103 Heartfelt Signs to Know If You Love Someone or Are Falling in Love

How do you know if you have romantic love for someone? Are you slowly falling in love? Are you actually in love? Here are all the signs to know if you love someone!

Love is one of the most glorious feelings a human can experience, and everyone experiences it differently. It can be a terrifying, confusing, frustrating, and vulnerable feeling. One of the main questions to come up at the start is, ‘how do you know if you love someone?’

Love is overwhelming. How can you tell that it’s not just lust or infatuation? After all, there might have been many times in your life when you thought that you were in love, only to find that it was nothing more than a crush.

Figuring out how to know if you love someone doesn’t just hit you. It won’t just turn on one day. Even if you’ve been in love before, it is different every time. [Read: Infatuation symptoms you can’t miss – 15 signs you’re sick in love]

Do you think you love someone?

Our guess is that you didn’t come searching for this feature because you’re bored. You are probably questioning it now. Maybe you started seeing someone, and your feelings of love are growing.

Whatever it is, if you think you love someone, there is a pretty good chance it’s true. If it’s not, you may be on your way to love.

When you fall in love with someone, it is a wondrous feeling. It is full of joy, excitement, and probably a little fear. That could be where you are right now. You are feeling something new and intense but aren’t quite sure if it’s love.

Of course, you don’t want to tell someone that you love them if you aren’t sure that it’s how you’re feeling. [Read: How to tell if you love someone – will you actually just know?]

How to know you love someone – the common signs

Romantic and platonic love are two different things. If you are wondering if it’s love this time, there is no magic calculation. It could be different for everyone, but there are signs that it’s more than a fleeting crush.

1. When someone asks if you’re seeing someone, you say yes

Even in the best relationships, there may be a part of you that wants to keep your options open. If you are saying it loud and proud, that means that you don’t want anyone else, no matter what they have to offer. [Read: 19 sure signs of falling in love to watch out for]

2. You never get sick of having them around

You can look past those little things that irritate you. Those day-to-day annoyances are still going to get to you, but you know that the good outweighs the bad.

3. You don’t mind it when they try your food

Ever had someone that you’re on the fence about reach over to try your food? That’s grounds for a breakup if you aren’t in love! If you don’t mind them doing it, it’s a clear sign that you’ve developed feelings for someone.

4. You want to do things for them

If you find yourself wanting to do little things that you typically hate to do to make them feel good, you have most likely been shot by cupid. [Read: 25 really romantic ideas to make your lover melt]

5. You find yourself thinking about their happiness

Compassionate love is when you want those you love to be happy, and you’re willing to go the extra mile just to see them smile. This is another key sign that you’re likely falling for a certain someone.

6. You put their wants ahead of your own

Loving someone means that you sometimes have to let your own needs and wants take a back seat. In a loving relationship, there is no such thing as a one-way street.

7. You want them to meet your family

Your family never stops asking you about the person you brought home last time, which is why you don’t bring anyone anymore. If you are willing to bring them into your family dynamics and want them to feel welcome, it must be true love.

8. You choose them over a night out with friends

If you want your spare time to be spent with that special person instead of going out for some random drinking night, then you are most likely in love. [Read: Friend to lover – are you falling for a friend?]

9. The honeymoon phase has passed, but you still get butterflies

If they still give you butterflies even when the honeymoon phase has worn off, you are in love. That’s the best kind of love – the one that continues to rekindle itself over and over.

10. You think about what type of parent they would be

When you start to evaluate how good your mate would be at parenting, you’re most likely thinking that you would like to give a partnership with them a try – the kids, the house, and the white picket fence.

11. You don’t mind staying the next day

When you’re in it only for sex, you don’t want them to hang out the next day and chit-chat. If you find that you kind of like laying around with them the morning after, love is in the air. [Read: The rules of spending the first night together]

12. You can’t think about sex with anyone else

If you see a hottie and you don’t dream of getting naked with them, it’s a telltale sign that you might be falling in love with the person you’re with.

13. You have dreams that you cheat on them and wake up in a cold sweat

When you have dreams or fantasies about other people, you feel guilty. This means that you feel committed to another person and know that sex with someone else isn’t worth losing what you have.

14. You tell them your fears

Telling someone your fears makes you vulnerable. You only tell the people you trust what scares you the most. If you’re sharing those types of tidbits with someone, you know they have your best interests at heart.

