How to Know If You Like Someone: 30 Signs You’d Feel Right Now

Sometimes, your own emotions can get so twisted that it’s hard even for you to decode them. Here’s how to know if you like someone.

I know it sounds strange to say that even YOU don’t know how you feel. When it comes to understanding how to tell if we like someone, we all think that we’ll know the second we start liking someone. But the truth is that we can be completely ignorant to the fact that we’ve developed feelings for someone else.

How to know if you like someone – The unlikely signs we all miss

You can probably tell pretty quickly when you like someone. You get butterflies around them, you constantly check your appearance, you make sure you smell nice, and you get all nervous in front of them. These are all pretty typical signs you have a crush. But what about the signs you dismiss for something else? Could your everyday actions toward someone really mean you like them more than you initially thought? Understanding how to tell if you like someone doesn’t need to be tricky!

I think this happens the most when it’s with people we’ve known for a long time. I recently found myself won over by my best friend who has been JUST a friend of mine for a few years. I was struck hard with the realization that I actually liked the guy!

I have fallen victim to the evil clutches of these little known signs meaning I like someone. Before I connected with my current boyfriend, I didn’t realize how long I even liked him! We were friends for a long time before and it took FOREVER *well, it felt like it at least* to tell.

[Read: Are you more than friends or just friends? Here’s how to tell for sure]

Your mind can play tricks on your feelings

Another factor that can inhibit you from truly realizing your feelings can be your very own brain! A lot of people get it in their head that they can’t possibly have feelings for this person because of certain reasons.

I was convinced for the longest time that I couldn’t like my best friend because he was JUST my friend and I couldn’t cross that line. This made me blind to the fact that I was displaying the most obvious signs that I was totally into him. Even my roommate could tell, yet I had no idea myself.

Liking someone as more than a friend usually indicates a big emotional change in the way we act around them. However, sometimes you might like someone but those obvious signs are absent.

Maybe you’ve known them for a while, or even if your feelings aren’t as strong for them, it’s still there. If you’re curious how to tell if you like someone in your life, these unlikely signs uncover your hidden—even from you—secret.

[Read: 18 signs a friend likes you romantically even if’er hiding it very well]

How to know if you like someone by revealing your hidden feelings

Although it’s a strange concept that we might be able to like someone without even realizing it, there are ways to uncover how you truly feel. There are so many different signs that literally scream, “HEY DUMMY! YOU LIKE THAT PERSON!”

In order to take off the blinders and find out how you really feel about someone, you have to be willing to be truly honest with yourself. If you’re displaying any of these signs, it could mean that you like someone and don’t even know it.

#1 You talk to them… all the time. I mean, if you wake up in the morning and either have a text from them or send one to them within an hour of getting up, then you definitely have a thing for them. Who else do you care about enough to roll over, groggy-eyed, and send a good morning text? [Read: 20 unmistakable signs your friend is crushing on you]

#2 Just about everything reminds you of them… and you tell them. If you’re someone who finds yourself tagging this other person in funny memes and pictures on the internet that seem to remind you of them, then you could like them.

If you’re being reminded of this person by every little thing you see, it’s because you’re actively thinking about them during those times. AKA, you’re thinking about them a LOT. And when you’re thinking about someone that much, it only means one thing…

#3 You answer their texts and calls right away. If you let everyone else’s messages sit in your inbox unanswered for hours—sometimes even days—but you answer theirs within minutes of receiving it, then you like them. If what they have to say is more important than anyone else, then they mean something more to you. It’s as simple as that. [Read: 20 flirty ways to text your crush to get them interested]

#4 You answer their DMS and Snapchats before anyone else’s. Back when I was just friends with my current boyfriend, I let his messages and snaps sit for a while if I was busy. It could be hours before I got to them. But when I started answering them right away, before responding to other snaps and messages I received earlier than his, I started realizing that something was up. If this is you, you probably like them.

#5 You always laugh at their jokes. Now, this could simply be because they’re genuinely a funny person, but if you’re laughing at their jokes when no one else seems to be, it’s probably because you like them. Science has proven that we find those for whom we have intimate feelings to be funnier than other people perceive them to be. [Read: How to be funny and make people love your company]

#6 You get butterflies before you see them. If this happens and you still can’t tell if you like someone, then there’s something wrong with you, because this 100% means that you have a crush on them.

Butterflies are your body’s reaction to the release of adrenaline that happens when you get nervous. And being nervous around someone clearly means that you like them!

#7 You dress a little nicer when you know they’ll be there. Sometimes, people don’t really notice this one because it can be subtle. But if you know you’re going to be around them and you take a little extra care in getting ready, then you’ve probably got a thing for that person. You only really care about your appearance when you’re going to be around someone you want to impress. [Read: 13 physical attraction tips to look way hotter!]

#8 You fidget when you’re talking to them. And by fidget, I mean you pull at your clothes and hair in order to make sure it looks good for them. We also tend to fidget a lot when we’re nervous, which is another surefire sign that you like someone.

#9 You tease them a lot. I don’t think any of us quite outgrow our childhood habits in this sense. We still tend to tease those whom we care about because it usually makes them smile… as long as it’s fun teasing, that is. [Read: 15 obvious flirting signs between a guy and a girl]

#10 They know all the important details about you. We don’t open up to just anyone and share our secrets with them. We shell out our insecurities and personal details to people whom we care about and deeply trust. That kind of trust can only be fostered when you like someone intimately.

#11 You pick up on their phrases. Have you noticed that you’re starting to sound more like them when you talk? This is something called mirroring, and we tend to subconsciously do it when we have feelings for someone.

