5 Signs Your Guy Friend Likes You but Is Hiding It

When we start having feelings for someone, we become curious to know if they hold a similar interest.

Even if they drop hints quite often, we tend to overlook them.

This is what happened in my case when I realized I had feelings for Sam. He would leave me numerous hints but I’d hardly ever see them. Can you relate to this scenario?

Do you have feelings for someone but don’t know if they have feelings for you as well? Then, this post is for you.

All the following points are supported by expert opinions and real-life examples.

Signs He Likes You Even If He’s Hiding It

I met Sam in college, and we became great friends. We would hang out often and spend quality time together.

Things were going as usual until I realized I had fallen for him. It puzzled me to think how he would react after knowing this.

Meanwhile, he was already busy dropping me indirect signs he likes me, but I was too busy overthinking to see them.

One day, he took the risk of asking me out, and I was ecstatic.

Check out these signs to understand if he likes you but is hiding it.

Knowing them all can help you calm your overthinking trying to figure out whether he’s into you or not.

1. When he looks at you, he can’t help smiling

Once I was out with Sam in a cafe. I was focused on finishing my burger. When I looked at him to say something, I saw he was already staring at me.

As I looked at his face, he immediately averted his eyes. This was almost a regular incident. I’d often catch his eyes in a restaurant or across the street.

When I looked back, he’d have a shy smile on his face.

Sometimes, I’d ask him if he wanted to tell me anything. His only reply would be, “Some things are better left unspoken.”

Back then, I didn’t recognize this sign. But now, I understand this is among the beautiful love signs to tell your partner that you’re into them.

guy genuinely smiling — Photo by LOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVR on Unsplash

Do you often find your partner looking at you and throwing you a shy smile when you meet their eye? This might mean he too is interested in you.

Marriage and Family Therapy expert Gabrielle Applebury says if he makes eye contact with you more often, he’s probably attracted to you. He might stare but won’t tell you anything if he’s nervous.

2. He always finds excuses to talk to you or spend time together

This is one of the signs he likes you more than a friend.

I remember Sam always finding excuses to talk to me and being eager to spend some time with me – alone.

While returning home from college, he’d always found an excuse to talk to me so that he could walk with me to the metro station – while he had to go the opposite way.

Being with him made me feel excited and nervous at the same time. I’d be nervous thinking, what if he senses my feelings?

I hardly knew that he was only looking for opportunities to be around me and spend more time.

This is one example. There are many other incidents where Sam would found the smallest excuse to be with me.

Our friends often teased us, to which Sam’s only answer was a slight blush. I enjoyed the attention, but on the inside, I was busy wondering if Sam actually liked me.

If you find him looking for excuses to be around you often, it might indicate:

You’re a priority in his life,
He feels comfortable around you,
He is interested in knowing more about you.

Relationship expert Raychel Ria Agramon says a man always trying to be around you is among the most prominent signs that he likes you.

What you look upon as a coincidence might actually be a planned thing.

As a study suggests, the attraction might increase as you spend more time spent together.

3. He asks you a lot of personal questions

Sam and I would ask each other many personal questions, preferences, and favorite things.

I’d be genuinely curious to know more about him, and so was he.

He’d ask me how I liked to spend my weekend, my favorite TV series, and my definition of a perfect guy.

I’d ask him, “What would you do knowing what kind of guys I prefer?” His reply would be, “I’ll get you one, or who knows if he’s already around you?”

When a guy likes you, he will try to know you more closely. Some questions might look like this:

What are your goals in life: Through this question, he’d like to know you better and figure out if his goals match yours.
What are your hobbies: This is another way for him to know more about your personal interests, what you like to do, and what your passions are. A guy interested in you will always look for ways to understand you better.
What’s your take about a relationship: If you notice him asking this question just after a date or two, know that he has probably started having some feelings for you. He is hopeful to plan a future together and hence eager to learn about your take on a relationship.
What things make you happy: When you share the most important things with someone, you get comfortable opening up to them. If the guy asks you this question, it might indicate he wants to understand if you are open with him. Or at least if you’re willing to open up with him.
Do you like to spend time with others or love being alone: This question carries an underlying meaning. By asking this, he might try to figure out if you’d be happy spending time with him or if you need a bunch of people in the house.

couple talking in the nature — Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Do you find him asking you a lot about your personal interests? This could be an sign he likes you. Communication and men’s psychology expert Nato Lagidze says asking questions is a guy’s way of understanding if you’re into him.

4. He remembers the little details about you

One of the clearest signs he likes you even if he is hiding it, is he remembers the small stuff.

Remembering every tiny detail about each other is among the purest forms of love.

Sam used to remember every little detail about me. This was among the key reasons I fell for him. It made me feel important and that I belonged in his life.

I still remember how I casually told him how much I like orchids while passing by a flower shop. And he gave me a bouquet of orchids on my birthday that year, giving me joy like no other.

What does it mean when he remembers every tiny detail about you?

As relationship expert Chaeli Barbaro says:

When a guy remembers even the smallest detail about you from a story you told him weeks back, he might be the one.
A man with good memory is rare. If he remembers many minor details about you, it means he listens to you thoughtfully when you talk.
It indicates he’s an active listener and cares about what you tell him.

Do you also find him remembering the little things about you even if you forget them later? If yes, it could indicate your guy friend likes you, even if he’s trying to hide it.

Recommended read: 7 Signs He Likes You But Is Playing It Cool

5. He always makes an effort to keep the conversation going

This is one of the main signs he probably likes you more than a friend.

Whether you are texting each other or sitting together in person, he’ll always find a way to keep the conversation going.

Nothing is more infuriating than texting someone who takes hours to respond. If you find a guy doing the reverse, he could be the one.

Relationship expert Sarah Power says a guy holds a conversation with a girl he likes. If he isn’t interested in her, he’s probably not going to make an effort to keep the conversation going.

Do you see him asking you follow-up questions or always choosing a topic to talk about? If yes, it might indicate he likes you.

Quick Recap

Here’s a quick summary of what we talked about in this article.

Look out for these signs to understand if he likes you but is hiding it:

He stares at you and can’t help smiling: He gazes at you longer than necessary and returns a smile when you look back – that kind of smile he can’t control because he gets nervous around you.
He find excuses to talk to you and spend time together: If you find him making excuses to be around you all the time, you can take it as an indication of his interest in you. When he really likes you, he’ll never miss out on an opportunity to be with you and spend some time together.
He asks you a lot of personal questions: When a guy is into you, he’ll try to know you better to determine if his interests align with yours. If you find him asking you many questions about yourself, your interests, friends, and family, it could be a genuine indicator that he admires you secretly.
He remembers every detail you share with him: If a guy is interested in you, he’ll be an active listener to your talks and invested in them. He’ll remember every little detail about you because he cares about it and wants to make you feel you belong.
He keeps the conversation going, always: When a man likes you, he wants you to be a part of his daily conversations. He’ll hold long talks, discuss topics that interest you, or simply text you “Hi” to keep the conversation going.

These are the top clues that can help you understand if your guy friend genuinely likes you but is hiding it – and wants to plan a future with you.

Did you relate any of these signs? If yes, you now know he’s actually into you.

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Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash