If we’re going to succeed in the modern world of dating, it’s essential that we understand text messaging. Not just how to send a message and the basic etiquette for conversing with a potential love interest over text but also how to interpret the messages we receive.
Today, texting is a big part of bringing two people together and a common way for one person to show someone else how they feel about them. All we have to do is learn to read between the lines!
There are certain text messages that guys tend to send when they’re interested in someone and trying to impress that person. If we can recognize these, and separate the regular text messages from those that may have a romantic subtext hidden inside them, we have a better chance of responding in the right way and making the next move to progress the relationship.
When it comes to responding to text messages that are designed to impress us, the most natural reply is usually the best. Every situation is different, but in general, there are both classic responses that are likely to improve the relationship and those which we’re better off avoiding.
Check out our list below of what kind of texts a guy sends when he likes someone and is trying to impress them and keep reading to find out how to respond!
20How He Texts: Good Morning And Good Night Messages
Good morning and good night messages may not seem like a big deal, but they totally are. If a guy texts you first thing in the morning or last thing at night before he goes to sleep, it’s safe to assume that you’re on his mind a lot. The messages themselves don’t need to contain anything super romantic.
Basically, just the fact that he thinks about you enough to want to wish you good night and see what you’re doing first thing in the morning is a sign that he is interested and is trying to impress you. So don’t take either of these the wrong way!
19How To Respond: Reciprocate!
How you should respond to good night and good morning text messages depends on how you feel about this person. Assuming that you like him back, the best thing to do is reciprocate. Let him know that you like receiving these kinds of messages! Respond to his messages when you see them, and if you don’t receive anything from him one night or one morning, take the plunge and send the first message yourself.
This will hopefully get the ball rolling between you because it shows him that you appreciate the messages he sends you when he wakes up and before he goes to sleep.
18How He Texts: Long Messages That Could Be Novels
It’s a sign that a guy is trying to impress you if he sends you super long texts that may as well be novels. This one is pretty obvious: who would put that much effort into a message going to someone they don’t care about? Nobody!
If he’s taking the time to write out long messages for you, then chances are he really likes talking to you, has a lot to say to you, and is trying to impress you by showing you that he’s not just another guy who responds with a single emoji or, worse, a single letter like ‘k’.
17How To Respond: Suggest Catching Up In Person
It’s certainly flattering to receive long, thought-out text messages from the person you like. If he’s putting in that much time and effort into you, it’s a good sign! But if you really have a lot to say to each other, why not suggest catching up in person? You probably won’t have to sit through a lot of awkward silences, either, since you know each other well enough to have these long conversations over text.
He might still be too shy to ask if you want to go out, so if you feel like this is where the relationship is going, don’t be afraid to make the first move.
16How He Texts: Messaging Just To Say Hello
Messages that are just to say hello don’t seem like anything to get excited about. Even though they’re not romantic or packed with feelings, they are still pretty significant and can be a promising sign that he’s trying to impress you. Or at the very least, grab your attention.
When he messages you to say hello, it literally means that he wants to talk to you, even though he has nothing to say to you. That’s a pretty good thing if you’re interested in him! He might not specifically say “hello” in the message, but he might get the conversation flowing by bringing up a funny memory or inside joke between you.
15How To Respond: Appreciate His Thought
The fact that he likes talking to you, even if he doesn’t really have much to say, means that the relationship is going in the right direction. If you like him, let him know that you feel the same way. You also want to talk to him, even if you don’t know exactly what to say. The conversation is about you two getting closer rather than what you’re actually talking about.
You could always say that you love getting surprise messages from him, or show him that you appreciate these texts through your actions. If you send him messages just to say hello sometimes, he’ll know that you like where the relationship is going.
14How He Texts: Jokes And Stories That Are Funny
Laughter is a powerful tool when it comes to improving the bond between two people. It also brings a lot of couples together. Making someone laugh is an effective way to get them to like you, and to impress them, so it’s a good sign if he sends you messages with the intention of making you laugh.
These could be funny things that happen to him throughout the week or stories that he hears, or if he’s that way inclined, even jokes. If he’s taking the time out of his day to send you messages with the hope of making you laugh, there’s a good chance he’s trying to impress you.