#12 You know details about their life. Do you know about all of their family, what their favorite anything is, and can basically co-write their biography? If this is the case, then you most definitely like them. Why else would you care about that kind of information? [Read: 13 weird, unique ways to build intimacy with your partner]

#13 You take up new interests and aren’t sure why. If you find yourself picking up new hobbies, music interests, and more, and you’re not exactly sure why, they could be influenced by the person you like. If the person you like enjoys hockey, and you start watching more hockey games, it could be a sign you like them. [Read: 19 sure signs of falling in love to watch out for!]

#14 You find yourself defending their decisions. This big sign gets overlooked all the time. If you talk to someone who bashes on your friend and you stick up for them, even when you’d normally disagree. You like them and don’t want anyone thinking of them poorly.

#15 You mindlessly check your phone for seemingly no reason. Except the real reason, waiting for that special someone to send you a text. When you repeatedly check your phone and not sure why, you’re subconsciously waiting to see if you got a text from the person you probably like. [Read: 13 clean and flirty texting games to play with friends]

#16 You notice their features more when you’re together. If you found yourself perplexed by the amount of freckles they have on their nose versus the rest of their body, you might be paying a bit more attention to their features than you realize.

By looking at them more intently, you’re basically memorizing their features so you have them stuck in your mind. This is something people do when they really like someone.

#17 You talk about them a lot in normal conversation. Sure, it’s pretty normal for a person to gush about their new love interest, but if you find that you bring up their stories and experiences when you’re talking to people in normal conversation, it means you like them.

#18 When watching a new show/movie/etc., you think about how they would like it. If you stumble across anything new and find that you immediately wonder if they would like it or not, it is a huge sign you like them. Thinking of their interests even when you’re busy with something reveals a lot about your feelings for them. [Read: How do you know when you love someone? 18 foolproof ways]

#19 You check their social media just to see their updates. You dismiss this as wanting to check up on their life which could be true. However, if you specifically seek out their social media page to check their updates and find yourself staring and smiling at their pictures, it could be a sign that you like them.

#20 Suddenly, you’re in a great mood when they text you. You can be in the worst mood in the entire world—a mood making Satan look like a saint—but the second you get a text from them, the bad mood fizzles out and you’re back to your happy self. This is a sign you’re into them.

#21 You’ve been talking to them on a daily basis. When you like someone as a friend, you don’t talk to them every single day. But if you fall into the habit of texting someone every day and talking to them even for a little while, it shows you want to hear from them every day. A definite sign you like them. [Read: 17 clear signs you should be dating your friend already]

#22 You spend more one on one time with them than before. Most friends tend to hang out in groups and not just one on one. That being said, if you find that the two of you hang out more regularly as just the two of you, and without other friends, it means you want their attention all for yourself.

#23 They seem funnier to you than anyone else. It’s been proven you tend to laugh and think someone is funny when you like them, even if they’re not actually that funny. If you find they’re a lot funnier than they were before, it’s probably because you like them. Not because they’ve been studying up on their jokes. [Read: 12 types of humor and how it affects relationships]

#24 You seek out their opinion on something first. When you like someone, their opinion becomes more powerful than almost anyone else’s. So if you find yourself in a predicament and look to them for advice before going to your best friend or even parents, this is an unlikely sign you like them.

#25 You initiate everything first more often. When you’re the one waking up in the morning and texting them first, asking them to hang out first, and initiating relatively all of the contact, it’s a huge sign you like them. When you’re actively seeking out contact with someone, it’s because you value having them in your life. Meaning you want to make sure they stay in your life. This unlikely sign means you like them more than just a friend.
[Read: How to know if you really like someone: Hidden feelings revealed]

#26 You have a nickname for them that only you know. For my now-boyfriend and me, I was the only person *other than his mother* who would actually call him by his full name. I never realized that this was actually a very revealing sign that I had feelings for him.

By making up a nickname for them that only you seem to use, you’re separating yourself from the “competition.” You may not know you’re doing it, but this will give you some individualized contact with them. [Read: What you pet name says about your relationship]

#27 You’re excited they have a nickname for you. Making unique nicknames for someone is what you do out of affection. They may have come up with a name as a joke. But they still use it and are the only one to use it. As corny as the nickname may be, your heart skips a beat every time they call you by that special name.

#28 You see their opinion as the most important. If you go to this special person for their opinion and take what they have to say over that of a family member or another close friend, it’s because you like them and want to please them—subconsciously, of course.

#29 You randomly end up on their social media page. I say “randomly” because it might seem that way to you at first. But the truth is that nothing is truly random. You’ve ended up on their page scrolling through their pictures for a reason.

And I bet that reason has a little something to do with the fact that you miss them. In fact, if you find that this happens a lot when you haven’t heard from them in a while, then you definitely dig them. [Read: How to tell if you’re in love – 15 clues you probably didn’t realize already]

#30 You get annoyed when you see them with someone else. Jealousy is one of the biggest and most obvious signs that you like someone more than just as a friend. Some people try to deny that they’re jealous, and this can lead to their never realizing their true feelings. If you get annoyed and upset when this person is with someone else, then you’ve got to be honest with yourself and see that you have feelings for them. [Read: How to tell someone you like them and win them over]

It’s crazy how we sometimes can’t even tell ourselves if we have feelings for someone. But with these unlikely signs, you’ll be able to find out how to know if you like someone even when you’re not showing any of the “typical” signs. And it can also can reveal all of your hidden feelings about that special person too!