What is a love language?
I am sure we have all heard the term “love language” get thrown around recently. It has gained so much attention on social media, especially from TikTok, captivating the interest of many audiences. Love languages explain how you prefer to give and receive affection in relationships. There are five main love languages, and in my opinion, I believe we can all relate to multiple. In most cases, there is one overarching love language that completely defines our preferred medium of affection.
What are the Five Love Languages?
The five love languages are words of affirmation, physical touch, quality time, gift giving and acts of service. Each love language is unique, which can cause issues in relationships, but also bring opportunity.
Many of the love languages are self-explanatory. The first love language, words of affirmation, is when an individual shows and gives affection through verbal compliments and reassurance. Often, an issue can arise when someone with this love language is with a significant other who has trouble communicating. Being clear about what you want to hear and what you need is critical if you relate to this love language.
The second is physical touch. People with this love language prefer to give and receive affection through non-verbal actions and body language. Holding hands is a very common way to show this language in any environment. Do not be overwhelmed or confused by your partner if they constantly hold your pinky or play footsies under the table – they probably have physical touch as their love language. This is my language, so I could talk about it for hours.
Another fairly self-explanatory love language is quality time. Individuals who have quality time as their love language most appreciate doing different activities with their significant other. Spending meaningful time together is something that pulls at these individuals’ heartstrings. Some examples are going on adventures in town, doing fall activities like carving pumpkins and apple picking or going on meaningful dates.
Gift giving and acts of service are the last two love languages. Gifts are thoughtful items and gestures given to your significant other. A classic example of this is flowers. Many people love flowers, and they show that gift giving does not always have to be flashy. On the other hand, acts of service are actions one does without being asked that are helpful and considerate. Some examples are making a meal for your significant other, cleaning the kitchen or running an errand on their to-do list for them. These two love languages are in some ways similar and interchangeable.
Why are love languages important?
You may be thinking, are love languages even that distinguishable? How do I know what my significant other’s love language is? The answers are yes and ask them, or pay more attention. When you start to notice and care about what makes your significant other happy, it truly should not be that difficult to identify which love languages they have. And if it is hard to determine, ask them!
Talking about and understanding love languages with your significant other will show you care about each other’s happiness within the relationship. It also makes for more straightforward communication. If you have not shared your love language with your partner, it can be as easy as explaining what makes you feel appreciated. Showing affection can be tricky, but understanding, identifying and navigating love languages can make it much easier.