You believe that girls and boys can be friends, right?
Well, science says that a man takes about 8.2 seconds to fall in love. Considering how short this time span is, what makes you think your male friend hasn’t fallen for you after all this long time you have spent together? Think about it. Sounds weird?
Don’t worry. This is not always the case.
Not all your male friends are in love with you, and true friendship exists, but some signs can show that he wishes for something more. And it doesn’t take much than just paying a bit more attention to notice it.
If he is acting a little bit strange, as described below, then he could be looking for a romantic relationship. We have fifteen exact signs that point towards this.
15 Signs Your Male Friend Has Feelings For You
1. He Talks To You More Than Most
Firstly, you know that if someone likes you, they will make an effort to talk with you more often than usual. Maybe he is trying to keep it cool and act like it’s only a normal conversation, but when you notice that he starts conversations for trivial reasons, that leaves room for suspicion.
It’s quite normal to talk with friends often, but when he starts encouraging conversations regularly by sending memes, jokes, or just greetings for no reason, then you better keep an eye on that guy. The chances are that he is hoping for you to catch these hints and respond to his feelings equally.
Especially when he starts checking on you regularly for no reason. (“e.g ‘Hey, what have you been doing all afternoon?’ or ‘Why did you reply so late? What were you doing?'”). He can’t keep his feelings for himself anymore, and it’s waiting for a sign on your part.
2. You Find Yourself Having “Moments”
Love lives in small gestures. You don’t have to wait for him to word those feelings to you in order to be assured that he feels something more than friendship. Having ‘moments’ with this guy is a clear indicator. By ‘moments’, we mean that he adds intimacy to simple actions and gestures.
For instance, these moments could be found in hugs or eye contact with him. When a hug or eye contact lasts a little too long than usual, it’s because he is trying to imply that you’re dearer than a friend to him. When he hugs you tight for longer than usual, he’s craving intimacy with you.
They say that eyes are a window towards the soul, and a quick glance can tell you so much about his feeling towards you. If you catch him looking at you secretly or you stare at each other for a few seconds intimately when you are in a group environment, that’s a sign.
3. He Tries To Impress You
If your male friend feels about you, then he will do everything to win over the girl he likes. It means that he will try to throw catchy punchlines to make you laugh or compliment you often on your actions or appearance.
You’ll see that he doesn’t do the same with other female friends.
Also, you could notice him showing off occasionally for you to see that he’s a great man who knows how to treat his partner. Other times he might even try to impress you with gifts for your birthday in the name of your friendship or go as far as throwing R-rated lines to get you talking about sex. (This probably happens when he’s drunk, for which we’ll talk in the 11th sign.)
Not only could he try to win you over with compliments but even by helping you with material needs. For instance, he ‘fights’ to pay when you sit together even though it’s your turn. Moreover, if you’ve mentioned what you like in a man, he’ll attempt to impress you by acting like THE MAN.
4. He Asks You A Lot Of Questions
Naturally, when we are attracted to someone, we’d want to know every detail about their life, preferences, or goals. When a man likes you, he’ll constantly ask about the things that make you happy and if there’s anything you’re struggling with at the moment. It’s a very common practice to ask questions to grow the bond.
However, it doesn’t have to always be an important matter. He could start questioning you more often about trivial things just to get you speaking with full attention to him (e.g “Do you like Instagram’s new update?“). Nothing is trivial for someone who simply wants to listen to your voice.
Then, he surely might ask about important details related to your dating life, such as whether you prefer using dating apps or meeting people offline, or ask you to describe your ideal date. Notice how he waits for your answer.
If he’s patiently staring into your eyes and has put the phone away, the chances are that he’s doing so because he deeply cares about you more than a friend.
5. He Opens Up To You
Another sign relates again to the types of conversations he’s having with you. Men don’t usually open up with anyone, so if he’s telling you, “I haven’t told anyone else about this”, that shows you’re special to him. You may find yourself discussing his problems or issues he rarely talks about.
Now, during this time, he might take your attention as a sign of care for him on a deeper level than a friend. So be careful of giving mixed signals if you don’t want to give false hopes and break his heart. He’s trying to strengthen the emotional connection between the two to create space for something more than friendship.
It’s true that these conversations happen between two close friends as well, but there’s a difference in the way a guy who feels about you shares things and waits for an opinion compared to a close friend. He’s approaching it with the hope you’ll open up with him in the same way and develop this bond into something stronger.
