Hitting a few brick walls in your relationship? You might be speaking the wrong love language!
If you’ve been in a committed relationship for quite some time now, you may know a thing or two about love languages. This concept has been around for a while, although it’s been receiving considerable attention lately. Simply put, love languages refer to your partner’s preferred communication style when showing love. Read on to learn more about this concept and how to maintain harmony in your relationship or impress your potential partner.
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What Are the 5 Love Languages?
The five love languages were first introduced in a book written by Dr. Gary Chapman, entitled The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. It outlines five general ways that romantic partners express and experience love. The book discusses these “love languages” in detail to help romantic partners understand each other better.
This is especially helpful because a relationship can’t work if the people involved can’t communicate effectively. If you know your partner’s love language, you can express it to them in a way they understand best.
Here at Alpha Men Asia, we want to help you enjoy a harmonious relationship with your partner and avoid the disagreements that arise from miscommunication. We’ve listed down the basics of each love language to help you understand and apply this to your relationship. You might even discover your own love language and learn more about yourself in the process.
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According to Dr. Chapman, people mainly speak five love languages. These include words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, acts of service, and receiving gifts. Here is an overview of the five love languages and how people feel loved through each of them.
Words of Affirmation
Words of affirmation are concerned with expressing affection or love through words, praises, or appreciation. When this is your significant other’s preferred love language, they would most likely appreciate encouragement and kind, loving words. They could also enjoy receiving uplifting quotes, messages, love notes, and frequent but mindful text messages. You can easily make their day by telling them a compliment or praising them about something.
Quality Time
Quality time refers to spending enough time with your significant other where you offer them your undivided attention. Love and affection expressed through this type of love language require active listening and rapt attention so make sure your phones are away and that you’re putting in the effort to make eye contact when they’re talking about something.
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People who have quality time as their primary love language feel loved if you are present and focused on them whenever you two are together. It’s important to note that your primary role here would be to lend your ear and refrain from giving advice unless they ask you for it.
Acts of Service
Acts of service as a love language refers to the actions that you do for your romantic partner. This can include something as trivial as refilling their glass during breakfast or making them food when they’re too busy to feed themselves. People with acts of service as their primary love language feel loved and wanted when their partner does nice things for them. Planning a surprise for your significant other can also fall under acts of service.
Gifts
When your significant other has ‘receiving gifts’ as their primary love language, it means they feel the most loved and wanted when you buy, make, and give them gifts. To them, gift-giving is symbolic and equivalent to love and affection. But don’t make the mistake of thinking everyone who has gifts as their love language means they’re materialistic or shallow.
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In fact, these people actually appreciate the time, effort, and thought behind the gift itself. A carefully picked-out gift means you know them well enough to buy them something they may like.
Physical Touch
Physical touch as a love language is simple – your significant other feels loved when you shower them in physical affection. This may be through hugs, kisses, hand-holding, and sex. People who identify with physical touch as their love language feel comforted by your physical presence and want to be as close as possible. Additionally, their idea of a perfect date might include cuddling on the couch while you eat and watch something together. Netflix and chill would make them happy. They simply want to be close to their partners physically.
Knowing each other’s love languages can save you from petty fights and disagreements in the future. Knowing exactly what makes your partner happy can spell the difference between a happy and sad relationship. Love languages are definitely worth learning more about if it means making your significant other happier than they already are. Nothing says you care about them more than putting in the effort to understand them better.
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