How Guys Flirt: 25 Subtle Things Guys Do to Impress a Girl

You might think a guy likes you, but you’re not sure. Because of that, you need to know how guys flirt. Here are some sure signs that he’s into you.

If you are wondering whether he really likes you, if he is interested in you in THAT way, or if he is just being friendly, read on to find out the awesome, subtle, and sometimes-weird things a guy can do when trying to impress a girl! So, let’s learn how guys flirt.

How guys flirt – The subtle signs guys just can’t hide

Although these flirting signs might not seem like clear indications of romantic interest, they are simple, subtle symptoms of a love bug bite. [Read: How to tease a guy and 15 ways to make him fall harder for you]

1. He asks you questions

If a guy is interested in you, he wants to know more about you. Kind of a no-brainer, right? Pay attention to how many questions a guy is asking you. If he’s flirting, he will be far more interested in talking about you than talking about himself.

Asking question after question is also a sign of nervousness—he is desperate to keep the conversation going and is worried there will be awkward silences if he doesn’t keep talking.

If you’re wondering how guys flirt, look out for random and irrelevant questions—this just means he is desperately racking his brain to think of something else to say, bless him!

Remember: there is a difference between general questions that come about in everyday conversation, and questions targeted to get to know you better. One shows polite interest in small talk, while the other is an attempt to flirt. [Read: 60 fun and deep get to know you questions guys use to peek into your soul!]

2. He finds things in common with you

When a guy is flirting with you, he will subtly try to find out what kind of things you like… and lo and behold, when he does, he will miraculously like them, too!

He may well be genuinely trying to find out your interests and hobbies to see if you’d make a good match and have things to talk about in the long term, but he’s also trying to extract information out of you so he can impress you.

For example, if you mentioned you love horseback riding and the next time you talk to him, he not only loves it but appears to know a lot of random information about it, you can safely conclude that he is interested in you. [Read: 28 hush-hush signs that someone has a BIG crush on you]

3. His body language

If he leans in or steps closer to you when having a conversation, he is probably trying his luck at showing you he is attracted to you. This is definitely one of the ways guys flirt.

Often this can happen unconsciously, but if you find yourselves standing oddly close together when having a chat, he almost certainly likes you.

Even if you are at a bar or club where the music is loud, if a guy comes closer to talk to you, he is interested. If he wasn’t, he just would tell you he couldn’t hear you, then leave!

If he touches you when he talks to you *we’re talking a brush of the hand, a touch of the arm—not a full-on boob squeeze, obviously!* this is another positive sign that he wants to be more than just friends. [Read: 23 body language cues a guy just can’t hide if he likes you]

4. He approaches you

This is all about confidence, of course, but if a guy comes up to you, especially if you haven’t met before, he is probably hitting on you *unless he needs directions*.

If a guy comes up to you just to talk, it is more than likely because he finds you attractive!

5. He acts differently when you are near

Whether it is getting really loud and showing off, or going really quiet and barely saying anything, if you notice a change of behavior in a guy whenever you are near, it is a sign that he likes you.

If you hang around in the same social groups as him, try to observe him from a distance, then join the conversation. If you can see a change, it is probably because you make him nervous—in a good way, of course! [Try: 30 subtle, obvious, and really sexy flirting tips for girls]

6. He teases you

One of the most obvious ways guys flirt with you is if he teases you. If he is always making fun of you *kindly*, he is probably trying to flirt with you. Laughter is the way to many people’s hearts, after all!

7. He’s mean to you

While this may seem counter-intuitive, sometimes guys can be a little stupid. If a guy likes you and he’s not sure if you like him back, he might be a bit mean to you, because he’s scared of getting hurt or rejected.

If he tries to put you down or makes fun of you a little too harshly, it might be that he has a secret crush on you and doesn’t know what to do about it! [Read: How to reject a guy or turn down a guy nicely]

8. He ignores you

Another classic *and baffling* male flirting technique is to ignore you entirely. If you are somewhat popular with the guys, this can be a cunning strategy to get you to notice and want him.

Think about it: if you are used to loads of attention, yet there is this one guy who isn’t interested in you at all, it makes you want to talk to him, right? So look out for the guy that doesn’t seem interested, and you may find the guy who is! It’s the oldest trick in the book!

9. He keeps catching eyes with you 

If you’re wondering how guys flirt, he’ll be looking at you! But he probably doesn’t want you to know he’s doing it, so he’ll keep catching eyes with you and then looking away.

If he offers you a cheeky smile or a wave, it probably means he wants you to approach him! [Read: 13 subtle eye contact flirting tips to catch anyone’s eyes from afar]

10. He buys you something

It might be flowers, it might be a cocktail, it might be something awesome that you talked about that you never thought he would remember, or it might be the most random gift of all time.

Whatever you receive, if you do get a gift from a guy, he gave it to you because—yep, you guessed it—he likes you! A guy, particularly if he’s a stranger, isn’t going to waste his hard-earned cash buying you a drink if he doesn’t hope it might go somewhere.

If he’s a friend and he buys you something thoughtful or strange, he is probably trying to show you he cares for you—perhaps more than the average friend would!