15. When something happens, you want to pick up the phone to call them

They are the first person that pops into your head, and you feel like you want to tell them everything, even the smallest details of your day. [Read: Signs your guy means it when he says, “I love you.”]

16. When talking about them, you use the phrase ‘we’

If you have naturally made you and them into “we,” it’s true love.

17. You would consider moving for them

If being with them takes priority over where you reside, they are the most important part of your world.

18. You don’t mind when they smell

If you don’t mind when they kiss you with bad breath, hug you after working out, or miss a shower every once in a while, then you accept them completely. [Read: What are you feeling? Is it love or lust?]

19. When they engage in risky behavior, you get angry with them

When you find out they drove drunk or walked home drunk by themselves, you are angry that they jeopardized themselves. That’s because you don’t ever want to be without them.

20. You make major purchases with them

If you’re okay adding them to your credit card or going in on a major purchase together, such as a car or a house, it means that you want to build a life together.

21. You pick out a pet together

Pet ownership is the beginning of starting a life together. If you are willing to share the responsibility of another living creature, you’re in love.

22. You’re not a jealous person, but you get jealous when it comes to them

If you find that you are jealous when someone hits on them, but you aren’t usually a jealous person, they may be the first person that you feel is worth holding onto. [Read: How to deal with jealousy in a relationship]

23. You would do just about anything for them

When they need a ride at two in the morning, you’re up and out the door. That is love.

24. They get on your nerves, and you’re okay with it

They irritate you beyond belief, but that’s part of their endearing charm.

25. You change your Facebook relationship status

If you’re willing to tell the world, then you know that you’re in a relationship that is going somewhere. You don’t want anyone else. [Read: Dos and don’ts of adding your date on Facebook]

26. You give them a key

If you are trusting enough to let them come and go as they please, you’re in love with them.

27. Even a deal-breaker can’t break the deal

There are always things you learn in a relationship that are deal-breakers. If they do the one thing you can’t stand and you can look past it, that’s unconditional love.

28. You can sit together and say nothing at all

If you are comfortable enough to sit next to someone and not have to say a word, you’re meant to be together forever.

29. You know how they feel before they say a word

If you know what they are going to say before they say it, you’re in sync. When someone becomes an extension of you, it’s love. [Read: The signs of a good relationship]

30. You want to spend holidays with them

Holidays are difficult times full of stress. If you’re bringing them to Grandma’s and carting them to your parent’s house, you’re ready to commit.

31. You don’t make decisions without asking about their opinion

You want them to know that you value their opinion, so you check with them before you make major life decisions. This means that they’re important to your future, and you’ve already worked them into your plans, so it’s no surprise that their opinion becomes important to you.

32. They feel like an old pair of jeans

If being around them is like wearing an old pair of jeans, then it’s love. There aren’t many people in this world that we can completely and fully be ourselves with. When you find someone that you can be that comfortable with, hang on to them. [Read: Signs you’re getting too comfortable with each other]

33. You find yourself talking in sync

If you talk in unison, you’re meant for each other.

34. You’re offended if someone says something negative about them

You will defend the people you love to death. If you get offended when you hear someone talk about them, you are in love.

35. You feel settled in a way you haven’t felt before

If it feels like you’re home when you are with them, you’re in love.

36. You aren’t afraid to commit

If the thought of sleeping with the same person for the rest of your life doesn’t scare you, you have been bitten by the love bug. [Read: Hard challenges of being in a committed relationship]

37. You aren’t worried about them seeing you naked

If you know that they will love you and your imperfections, you not only love them, but you know it’s mutual.

38. Those love handles don’t bother you

If they are balding, gaining a couple of pounds, or starting to age, and it doesn’t change the way you feel about them, you love them.

39. You see their crazy and stay anyway

Everyone has some crazy that they keep in the closet. If you’ve seen it and aren’t running, you’re in love. [Read: 29 things women do that will make you think they’re crazy]

40. You just want to be around them

If you don’t care whether you’re at a basketball game or out shopping, then you love being with them no matter where you are.

41. The bed feels empty when they aren’t around

The person you love makes your life and your bed complete. You always want to spend plenty of time with them.

