like he’s fully present whenever you need to talk to him about something?
Does he remember little things you tell him, like your favorite color, how you like your coffee in the mornings, and the name of your family members and best friends?
If he’s in love, he’ll make a point of remembering all of these details, because he’ll be listening to you intently whenever you speak to him. This shows he values what you have to say.
2. He owns up to his mistakes.
When a man is in love, he puts his stubbornness and pride aside, and is always willing to admit to his mistakes. This isn’t always easy for him, but he does it, because you mean more to him than his ego.
When you fall out, he’ll always accept responsibility for his part in it, and doesn’t play the blame game—because he sees you as a team.
3. He’s happy doing ordinary things with you.
If he’s willing to come grocery shopping with you, hang around clothes shops while you try a hundred things on, or go pick your dry cleaning up with you; it doesn’t mean he’s mildly interested in any of those things. He’s interested in spending as much time as he possibly can with you!
4. He cooks for you.
This is a big sign he’s in love, especially when he doesn’t know his way around the kitchen, or enjoy cooking much. If he cooks for you, he’s trying to show you that you’re worth that time and effort, and how that gesture makes you feel is way more important than how much he likes cooking.
He wants to impress you, and he wants you to feel cared for.
5. Spends time with the people you love.
You’re not able to pick the family and friends of the person you date, which usually means there’s at least one person you don’t really get on with, or cannot stand!
But despite this, a man in love will put his feelings aside and spend time with the people you love, because he knows they’re important to you, so it’s important to him.
6. He asks for your advice.
A lot of men find it difficult to ask for help, and like to make out they can handle everything themselves and that they know what’s best. So if a man asks for your advice or opinion regularly when trying to make a decision about something, it means he values your opinion, and trusts what you have to say enough to allow it to guide him.
7. He always thinks you look beautiful.
As women, we tend to be the ones who criticize our appearances the most. If we’ve just woken up first thing, or we’re lounging around in our sweatpants at home, or we’ve got a spot in the middle of our face; we tend to feel unattractive. But a man in love will still think you look beautiful in all of those moments, and he’ll tell you.
Your relationship is much deeper than just a physical connection, and your inner beauty is what always shines through to him.
8. He talks about the future.
If you find him wanting to plan vacations and experiences with you more than a few months in advance, and he says ‘we’ instead of ‘I’, it means he sees you in his future.
And a man who sees you in his future is a man who is in love with you.
9. He’s affectionate towards you.
Does he grab your hand and hold it when you’re walking down the street? Does he kiss you on the forehead unexpectedly when you’ve got your head in a book? Does he cuddle you when you’re stressed or freaking out about something, and need soothing?
It’s these little displays of affection that mean he’s constantly thinking about you, and that he cares deeply for you.
10. He remembers to do the little things you love.
If you find he picks up a bunch of flowers for you randomly on Tuesday, because he knows you love them; or he cooks you your favorite dinner, or sends you a text in the middle of the day to see how you are—it’s because he wants to do all of those little things he knows you appreciate so much more than grand gestures or gifts.
A man in love pays attention to the little things, always.