6. He Looks At You In A Passionate Way
Never neglect eye contact with people. It tells you more than words can explain. Not only when it comes to love, but virtually about any relationship. Just observing carefully how a man looks at you, the way he stops talking when you start speaking and stares at you means a lot. When his eyes show compassion, it’s up to you whether to take it further or make it clear that you’re not interested in being more than friends with him.
Be aware of the way he stares at you when you ask him about something or when you simply say “Hi”. Especially when these glances are accompanied by slight happy smiles. If your presence truly means a lot to him, then he can’t help but look at you and smile. Friends don’t stare at each other with sparkling eyes. Remember that.
This isn’t everything, though. The way he looks at you shows more than whether he has affectionate feelings toward you. The manner in which he observes you could also reveal his intentions. For instance, if he keeps his eyes on your clothes and body parts, it might be more like a desire for a fling rather than true love.
(Note: If his eyes are fixated on your face, it’s more likely to be love.)
7. He Makes Jokes About You Two As A Couple
An old expression remarks that jokes tell half of the truth. So jokes can be a way he has chosen to give you hints about his feelings. How you respond to these jokes matters a lot because he’s waiting for hints too. Therefore keep in mind not to give false hopes if you don’t want a relationship with him.
Has he ever mentioned going together on vacations or jokingly told you how he’d treat you if you were his partner?
Jokes are sometimes pieces of desire that we can’t hold anymore and blurt out covered in laughter. However, there’s something else you can get from these jokes: picturing what a relationship between the two would be like. Maybe it’s time for you to really think about it.
Who knows!?
Maybe you could be a great couple since you go along well as friends?
Otherwise, be careful of letting these jokes go too far. Nothing happens without your permission. If you don’t leave space for him to assume it as an option, he’ll stop. But if you do allow it, then it might even escalate to a serious fight or dirty talk. Firmly respect the borders of friendship. When you notice him going too far with this couple thing, it’s time to have a talk.
8. He’s Calling You Pretty Names
He wants to give you clues that he likes you more than just a friend, and compliments are a small indicator of this. Even though it’s normal for friends and other people to compliment your appearance and even call you sweet nicknames when things get more intimate, it’s not friendship. Remember, friends usually call names to make fun of each other.
If he starts calling you “sweetie”, or “hun” more often than usual, then the chances are that he can’t contain himself without expressing his feelings.
We all assign our friends nicknames, but between friends, they are either funny or neutral comparisons but never names words used between lovers. If doubtful, go back to your chats and see the names he calls you.
So if he keeps messaging you frequently, “Good morning, sunshine“, know that it’s time for you to take a step back and reconsider your friendship. Also, if he continues calling you names even among your friends that they wouldn’t use, note that down. You need to position yourself here.
9. You Feel The Chemistry
When someone feels closer than a friend with you, the chemistry between the two will make it obvious. Sometimes words are redundant, and you don’t have to ask in order to understand the truth. Do you feel the excitement that your presence instills in him? Do you act silly in each other’s presence?
Maybe you have sensed a weird feeling when he is close to you, but you have neglected it. Now it’s the time to process that feeling in your mind with close attention. You may understand each other almost instantly without saying a word, or you’re always having a good time when you are together.
The way conversations flow means a lot when it comes to establishing a strong emotional connection with someone. And after setting a strong emotional connection with you, he’d reach his hands for more. That’s where you should draw a fine line. So be attentive.
10. He Is Extra Curious About You
Someone who likes you naturally wants to know more about you. If you catch him saving your pictures, messages, or pieces of content you send him, it means that he’s strongly attached to you. Whenever there’s a discussion about someone else, he’ll find a way to redirect the conversation to your life and what your attitude would be in those scenarios.
For instance, you might catch him scrolling through your social media profiles, liking and often commenting, asking about details of your life, childhood, current endeavors, work, etc. He’s curious about your personal life and is looking for a way to slip into it by offering his help and opinions.
“But friends talk about such things,” you’d say. Yes, they do, but up to a certain point. Friends ask each other with a reason in mind. In most cases, they ask because they want to bring the conversation into their issues or simply to know you better. But rarely do they ask about details like your favorite place to dine/perfume/color, etc. Especially male friends.