42. You fear losing them

If you often feel worried that you’re going to lose them, then you have something to lose. [Read: Ways to overcome the fear of losing someone you love]

43. They drive you absolutely crazy

If they have the ability to make you crazy, you care a lot about them.

44. When you think about your future, you can’t imagine them not being in it

If you’re trying to figure out whether or not you love someone, see if you imagine them in every plan you make for your future. If it includes them, you know it’s a sign that you intend to love them forever.

45. When people ask when you’re getting married, you don’t get nervous and avoid the question but consider it

If you aren’t brushing away people that are pushing you to marry, you are in love. That’s because you know your romantic partner is the real deal, and you’re ready to make big plans and spend the rest of your life with them.

46. There isn’t anything they can say to scare you away

If you don’t get freaked out when they tell you that they love you or talk about kids, you’re smitten. [Read: How to stay in love forever with your lover]

47. You can talk about things that elicit anger and work through it

If you want to kill them and make love to them at the same time, you’re in love.

48. They don’t complicate your life – they complement it

If you don’t have to work them into your life but are happy to do so, you’re in love.

49. You dream about a future together

The two of you are comfortable talking about the future because you don’t have plans to let them go.

If happily ever after wouldn’t be happy without them, you’re head over heels. [Read: Real signs of true love in a relationship]

50. You have this euphoric feeling and can’t explain why

Do you find yourself kissing pillows, jumping up and down with excitement and joy for no apparent reason, and giving your lover funny little pet names? You may just be in love. This is because the reward centers of the brain that are responsible for feel-good compounds, like norepinephrine and dopamine, are activated when we’re in love. [Read: Cute pet names]

51. You experience frequent sexual attraction

In a study conducted on several young couples who were madly in love, it was seen that the levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter found mostly in the intestinal tract, dropped dangerously low.

However, it was noticed that low serotonin levels in young couples increased the desire to have sex. [Read: Public displays of affection]

52. You get depressed easily

Do you get upset easily if the person you like upsets you in any manner? You may be in love. While the drop in serotonin levels makes you hornier, it also makes you depressed and anxious! [Read: Little things in love]

53. The mention of their name makes you excited

You might be minding your own business and hear their name *even if it’s not them someone’s talking about* and you can’t help but get excited. If that sounds like you, chances are that you’re with someone you’re in love with.

54. You’re addicted to them

When you fall for someone, your brain actually becomes addicted to the person. If you feel like you hit a low whenever you leave their presence and a high when they’re around, you’re addicted and in love. [Read: 23 facts about love that will definitely blow your mind]

55. Their presence is calming and thrilling at the same time

This is such a hard feeling to describe if you’ve never felt it before. If you can be around someone and feel completely calm but also like you’re on the best thrill ride of your life, then you’re truly in love with them.

56. You feel their accomplishments as your own

According to dating experts, when you start feeling as though someone else’s accomplishments are your own, you’re in love with them.

57. You’d rather be doing nothing with them than something amazing without them

When you would rather skip every other plan you’ve made just to sit and do nothing with someone, you’re in love.

58. You learn new things about life through them

If someone teaches you important life lessons by just being with them, and you’re willing to listen to those lessons and implement them, you’re in love with them. [Read: Reasons why empathy is important in a relationship]

59. You learn new things about yourself through them

When you’re in love with someone, you start to notice that they’re teaching you things about your own feelings and the way you operate.

60. They make you feel complete but not dependent

If you happen to find someone that makes you feel complete, but you don’t depend on them for that purpose, you may be in love with them. [Read: You-complete-me relationships and why you need your space]

61. You get along really well with them

Some people are with someone they like and find attractive, but they don’t actually get along well or enjoy each other’s company for long periods of time. If you can be with them for hours on end and not seriously fight, you could be in love. [Read: The signs you’re dating your best friend and don’t know it]

62. They make you want to be a better person

If the person you’re with makes you want to work harder to be a kinder, healthier, and an all-around better person without actually telling you to, you are 100% in love with them. [Read: Real soulmates – 20 signs you’ve met the love of your life]

63. The antics of your ex don’t bother you anymore

It’s normal to feel upset or angry when you look back on past romantic relationships and the things your ex might have done to hurt you. When those things don’t bother you as much anymore, it could be a sign that you’re falling in love. [Read: The stages of love all couples have to go through]

64. Sex is great, but you love the cuddles more

In the beginning, it’s all about ripping each other’s clothes off and loving every second you spend between the sheets. However, to know whether or not you’re actually in love might be figured out by how you feel about the cuddles instead of the sex. [Read: How to cuddle with all the best cuddle positions you should know]

65. They’re the ones who just make you feel better

A cuddle from your beau eases your upset and makes you feel calmer. They have a habit of knowing just what to say to you to ease your worries or concerns, and it feels like home.

