What's Your Love Language?

The Love Languages

Love languages. They’re the ways in which we experience, receiving and giving, love. The premise around the five love languages is the idea that different people have different personalities and life stories. That means that they recognized different preferences in how they connect with others. While this article will be focusing on the romantic angle of this, love languages don’t necessarily have to focus on lovers. You can receive love and care from a friend, a family member, or even a stranger.

But what exactly are these love languages and what do they mean? What do your exact preferences, when it comes to love, mean for you? And even better, what do they mean for your romantic interest? To find all that out, check out our details and descriptions below.

Physical Touch

Someone with this love language appreciates feeling love through physical touch and affection. This could be anything from a shoulder rub to a hug to cuddling together at night. Keep in mind, physical touch doesn’t have to be sexual in nature. It’s just the use of touch to express care and consideration in whatever form it may take. These types of partners simply want to be reminded of your presence through skinship and physical intimacy.

Receiving Gifts

To this person, receiving gifts is a symbol of love and affection. People whose love language is receiving gifts don’t just appreciate the gift itself. They appreciate the time and effort it takes to make or buy the gift. They also appreciate the very thought that goes into giving a gift. This is not to be confused with acts of service however, the next love language on our list. When you take the time to pick out a gift for someone specific, it shows that you not only care for that but that you know them. It’s the thought that counts.

Acts of Service

Next on our list is acts of service. Just live receiving gifts, this love language has several layers to it. There’s the initial layer of having something done for you. Some people feel relief and pleasure when someone does a task for them. For instance, cleaning the car, doing the laundry, opening a door, or any other act done for your benefit. But on top of that, there’s also, again, the joy of someone caring and thinking of you. Not just the very act itself is nice, but the fact that someone went out of their way and put in effort for you can feel nice.

Words Of Affirmation

But maybe instead of things more material, you enjoy loving acts that are more verbal. Some people enjoy spoken words of praise, affection, and appreciation. In this case, a love language really is a language. It’s anything from sweet nothings to small compliments, cute text messages, or just the casual check-in. Words of affirmation are verbal indications that someone cares about you and wants you to know it. While some people appreciate actions as a way of showing that, some people want to hear it said directly to their face.

Quality Time

Or maybe you are someone who enjoys quality time. Are you the type to love watching movies and tv shows with friends, families, and lovers? Do you like talking until the hours go by? Are you one to have fun hanging out with people and enjoy the energy of another person nearby? Then perhaps your love language is quality time. Quality time is about someone giving someone else their undivided time and attention. Quality time is about just being together with someone. It doesn’t have to be a big affair. In fact, it usually isn’t. Quality time is just about letting someone know you’re there and you care.

Receiving & Giving

So now that you know the five love languages, it’s time to apply them to your everyday life. But first, you have to realize something. People can have preferences on how love languages are both received and given. While most conversations around love languages focus on how you like to receive love, there isn’t much conversation around how people like to give it. Because sometimes those aren’t the same. Some can live receiving physical touch but like giving words of affirmation to others. If you want to understand yourself and your romantic partner, you have to keep this fact in mind.

Your Love Languages

So now it’s time to ask yourself, what are your love languages? How does that affect how you receive and give love? I’ll give myself and my love languages as an example. My top two love languages for receiving are physical touch and quality time. I enjoy hanging out and going on a good Netflix binge. I also enjoy bear hugs and a good massage. But the thing is, I like giving words of affirmation and sometimes acts of service. The trick is, finding a way to balance these things where I get what I receive and give what I like to give but don’t oppress someone with these desires. It’s all about balance.

Your Lovers’ Love Languages

And, of course, you also have to take into consideration what your lover wants as well. How do they like to receive love? How do they like to give it? A relationship is about enjoying life together and understanding each other and each other’s needs. So have a conversation with your love to see how they like to give and receive love. Then, try to stay in tune with that as the relationship continues. Have fun juggling what they need and what you like to give. Find variety in it and enjoy life and love together.