“What’s your love language?” This has become an increasingly common question within dating app conversations recently. The five different love languages — quality time, gifts, physical touch, acts of service, and words of affirmation — have become key to understanding what both parties need from a relationship.
So, what is the giving and receiving gifts love language, how do you about satisfying a partner with this, and what does all this mean for a relationship? We’ve covered all this — and more — below!
The Five Love Languages: A Quick Recap
Since the publication of Dr. Gary Chapman’s The 5 Love Languages, there’s been an increased focus on how love languages can affect relationships. The idea is that by learning our partner’s love language, we’re able to connect with them in the way that makes them feel best.
Before diving into detail though, we’ve put together a quick recap of what the five languages are and what they mean.
• Words of affirmation: Receiving validating and loving communication from your partner, whether that’s through inspiring goodnight messages, words of encouragement, or heartfelt love paragraphs.
• Physical touch: Giving and receiving love through physical contact such as hand holding, massages, and cuddling up on the couch.
• Acts of service: Demonstrating and feeling love through helpful, genuine actions. This can include things like making coffee in the morning, vacuuming the house, or making dinner.
• Quality time: Giving and receiving love by regularly carving out time in your schedule to spend meaningful time with a partner.
• Gifts: Showing and receiving love through meaningful gifts that act as tokens of appreciation. These can range from small notes to larger, expensive gifts.
What Is the Receiving Gifts Love Language?
The gifts love language describes people who show or feel love through giving or receiving a tangible item. When Dr. Chapman initially published his book, this love language was referred to as the receiving gifts love language. Since then, the term has spread to encompass gift-giving as well.
Unfortunately, there’s often a stigma associated with the gifts love language. It’s sometimes unfairly labeled as materialistic or greedy. But, this stigma comes from a fundamental misunderstanding of what makes a gift special. For those with this love language, the monetary value of a gift isn’t what’s important. It’s the thought and care that went into it that counts. Regardless of the gift itself, this thought helps to show a partner that you’re constantly on their mind.
How Do You Love Someone Whose Love Language Is Gifts?
The key to knowing how love to someone whose love language is gifts is picking out something that with genuine sentimental value. Buying a gift with no thought put into it is worse than giving no gift at all.
When your significant other’s love language is giving and receiving gifts, the best thing that you can do is be an active listener. Pay attention to what they talk about, what their interests are, and what makes them happy. Then, seek out a gift based on this. Remember, monetary value isn’t what’s important here. The gifts should act as small reminders that your partner is always on your mind.
17 Gift-Giving Love Language Ideas
The most special gifts are the ones that come in the moments your partner least expects. Always seek out occasions where a gift-giving love language idea strikes you. To get you started, we’ve put together a few of our favorite ideas to help you on a path to picking a perfect gift.
1. Memorize their coffee order: Before work in the morning, make a Starbucks run and surprise them when they wake up with their go-to latte.
2. Make a scrapbook: Organize a collection of your favorite moments and memories together.
3. Get them a custom star map: Works well for an important date, like your anniversary, their birthday, or the moment you first met.
4. Buy a gift card for a spa: If your partner has been having a stressful time lately, organize a full day of relaxing treatment. If that’s a little out of budget, surprise them with a home spa kit.
5. Make them a playlist: Put this together alongside a note that explains why you chose each song for them.
6. Sign them up for a monthly subscription box: This means that they’ll have a new gift to look forward to each month. Just make sure it’s something you know they’ll love and that suits their personality.
7. Give them a keepsake: This could be a collection of things from moments you’ve spent together, like an ornament filled with sea glass picked up during your walks on the beach
8. Pick them up for dinner: And head out to their favorite restaurant after work.
9. Pre-order a new book: Does your significant other have a favorite author? Pre-order their new book so they have it the first day it’s available. Bonus points if you order a signed copy!
10. Pick up supplies to encourage their hobby: For instance, if your significant other loves to crochet, buy them a big bag of yarn to use for their next project.
11. Order lunch: Have it sent straight to their office if they’re at work.
12. Pick up their favorite snack food: Whether you’re out at the store or on your way home, grab some of their favorite snacks to surprise them when you get home.
13. Buy classes for a business venture: Whether it’s an idea they want to try or a hobby they’ve always wanted to learn, this one will help to show your belief in them.
14. Send them a surprise box: Try a service like Goldbelly so they can get a box full of their favorite food.
15. Bring them their favorite flowers: Whether it’s a single rose or an extravagant bouquet, this is always a winner.
16. Give a themed gift box: Choose a theme that resonates with them, like their favorite movie or TV show.
17. Add a gift to an ongoing collection: Does your partner collect something, like snowglobes or Beanie Babies? Look for one they don’t have yet and pick them up a new piece for their collection.
These ideas aren’t about money. You don’t need to show off how much you can spend to make someone with the gifts love language feel good. Whether you bought it or made it by hand, the point is that you did it because you were thinking of them.
It’s the Thought That Counts
Yes, it’s a cliché. But, the age-old phrase “It’s the thought that counts”, truly is the case here. The gift-giving love language is all about listening to your partner and picking out tangible items that you think would make them feel special for who they are.
Generosity is a key part of any good relationship. For someone whose love language is receiving gifts, the best thing you can do is get them something that only you would know to give them. That way, you’re really showing them just how much they mean to you.