66. The worry stage has eased

When wondering, “how do you know you love someone?” it’s about how you feel. While it’s normal to have the odd moment of worry, the initial panic stages of what to wear and why they’ve not texted you back immediately have eased.

67. You want to make them feel better

If your partner is having a bad day, feeling under the weather, or just not on top of their game, you want to make them feel better. [Read: Little habits that bring couples closer together]

68. Making them smile becomes your hobby of choice

Making them smile makes you smile, and it makes you feel good to know that you did that for them. You don’t mind showing your weird self or telling bad jokes to make them grin.

69. You’re not always second-guessing them when they tell you where they’ve been

If you’re in love, you trust your partner. It’s not possible to have a healthy relationship without trust. Assuming that your relationship feels healthy, when they tell you where they’ve been, you believe them and don’t need to question it. [Read: The sure signs of falling in love everyone should know]

70. You don’t mind compromising or sacrificing things for them

While you shouldn’t go around making sacrifices just for the sake of it, especially if you’re always putting yourself second, you know you’re in love if you don’t mind doing so at the right time.

71. Arguments don’t make you automatically worry that it’s over

When you’re in the early stages of dating, and you have an argument, it’s normal to worry that everything is over. When you fall in love, you know that you’re going to have arguments occasionally. You also know that it’s not the end of the line. [Read: Steps that’ll lead you to better love and better communication]

72. You have a general feeling of contentment

A sign that you’re in love is when you feel calm and safe. You feel like everything has fallen into place. It won’t always be perfect because nothing is, but you don’t always feel on edge or worried.

73. You see things they would like and want to treat them

If you’re out and about and you see something that you know they’d love, you’ll probably want to surprise them with it, and you’ll feel excited to do so.

74. Being yourself is easy

There’s no need to force anything, and you don’t feel the need to try to impress them by being someone you’re not. You feel accepted for who you are, and you accept your partner for who they are, too.

75. Their sadness becomes your sadness

If they’re feeling down about something, their sadness becomes yours and you really feel their hurt. That means you’ll want to help and support them as much as you can. [Read: The many reasons why empathy is so important in a relationship]

76. You miss them after the tiniest amount of time apart

When you first fall in love, just a day apart can be agonizing. You just want to be together all the time.

77. Things you’d usually find tedious or annoying are fun to do with them

For some reason, it doesn’t matter if you do the most mundane activity in the world. When you’re doing it with them, it’s electrifying. You also find yourself willing to try new things as long as they’ll be around to go with you.

78. You share secrets

When you fall in love and are in a long-term relationship with someone, you tend to become closer to them than anyone else. You share stuff with them that’s private.

79. They’ve seen you cry

Being vulnerable is important. If they see you cry and comfort you, it plays a big part in helping you feel that it’s okay to be vulnerable around them. [Read: When a woman is crying – the gentleman’s do’s and don’ts]

80. You’ve been at your weirdest/ugliest/meanest self

They need to see all sides of you, and you’re ready and happy to show them. When you’re past the point that you always have to be the best version of yourself and can loosen up instead, you might be in love.

81. You want to show them off to everyone you know

You are dying for them to meet your friends, family, work colleagues, and whomever else. Basically, you just want the whole world to know you are together.

82. You re-read their messages

Do you keep reading over the texts they’ve sent you? This is a sign that you could be in love. [Read: 300+ most romantic text messages for her that will make her melt]

83. You keep looking at their photos

When you’re apart, you feel the urge to keep checking out their photos, particularly ones of you together. You can’t wait to see one another again.

84. You want to know everything about them

Falling in love often includes a feeling of wanting to know them inside out – the good, the bad, and the ugly. You want to be their person and know that they are yours. [Read: How to give space in a relationship and become closer]

85. You lose track of time when you’re together

Hours seem to fly by when you are with them because you love the time you spend together so much.

