How and Why of Everything: How to Hint to a Boy That You Like Him

Edited by Kane56, AspiringSquire, Andy Zhang, Hawkstar and 97 others

You like this guy, but you can't bring yourself to ask him out. Maybe you're friends and have concerns about maintaining the friendship if things don't go according to your plan. Maybe you're just old fashioned and want him to make the first move. Dropping hints is a great way to start getting the message across if you are sure you want more than friendship.

Steps

1
Flirt with him. There is no doubt about it, flirting is the key to opening the door to a new relationship. Of course, you need to make sure you are not overdoing it, but you also want to get the message across.
- When he says something funny to you, laugh! Only laugh if it's funny to you because you'd want him to know the real you. Still, even if his jokes aren't all hilarious, at least smile. Boys love seeing your smile. Just don't overdo it if you can help yourself. Be yourself at all times!
- Tease him every now and then. Don't make it too harsh though. Just give him a smirk and tell him he totally failed whatever he was trying to do. If he usually does it well, that's an okay time to tease him. But if he is working hard on it and just can't get it right, it's probably not the best idea to tell him he did poorly.
- Send him notes or put messages in his backpack. Write small things like "I wish the day was done..." or "What are you doing for summer?" Sending him notes will make him feel special and singled out by you.
- If you think it might work, give him a little wave with your hand. Don't be discouraged if he doesn't wave back. If he smiles at back you, you know it's worked.
- If that doesn't get you noticed, try winking at him. Winking is a universal sign of affection. Make sure that you only close one eye when you wink, or else it might just look like you're blinking.
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2
Find ways to make physical contact. We all like our personal space, but we're eager to give it up when it comes to that special person. Touching him gently in social situations will signal that you don't just want to stay friends.
- Ask him for help on a math problem and brush your shoulder against his. Stay close to him for a while if he doesn't move away.
- Touch his forearm or his shoulder when you're talking to him. Don't grab ahold of him like you're going to shake him; just tap him or rest a few fingers on him for a moment, and try to do it casually.
- If you have a playful relationship with him, you can get away with more physical contact. Ask him for a piggyback ride (not when you're wearing a skirt!) or tickle him when he least expects it.
3
Smile, smile, smile. Be happy when you look at him, and try to project that happiness as much as possible. Being happy is attractive, and smiling is the way you show the world you're happy.
- Don't conceal your true smile. Remember that time you laughed so hard you couldn't breathe? Remember the smile that was plastered on your face afterwards? Show him that smile! Your confidence will be infectious.
- You can tell he's interested if he smiles back at you and tries to hold your eyes a bit longer than regular friends would. This means he gets pleasure out of feasting his eyes on you.
- Try smiling at him as you stroke your hair. This will bring his attention to both your great smile and your fantastic hair.
4
Be in the same place as him. This can be difficult to do, but it will give you more chances to talk to him. The more you're around him, the more he'll take notice.
- In classes, if seating is optional, sit next to him every so often. Sit next to him at lunch when there's an opportunity.
- Join the clubs that he's in, unless they're something like boys' sports teams. Try to find clubs that you both like, so that you'll do fun activities together and enjoy yourself while you're at it.
- If he plays sports or does other activities, make it a priority to go to his games or see him perform. There's nothing like scoring that winning touchdown and seeing a cute girl in the stands.
- Be careful about being around him all the time. You don't want to look like a stalker, so be selective and play things off like they're random. Plus, they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder.
5
Exchange looks in class. When the two of you are in the same class, look at him from wherever you're sitting and when he looks back, turn away and blush. This sends him non-verbal information that you enjoy looking at him.
- Do not stare. You want him to think you're interested, not obsessed. Occasionally look his way, and if he isn't biting, don't sweat it. Send him a note or talk to him and see if he looks your way the next time.
- When he turns to you, look him in the eyes and smile. Remember, if he catches you looking at him, that means that he was looking at you, which means he probably likes you. Score!
- Always keep good eye contact when talking to him, even if he's shy. Show him how pretty your eyes are, and how he makes your eyes smile with delight. Keeping good eye contact shows him he's got your undivided attention, but also that you're one confident gal.
6
Work in compliments. Be sincere about what you compliment, and don't make it seem cheesy. The best compliments say something sweet about a person's character.
- When he gets a haircut, for example, ask him where he got it. If you tell him you like it, you're saying that you like his style and paid attention enough to notice.
- Try complimenting aspects of his personality. Tell him he was loyal not to snitch on his friend, or sweet for giving up his lunch. Going beyond surface-level compliments is important.
- Try to work the compliment into a bigger conversation. If you just say, "I love your shoes," he might not know how to react. Find a way to talk about shoes in general, and gradually let him know that you like his shoes more than his friend's, which are just ugly.
7
Give him a gift. Give him something boyish and thoughtful. It might seem weird to give him a gift, but just pretend like you're giving it to your best friend.
- Whatever it is, make him think it wasn't a big deal by saying something like: "I came across this and I thought about you."
- Don't buy anything too extravagant or expensive. Get something small enough so that he won't feel like he has to get you something in return.
- Pick up an extra pack of gum, or that bottled juice that he always gets during recess. You might even get him a notebook or pens, especially if he always forgets them.
- If you don't mind asking him out, get him some tickets to a movie or sports event. Tell him, "I thought we could go together."
- Whatever gift you give, find out his interests first. You'll want to get him something that he actually likes — something that shows you're thinking about him and you like him for who he is.
8
Call him more regularly. Don't call him every day and talk to him for hours, but don't be afraid to take that next step and get to know him. Calling him is a sign that you're serious about getting to know him better.
- When you call him, find excuses to talk to him. Ask him what the homework was, what time the party is going to be, or what he knows about the latest cell phone. Be creative.
- Talk about something weird that happened in school, or something interesting about his life. Listen well and be sure to pick up on the little details that he mentions. Use them to build on old conversations and to bring up new ones.
- Exchange information and perspectives. This is your chance to get to know him, and his chance to get to know you. Talking on the phone can be enjoyable for boys if they feel funny and interesting doing it, so make sure to laugh at his jokes and sound excited.
- If he's not talkative, be sure to ask him lots of questions. Ask him what his parents do; where he grew up; what he wants to be later on; what his siblings are like; or where he wants to go on vacation. Asking question will help move along the conversation and tell him you're interested.
- Don't keep him on the phone for a long time; he might have other stuff to do. Always maintain a little mystery about yourself. You want him to get to know you, but you also want to leave him curious about learning even more.
9
Mention to his friends that you like him. This is risky, because his friends may distort information or tease him (don't worry, they're jealous!), so you have to be careful about who you tell. But sooner or later, his friends will bring it up to him, and the ball will be in his court.
- Use this as a kind of last resort. If all the above steps don't work, consider telling his friends. Again, you will have little/no control over what his friends tell him.
- Don't tell his friends that you want them to pass it along. Just find a way to mention it to at least one of his friends — they'll most likely do the rest.
- If you really trust them, tell your friend to "accidentally" spill it to him. Because this is tough to do, have someone who is really casual do this. If they don't do it casually, it can feel like you're demanding him to make a decision about you. You want him to feel flattered, not caught in a corner.
10
Get a feel for where he's at. You can try indirect flirting all you want, but it might not have an effect. Sometimes guys need you to spell things out really clearly.
- Ask him to walk with you after class is done. If he says he doesn't know, nudge a little more and say, "You're going to leave me all by myself?" If he says he can't, he's not interested. If he says he can, try to flirt with him when you are walking together at the end of he day. If he says yes immediately, he's definitely interested.
- Ask him if he wants to be your date to a dance, especially if it's Sadie Hawkins. If he says yes, plan what you want to wear together so that you can be color-coordinated.
- Ask him if he'll carry your heavy backpack for a little while. It doesn't need to be all day, but tell him that it's hurting your back and that he looks strong enough to carry it. If he says yes, he's definitely into you and likes that you think he's manly.
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Tips

