The thought of telling your crush that you like him might be a bit scary! If you're nervous about getting rejected, it can be helpful to show your crush that you like him before you talk about your feelings. You can hang out with him and give little hints with your body language, text messages, and attitude that let him know that you're interested. Remember, the goal is to work your way up to actually telling him how you feel, so if you get the vibe that your feelings are reciprocal, don’t hesitate to speak up!

1

Smile and make eye contact.

  1. If you look like you’re open and engaged, he’ll respond positively. During a conversation, look him in the eyes so that he knows you're giving him your full attention. Many people don't make eye contact when they're talking to someone, so this will make him feel special and important. Smiling also sends the message that you’re happy to be talking to him, which is a great way to drop the hint.[1]
    • Try not to stare directly at him all the time. Too much eye contact can come off as aggressive or overwhelming.[2]
    • If you have no facial expression and you’re looking away from him while he talks, it’s going to send a subconscious message that you aren’t interested in talking to him.
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2

Brush against him in a playful way.

  1. Casual and respectful touching is a great way to drop the hint. “Accidentally” brush against him in the hall, put your hand on his shoulder when you laugh at his jokes, and go out of your way to hug him first when you run into him and his friends. This kind of light touching is a big sign that you’re comfortable around him and are interested in pursuing a relationship.[3]
    • When you hug him, hold it a little longer than you normally would. If it’s reciprocal and he holds the hug as well, it’s a huge sign that he’s into you.
    • If you haven’t known him that long, test the waters first. Try getting a little close to him and then backing out of his personal space. If he has a negative reaction or he moves away from you, just take it slow.[4]
    • A little casual touching is fine, but don’t go out of your way to grab, hold, or touch him in an aggressive way.
3

Go out of your way to talk to him.

4

Compliment him.

  1. If you make him feel good, he’ll want to be around you. Tell him you think his new haircut looks really cute, or that his new shoes are really cool. You can also compliment him on his intelligence by saying something nice about his performance in class, or comment about how kind he was to someone. Everyone loves a compliment, and he’s going to be more likely to want to pursue a relationship or look at you as a potential partner if you build him up.[6]
    • For example, you might say something like, “That test was really hard! I can’t believe you did so well; you’re so good at math.”
    • If you want to compliment his looks, you can say, “That shirt really brings out the color of your eyes. I love it!”
    • You don't necessarily have to tell him that you think he's hot or the cutest person you've ever seen.
5

Make an effort to hang out.

  1. Go out of your way to invite him to events. It doesn’t even need to be romantic or date-like; just ask him to do things with you. If everyone is going out for drinks after work, ask him to tag along. If you and your friends are heading to the mall, send him a text asking if he wants to meet you there. This will make it absolutely clear that you enjoy spending time with him, which is a great way to indicate you have a crush.[7]
    • If you don’t have his phone number, ask for it! You can always play it off like you just want help with the homework every once in a while or something.
    • If he ever invites you anywhere, go! The more time you get to spend together, the stronger your bond will grow. This is the best way to work your way up towards an actual relationship.
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6

Ask him a lot of questions.

  1. People like talking about themselves, so ask a lot of questions. Give him plenty of room to open up and share how he feels. This will send the message that you’re interested in learning more about him. It will also give you plenty to talk about so that you can continue to move things forward.[8]
    • If you’re just getting to know one another, questions like, “What do you do in your spare time?” and, “What’s your favorite movie?” are great ways to get him talking.
    • Deeper questions are a great way to build on things once you know one another. Things like, “Where do you think you’ll be a year from now?” or, “What would you do with a million dollars?” are great ways to spark a meaningful dialogue.
    • You can ask him questions about you as well. Something like, “Do you think I look better with long or short hair?” gives him an opportunity to say something flirty.
7

Engage in some lighthearted teasing.

  1. A little playful banter is a great way to drop the hint. For one, this will inject some comedy into the conversation every now and then. On top of that, a little fun teasing is a subtle way of demonstrating your comfort and vulnerability around someone. It’s also a great way to relieve a little bit of tension if things ever get serious or awkward.[9]
    • For example, you might use phrases like “You’re such a brat!” or, “Your laugh is so funny to me, I love the way you giggle.” Try to keep it sweet and don’t say anything authentically critical or mean.
    • Don’t force this one. If you aren’t a naturally playful person, don’t worry about trying to tease him.
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8

Keep conversations going.

