Wanting your romantic partner to know you love and appreciate them is one commonality present within all relationships.

However, for many persons, despite their best efforts, they are unable to adequately communicate their love for their partner in a way the partner will relate to and appreciate.

If this is an issue to which you can relate, learning more about the five love languages developed by Dr Gary Chapman will be of benefit to you.

Simply put, the phrase love languages describes the five ways that people receive and express love in a relationship.

According to Chapman, in a relationship, love is often expressed through words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, receiving gifts and acts of service.

Chapman’s Five Love Languages

1. Words of Affirmation

For persons whose primary love language is words of affirmation, the use of verbal acknowledgements of affection, including frequent “I love you’s” can never be too much.

The simplest praises, such as expressing your admiration for how good they are at a task, or how radiant they look today can make their whole day.

2. Quality Time

People whose love language is quality time feel the most adored when their partner makes the time to hang out with them and gives their undivided attention.

They especially love when eye contact and active listening is prominent during their couple alone time as distracting gadgets such as phones and tablets get placed on the backburner.

3. Physical Touch

As the name suggests, a person whose love language is physical touch will feel loved when given physical affection. Aside from sex, they tend to enjoy kissing, hand holding, cuddling and other activities that necessitate physical intimacy.

In fact, this person’s idea of a perfect date might include cuddling in bed with their partner, a little popcorn and a good movie.

4. Acts of Service

For a person whose love language is acts of service, it is your actions that will tell them how much you love and appreciate them.

Going out of your way to do the simple things that will make their lives easier, like taking them lunch at work on a busy day, putting gas in their car or cooking them a nice bowl of soup if they are sick will show just how deep your love for them is.

5. Receiving Gifts

People whose love language is receiving gifts will according to Chapman feel loved when their partner gifts them “visual symbols of love”. It means less to them how much the gift cost and are instead, more interested in the symbolic meaning behind the gift.

People with this love language value and appreciate the gifting process, from the careful consideration of the item to gift, to the emotional benefits of receiving the gift.

Something to consider:

Love languages are a useful tool to improve the way individuals communicate and express their love for one another, however, it is not and should not be the end-all of your relationship.

Instead, understanding your partner’s love language should function as a starting point to help you connect with each other on a deeper level by loving them in a way they can relate to and appreciate.