If a guy looks at you all the time it's most likely he fancies you. Just smile back nicely and wink at him. He will get the hint that you like him.
Accept him for who he is if you truly like him. There's a saying that women go into relationships thinking they can change the guy, and it almost never happens.
Don't go too far when trying to be around him. He might think you're a stalker and try to stay clear of you. Remember you want to let him know you're into him not scare him away!
Make sure he's the one for you. You don't want to finally go out with him and then realize that you actually don't love him.
If the guy is really shy, DON'T ask him if he likes you because most of the time it will end up as a no, but don't fret! He probably does like you! You should try to give hints that you like him or tell him first that you like him. That will give him the confidence to ask.
Exercise caution. Subtlety is always more attractive than obvious/obsessive flirting. You need the boy to know you have a life outside of your relationship with him.
Be friendly throughout. Guys want to be with girls they feel comfortable around.
If you have a feeling that the guy you like likes you back, then start to have longer conversations with him. Ask him what he likes or what he's doing later. This will definitely show the guy that you like him.
Never let a guy make you feel inferior to him. He is just a guy. If he treats you poorly, he's definitely not worth your time.
Don't be too obvious.

Show 3 more tips

Warnings

Don't be a phony. Be yourself and don't change your personality once you start dating him. He likes you for who you are, not who you think he wants you to be. if he wants you to change, just forget about him. No guy is worth changing your whole personality. people should accept you for who you are, not what they want you to be.
If you're going to use these steps, do not play hard to get. This will leave him totally confused and he will only become more unsure. In fact, don't play hard to get in the first place. The type of guys that like hard to get are normally not the type of guy you want to date. They don't like you, they just like the challenge.
Try not say anything bad about him or what he does. Things like that can be taken the wrong way and might lower his self esteem. He may even dislike you for it.
Some guys don't like being winked at, or called "hun" because it makes them feel awkward. If it makes them feel weird, brush it off and make a mental note not to do it again.
Be careful about flirting with someone who you think is shy. Taking a boy's hand when he's not expecting it can scare him...