  1. He’s going to assume you don’t like him if you don’t seem interested. If he asks you a question, answer it and then ask a similar question back. If he texts you out of nowhere and asks, “How are you doing?” saying “I’m fine” won’t give him anything to really work with. Whether it’s in-person or over text, try to respond in a way where you give him an opening to build on the conversation.[10]
    • It can be hard to do this if you’re nervous around him, but try to just limit the one word answers and actively engage in whatever he’s talking about.
    • For example, if he asks, “Have you seen this new Jason Statham movie?” responding with a flat, “No,” doesn’t really move the conversation forward. Instead, you might say, “No, have you?” or, “Yes. It was really good, and I’d love to see it again. Are you going to the movies soon?”
9

Make a joke about dating.

  1. Joking about being together is a great way to put the idea out there. A little lighthearted comedy about dating is a great way to suggest that you like someone. It’s also a smart way to figure out if he likes you back. If you make a joke like this and he leans into it a bit and plays along, he probably likes you. If he says something like, “Yeah, like we’d ever end up together,” then you can backtrack a bit and play it off like you were kidding.[11]
    • You could make jokes about him being your “History class husband,” or, “work boyfriend” because the two of you spend so much time together.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    What if he's popular and a lot of people have a crush on him?
    Samantha L. Campbell
    Samantha L. Campbell
    Community Answer
    Try to make yourself stand out from others with your personality and kindness. Show him that you're a good person by reassuring him that you're there if he ever needs to talk, and ask him to hang out whenever he's free. Try your best not to get jealous of other people and focus on making your connection with him stronger.
  • Question
    What should I do if he likes someone else?
    Samantha L. Campbell
    Samantha L. Campbell
    Community Answer
    Focus on making your relationship stronger by being friends. If you're there for him and support him even when he's not dating you, he'll know that you really care about him. When he's not interested in anyone else, be more forward with him by flirting, making plans to hang out more, and texting him more often.
  • Question
    I've known my crush for a few months and we're friends. We have class together and sit in front of each other. What if I tell him how I feel and things become awkward?
    Samantha L. Campbell
    Samantha L. Campbell
    Community Answer
    Instead of confessing your feelings right away, consider giving smaller hints to him. Start by touching his hand when you're talking or giving him compliments when you see him. Suggest that you should hang out together outside of class and do more romantic things, like seeing movies or going to lunch together. That way, he'll have an idea that you like in him without making you confess your feelings.
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  1. Imad Jbara. Dating Coach. Expert Interview. 5 November 2019.
  2. Imad Jbara. Dating Coach. Expert Interview. 5 November 2019.
  3. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20191206-the-science-behind-giving-good-gifts
  4. https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-why-you-shouldnt-play-hard-to-get-2018-2

About This Article

Imad Jbara
Co-authored by:
Dating Coach
This article was co-authored by Imad Jbara and by wikiHow staff writer, Eric McClure. Imad Jbara is a Dating Coach for NYC Wingwoman LLC, a relationship coaching service based in New York City. 'NYC Wingwoman' offers matchmaking, wingwoman services, 1-on-1 Coaching, and intensive weekend bootcamps. Imad services 100+ clients, men and women, to improve their dating lives through authentic communication skills. He has a BA in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. This article has been viewed 531,919 times.
32 votes - 82%
Co-authors: 79
Updated: November 24, 2022
Views: 531,919
Categories: Crushes on Boys
Article SummaryX

It might seem scary to tell your crush you like him, but if you give him some subtle hints, eventually he'll figure out that you're interested. The next time you see your crush, give him a compliment to make him feel special. You might congratulate him on his latest test score or say you like his new haircut. Smile at him when you see him and make direct eye contact to show you're really interested in what he's saying. You can even try gently touching his arm during a conversation or hugging him when you see him so he gets the hint. If you have his number, text him every once in a while so he knows you're thinking about him. To learn how to hang out with your crush one on one, read on!

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