86. You remember all the little things they like

Love is all about the details. You have no trouble remembering the things they like or knowing exactly how to cheer them up and make them smile.

87. You want the best for them and vice versa

Whatever happens, you feel as though you only want the best for them, and you know they’ll be your biggest cheerleader no matter what. [Read: Real signs of true love in a relationship]

88. Your partner is perfection in your eyes

In your eyes, your partner is perfect and can do no wrong. This is because you tend to focus on their positive qualities, treating them as precious artifacts that you put at your altar of love.

89. There are reminders of them everywhere

It’s like you’re in a romcom. You hear a song on your morning commute, and it brings that silly smile to your face. It reminds you of the apple of your eye. Every line in the song feels like it’s written just for your budding story, and you feel like everything’s right in the world.

90. You don’t mind a little change for them

While people aren’t generally open to change, it’s no problem for you when it’s in the name of love.

91. You pick up some of their interests

When you are in love with someone, you can’t help but absorb many of their traits. This includes picking up their interests, and you have no qualms about it. [Read: Uncanny little things couples in love start doing alike]

92. You try hard to get along with their friends and family

You find yourself trying hard to please not only them but also their friends and family. Even if there’s a slight dislike, you don’t let it show.

93. You want to do random acts of service

Being around your beloved makes you feel good and makes you do good, too. It’s likely that you smile a lot, greet the people you pass on the street, and feel like giving everyone flowers. [Read: Cheerful ways to be the fun partner in the relationship]

94. In a crowd, your attention is only on them

Even if you’re in a crowded place and your beloved is in the middle of all these attractive people, you barely notice them because your eyes are fixated on one person alone.

95. Intensified attraction

You can thank your dopamine for this! It’s the culprit in making you feel this way. This is due to the delayed reward. Dopamine production increases during this time. We’re not just talking about physical attraction but also the hard-to-describe, deeper, romantic attraction. [Read: Absolutely dreamy signs of love at first sight]

96. You feel empathetic

When you’re in love, you’ll start feeling a sense of empathy toward the person you’re in love with. You feel their pain as if it was your own, and you would sacrifice many things to make them happy.

97. You sometimes have trouble controlling your words

You may be very quiet and shy. Others simply stand in stunned, awkward silence without knowing what to say. [Read: Does true love exist? Signs that might make you a believer]

98. You went from caring to really caring without realizing it

Remember back when you first met, and they told you things about themselves that you didn’t think much of at the time? If you find yourself actually caring about those things now, and they bother you, you’re probably falling in love.

99. You start caring a lot more about how you look

This is just something that happens as if by magic. You could already take pride in your appearance, but when you fall in love, it’s worse. [Read: Loving someone you can’t have – 15 ways to handle the pain]

100. It’s easier to open up to them than it is to anyone else

This person makes you feel safe and capable of opening up about things that you may not share with someone else. Whether it’s your insecurities, doubts, or life history, they’ll know.

101. You want to tell them you love them

Once you love someone, it’s more certain. You’re probably dying to tell this person that you love them. The words “I love you” are on the tip of your tongue, and you aren’t questioning telling them. You’re just waiting on the right time to tell them. [Read: When to say “I love you” for the first time in a new relationship]

102. Your friends and family see it

This is a big one. If you have close friends and family, they will pick up on the fact that you love someone.

103. You know

How do you know you love someone? You just know. You don’t need a relationship expert, a couple’s therapist, or a licensed clinical psychologist to tell you if you love someone or not. Sometimes, it’s just as simple as knowing. [Read: 20 downright strange but true phobias about love]

Love can be scary, but it’s the greatest experience of all

One word that most people will use to describe love is ‘rollercoaster.’ You’ll be up and down yet somehow calm and controlled, too. It’s a weird thing to explain, which is why so many people struggle to know if they’re in love or not.

You came to this feature with the question, “how do you know you love someone?” Now that you’ve read the signs, what’s the verdict?

Remember, as scary as love can be, it will always be the best thing you go through in your life. Whether it lasts forever or not, love is never a waste of time or effort.

[Read: Why do we fall in love? 15 reasons, some fate & a mix of science]

The question of how do you know you love someone has never been easier to evaluate. Using the 103 signs above, you can determine if they are the one for you or just another crush.