What are the love languages? They are the ways through which people express and receive love in a relationship. There are five types of them: acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, words of affirmation and physical touch. In this article, we describe them in more detail. Read on to find out more.
What Are the Love Languages?
Love languages are the ways through which we receive and express this feeling. Each person might do it differently or to a different extent. Therefore, love languages are divided into 5 types.
We need to note here that you do not necessarily belong to a particular category. We all use different types of love languages to express our feelings, so you shouldn’t think about them as the only way w receive or express love, but rather the dominant form through which we do this.
A List of the 5 Types of Love Languages
Knowing what a love language means, we can now take a look at the different types of them. So, what are they?
Acts of Service
The first type of love language is acts of service—seemingly small things that you (or your partner) do that make your partner (or you) feel appreciated and loved.
In the psychology of attraction, even the tiniest acts can be meaningful, and this is an example of that. Acts of service might seem irrelevant for those who do not speak this love language, but they matter to those who do. What are they in practice?
- Helping with the dishes.
- Running errands.
- Making you hot tea when you’re sick.
- Dry cleaning when you don’t have time or energy to do this.
As you can see, they are really simple and down-to-earth. Yet, they can be a key to making your loved one feel appreciated.
Receiving/Giving Gifts
For others, receiving or giving gifts is the dominant love language. This does not mean expensive, luxurious presents, but the effort itself put into them.
People speaking this love language will appreciate handmade gifts or ones that are thoughtful and remind them of the time you spent with them. For them, a hand-decorated photo album from your last shared vacation will be the biggest expression of love that they could receive. You don’t need to go to extreme lengths financially – it’s your dedication poured into the gift that matters.
Quality Time
What does quality time love language mean? That you feel loved when your partner wants to spend time actively with you. This does not need to include special activities but rather:
- Active listening.
- Maintaining eye contact.
- Putting down the cell phone.
- Thoughtful interactions.
Words of Affirmation
For some, action means more than words. But for others, it is the other way around.
Those who speak this type of love language will want to receive your love through compliments, praise, and appreciation. They will find joy in cute messages, frequent “I love you,” and words of encouragement whenever they feel anxious.
Physical Touch
Finally, there are those for whom affection is linked to physical contact. Again, this can be very subtle. A little touch on the arm, a simple massage at the end of a tiring day, or even holding hands – this is what makes those people feel loved.
If your partner speaks this love language the most, they will love intimate dates where you cuddle together watching movies or go on a romantic walk while holding hands. Even a peck on the cheek can fill them with endorphins.
Why Do You Need to Understand the Five Love Languages?
Knowing the 5 love languages is necessary if you want to build a healthy relationship and define good boundaries in dating. Why? Because it lets you understand your partner’s (and yours) emotional needs.
Imagine that you don’t like physical touch. In turn, you’re highly unlikely to hold your partner’s hand or show affection through touch. But, your partner’s dominant love language is physical touch – your behavior could make them feel unappreciated. Yet, if you know the different types of love languages, you can discuss this beforehand and discover that your partner actually strives for physical intimacy. As a result, you can come up with a compromise to show them your love.
The Takeaway
Knowing the 5 types of love languages, you should be able to understand which one you and your partner speak. This will help you show your appreciation better and feel happier together, so we advise you to discuss this with your partner and find ways to express your feelings the way they love them.
You might also read: Do You Stay True To You When Dating?