The Five Love Languages Everyone Needs to Know to Improve Their Relationship
Have you ever heard of the ‘love languages’ coined by Dr. Gary Chapman? You might have seen these mentioned in previous articles we’ve written, including the ‘Speak My Language’ date in our review of The Adventure Challenge. Basically, love languages are five different ways that folks typically prefer receiving love from their romantic partner.
What we love most about discovering your love language is that you can truly begin making your partner a priority; that is, we tend to show love to our significant others in a way that we would feel loved. However, just like different people have different sex styles, not everyone feels validated by their partner’s love in the same way! The languages of love you most resonate with can be determined by reviewing each of the five expressions’ criteria or by taking a simple online love test.
Unsure which of the five love languages resonates most with you? Check out our descriptions below to see which you identify the most with! (And at the end of the article, we may have a love languages test created just for you.)
Words of affirmation
You don’t have to be a hopeless romantic to identify with this love language on your love test. For these individuals, telling your partner you love them for the first time is a big deal, as are reminders of this love through relationship check-ins.
Some ways to show a partner who flourishes with words of affirmation include:
Telling them daily that you love them, whether in-person or through phone calls and text messages (if you don’t see each other daily)
Reminding them of their importance in your life, including what you appreciate about them
Practicing mindful sex more frequently
Quality time
For this love language, dedication to strengthening your bond with your partner comes through spending time together and encouraging open communication. Through this focused time spent together, you can share special moments and create lasting memories during these critical, uninterrupted moments. Feeling special, like your partner wants to be with you, is a significant element.
Some ways to show a significant other who thrives on quality time include:
Coming up with thoughtful at-home date ideas
Fostering deep conversations to get to know each other even better
Making an effort for relationship self-care together
Physical touch
People who score this result on their love test are reassured by their significant other’s presence, though not necessarily in a sexual way. That is, it’s not always about sending and taking nudes or even seducing your long-term partner. This is a non-verbal communication of love, depicted through a partner’s body, as opposed to words, favours, or gifts.
Some ways to show a partner who prefers physical touch include:
Kissing them when you see each other (for example, when entering the room)
Holding hands, whether hanging out at home or in public
Making an effort to have sex and communicating passions
Acts of service
Folks drawn to this love language truly appreciate small acts of kindness shown to them that help ease everyday life. By alleviating them of a responsibility or two for the day, they feel a deepened connection with their partner and heightened feelings of love.
Some ways to show a significant other who enjoy acts of service include:
Picking up the groceries or dry cleaning on your way home
Doing a house chore that’s typically their responsibility
Giving them an unprompted massage to help them relax
Receiving gifts
Of the various languages of love, folks resonating most with this language prefer to see tangible proof of their partner’s love for them. These gifts, preferably, are items that are heartfelt and well thought out, indicating that their significant other knows them well and cares about them.
Some ways to show a partner who appreciates receiving gifts include:
Picking up an item they admired while you were out
Taking them to a shop that they love, to buy them something
Bringing home a thoughtful gift you know they’ll love
Get ready to have a better relationship! By having a deeper understanding of Dr. Gary Chapman’s five languages of love (and mutually sharing this information with your significant other), maintaining passion in your relationship will be infinitely easier… as will talking to your partner about your needs, going forward!
With this newfound knowledge, couples can better plan future unique dates, express love and affection in a way that resonated with their partner, and ultimately, fostering a healthy relationship built on concrete happiness, respect, and appreciation of each other .
Curious to learn more? Why not try this love languages test to get an even better idea of which of Dr. Gary Chapman’s five types of love most fit you!
Have you taken a love languages test before? Which languages of love do you most identify with? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