11. He adds you on social media

If a guy has requested to be your friend on Facebook, Instagram or other social media platform, he is trying to tell you something. Unless he is already happily coupled up, a guy adding you on social media—particularly if you don’t know him that well—means he wants to get to know you better, be able to contact you, and, of course, check out your pictures! [Read: How to get a guy’s attention on Instagram without using your body]

12. He smiles at you

Okay, with this one, we mean a big smile—like the seriously grinning and beaming type of smile. He’ll also hold your gaze for longer than is normal.

You make him feel happy and excited, so naturally, he is going to light up when he sees and speaks to you. If you like him, make sure you smile back! [Read: 34 unmissable signs to know for sure if a guy is flirting with you]

13. He’ll ask if you are single *as casually as possible*

If a guy asks you whether you are single, unless you are filling out some sort of form, this is almost certainly him trying to ascertain whether he can ask you out.

Think about it: what other reason could there be? When it comes to knowing how guys flirt, this is a simple and direct way of finding out whether you have a boyfriend.

He might try to casually drop this into a conversation with you so it doesn’t seem like he cares too much, but he’s just biding his time to pluck up the courage to ask you on a date! [Read: The different ways guys subtly ask you if you have a boyfriend]

14. He gets protective

Guys who are trying to flirt and show you they like you will often try to do this by getting protective around you.

They’ll put an arm around you, gently steer you places, and position themselves in the way of you and others. He may even offer you his hand if you are trying to push your way through a crowd. [Read: 21 big signs he wants you bad and is irresistibly attracted to you]

15. He remembers everything about you and tells you so

Your name, your birthday, the last holiday you went on, that you like your sandwiches on white bread with no mayo… whatever it is you’ve told him, he remembers and makes sure you know it!

He wants you to know that he has been hanging on to your every word, that he’s interested in you, and is a good listener. If you reckon he could take a quiz on everything about you, he is probably trying to flirt with you, and show you he cares.

How guys flirt over text

Now that you know some general ways of how guys flirt, let’s take a look at how they do it over text. Here are some signs you need to keep an eye on the next time he texts you. [Read: How to tell if a guy likes you through texting – 20 no-fail signs]

16. He texts you compliments

If he’s always mentioning things like “you have such beautiful eyes,” or “you have the best hair,” or “you’re so funny,” then he wants you to know he’s into you. Compliments are a sure sign that he’s flirting.

17. He uses emojis

A lot of guys don’t use emojis much because they perceive them as “girly.” They are ways to express emotion in writing, and since a lot of them aren’t too emotional, they don’t use them much.

So, if he’s sending you a lot of hearts or smiley faces with hearts – or any emoji at all – it’s a good sign. [Read: 20 flirty emojis that’ll make you a pro texter in no time]

18. He makes you laugh

He probably knows that girls like guys with a sense of humor. So, if he’s always texting you funny memes or using a lot of sarcasm with you, he’s trying to make you laugh.

He does this because he wants you to like texting him back, of course. [Read: How to make someone laugh over text and be a fun texter people love]

19. He texts back right away

When you don’t like someone, you take your time in responding to them *sometimes to give them a hint*. So, if he’s always texting you back right away, that is him sending you the message that he really likes you. He’s definitely not playing hard to get.

20. He talks about what he would be doing if he was there

Maybe you are texting him late at night, and all of a sudden he says something like, “I wish you were here,” or “I need someone to cuddle with right now,” he is sending you messages that he wants more than just a friendship with you. [Read: 110+ dirty and sexy questions to ask a guy and seduce him in minutes]

21. He initiates texts a lot

Guys who aren’t flirting will be just very matter-of-fact with their texts. He might only text you if he has a purpose. But if he’s initiating most of the texting between the two of you, then this is definitely one of the ways guys flirt. [Read: How guys text their crush – How to think like a guy and read his mind]

22. You spend the entire day texting each other

Think about it. Would a guy spend the whole day texting someone that he didn’t like? Probably not, if for no other reason because it just takes up a lot of time. So, if he can’t seem to put his phone down, then he is into you.

23. He drunk texts you

He might be out with his friends at a bar, and late at night you get a text saying, “I miss you” or “you should be out here with us because we’d have so much fun” or “can’t wait to see you again,” you know he’s drunk texting. And alcohol serves as a truth serum. [Read: When a guy says he misses you – What it means and 26 signs he really means it]

24. He calls you pet names 

If he randomly calls you cute names instead of your given one, that is a big sign he is flirting with you. So, watch for names like “Sweetie” or “Love” or “Hun.” Usually, only people in romantic relationships use pet names, so he’s trying to give you a hint.

25. Good morning and good night texts

If your texting routines have become a habit, such as good morning and good night texts, then he is definitely thinking about you from the moment his eyes open in the morning to the minute he lays his head on his pillow.

[Read next: How to talk to a guy you like – 34 ways to sweet talk him and melt his heart]

If you’re still wondering how guys flirt, put these signs and clues to the test, and find out for sure whether that cute guy is interested in you. You’ll never know until you do!