11. He Drunk Texts You Romantic Stuff
This quote says it all. He might be very good at hiding his true feelings but a few sips of alcohol will equip him with the courage to text you romantic stuff. Depending on how much he gets drunk, he might go beyond that and even tell you the truth: that he feels for you.
When we get drunk, we are little aware of the words we let out of our mouths. Sometimes these might be lies. Sometimes might be pieces of truth we’ve been long hiding from others. Most of the time it’s a truth we don’t dare to share when we are sober.
So, don’t let these slip unnoticed. If he dares to send you unusual romantic compliments when he is a drunk, note that down. Those thoughts aren’t coming from down that bottle but from his heart. When he’s sober either tell him straight up that you’re just friends or leave clues for him to understand that you don’t want to go further. (e.g reply short and late)
12. He Calls And Texts More Often Than Before
Texting is quite easy. However, we do use it only with those we care the most about. If he spends time each day texting you more often than he does with other friends, then that’s a clear sign he enjoys talking with you. The same thing goes with calls as well. If he’s less of a texter and prefers calling instead, you might find yourself staying on the phone for hours.
Maybe he persists in talking to you about his day or even a simple task he had to accomplish lately. The chances are that he enjoys listening to your voice, and that’s why he calls so often. Especially, when he does so to check on you and what you’re doing. That’s when we pass onto something else, actually.
He might be asking whether you’ve finished the tasks you had planned, and that’s another indicator: he remembers well the details about your daily routine and the schedule of tasks you had to complete. Be appreciative but pay attention to the implications you’re leaving behind.
13. He Is Protective And Jealous Of You
A male friend will normally protect you if other boys are misbehaving and trying to harass you. You’re his friend, and that’s what a real man would do. However, when you see that he shows extra protection even when there’s no reason to worry, it’s because he feels jealous.
For instance, he could refuse suggestions about inviting other males to gatherings with friends. Simply talking about men will cause him to get sad or frustrated. You can open conversations about your favorite male actor or a guy which you like because of his style and see how he reacts. The chances are that the mood will change in an instant.
Normally, he’s jealous because he has feelings for you and is afraid someone else might approach you and win your heart. So he’s trying to show others that you’re his even though there’s nothing official between you guys yet.
Also, you will notice that none of his male friends attempt to approach you. That’s probably because they know he has feelings for you.
Do not ignore these signs. There’s a line that separates the actions of a protective friend and those of a man who has fallen for you. Friends won’t get jealous if you speak to other guys. They would want to know the details because they’re curious, but jealousy is something else.
When a man is jealous, you’ll understand it by the frustration on his face.
14. He Makes Time To See You
If he has feelings for you then he would want to spend time with you whenever he finds the chance. And even when there’s no chance, he’ll try to create one by finding excuses to meet. If you attend events or are part of certain groups, he might join them to be close to you. Even though this might happen rarely unless it makes sense for him to join these groups.
However, he’s going to be the one who notifies you each time there’s a gathering with your group of friends. You’ll notice his sadness and persistence when you say, “No, I can’t today. I’m busy.”
He might have gathered everyone with the hope you would join too. Also, the chances are that he would even make up reasons to pass by your place just to see you.
Since you’re friends, he’ll use this as an excuse often to take you out. Maybe you’re working at the same place, and he invites you with the excuse of having a coffee before work. Or, it’s Saturday, and he wants to have a coffee with you alone. Little actions like this show that he craves to see you.
15. He Remembers A Lot Of Things About You
Let’s be honest. Most guys don’t really have a knack for details. So if he remembers the name of your pet, favorite movie, or a story precisely as you’ve told it, that’s another sign. Why would he have such a strong memory for minuscule details like these?
Well, that’s because he observes you and your actions with close attention. We tend to remember the details of the people we care about well. Since we’re curious to know each detail of their life, we picture those memories with great detail in our minds, and they’re stuck there for a long.
The moment you notice that he recalls pretty well the conversations you had a long time ago, step back and look at the big picture. Does this add up to the other signs you’ve noticed? Intimate stares? Frequent chats? Long hugs and caring gestures? Romantic chats? Lots of questions?
If “Yes”, make a decision: you either make it clear to him that he’s nothing more than just a friend or take a step further to know him better. If you don’t want to go further, then this doesn’t mean that you have to bring this friendship to an end either. Just set boundaries and maybe distance a bit.