13How To Respond: (At Least Pretend To) Laugh!
This should be a no-brainer! If he says something to make you laugh and you like him, then laugh. Even if he isn’t very good at jokes and what he says isn’t funny, sending a simple “haha” or the laughing emoji face can show him that you’re acknowledging his effort. It’s just the polite thing to do.
Of course, you can tell him straight up that it wasn’t funny, but that will probably hurt his feelings. Not a good move if you like him and want him to keep pursuing you! Unless what he says offends you or upsets you in some way, the best thing to do is laugh.
12How He Texts: Messaging To Vent His Feelings
Guys are often told that they shouldn’t express their feelings, and in some cases, shouldn’t even have feelings in the first place. Because of this stereotyping, it’s harder for them to express their emotions than it is for girls. Typically, guys will only open up about what’s really going on in their lives and in their heads to people they trust.
If he opens up to you, take it as a compliment because it likely means that he thinks highly of you and respects your opinions. He also trusts you not to judge him. Showing you this side of him is a way to bring you two closer and to show you that he is serious about you.
11How To Respond: Be There To Listen
It can be difficult to know exactly what to say when someone vents their problems to you. If you care about them and want to maintain or improve your relationship with them, at the very least you should be there to listen. That’s not to say that you have to take on the role of their therapist. But it’s only natural to listen to and support the people we care about.
If you can give advice when he lets you in on his problems, go ahead and share your opinions. But don’t sweat it if you have nothing to say—just let him know that you’re there to hear him out.
10How He Texts: Giving Compliments And Flattery
It’s pretty clear that if a guy is always texting you to praise you and offer you compliments, he likes you at least a little bit. In many cases, giving someone compliments and flattering them is a great way to impress them and get them to soften up to you.
So if you’re always receiving messages telling you how great you look or how well you’ve done something, it’s reasonably safe to take it as a sign that he’s interested. Unless he’s a known player who sweet talks for a living, this is an indicator that he feels strongly about you.
9How To Respond: Be Gracious When Accepting Compliments
Accepting compliments isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Many of us are conscious of sounding too stuck up, so we tend to deny compliments and shift the attention to something/someone else rather than just saying a simple thank you.
If he compliments you and you believe he’s being sincere and you like him, the logical thing to do is to accept the comments graciously. It’s another story if the compliments make you uncomfortable or you don’t like him and don’t want to lead him on. But if the stars are aligned, there’s nothing wrong with accepting a compliment and maybe giving one or two back.
8How He Texts: Showing Curiosity About Her Love Life
When a guy shows curiosity about your love life and wants to find out as much as he can about who you’re dating and what your preferences are, it usually means one of two things. Either he’s nosey and a gossip or he likes you.
If you receive texts from him and they always seem to steer the topic back to your love life, or his love life, it could be him trying to pave the way to share his feelings for you or to find out if you’re available and when it would be a good time to make your move. He could also pry into these things to portray himself as a real friend who cares about all aspects of your life and thus impress you.
7How To Respond: Only Give The Necessary Details
Exactly how you respond to this will depend on your relationship with the person and what you’re comfortable with. In most cases, we would say it’s better to keep the details to a minimum unless you’re super close with him. You never have to reveal any information that you don’t feel right about just because someone’s asking.
And sometimes, when you’re trying to hook someone’s interest or maintain their interest, it’s better to remain mysterious. You can reveal whatever you like, but we would suggest keeping everything on a need-to-know basis and revealing more as your relationship progresses.
6How He Texts: Asking A Lot Of Questions
Receiving texts that are filled with questions can be exhausting, but it can also be flattering. While it can be a pain to answer question after question over text message, this normally occurs because the person texting you is really interested in you. The chances are that the many questions are his way of getting to know you because you’ve hooked his interest and he’s possibly developing feelings for you.
He might ask about your love life, as well as your family and friends, what’s happening at work, what’s going on with your favorite TV show, and other questions that will shed some light on who you are.
5How To Respond: Answer Them And Then Follow Up
It can be annoying to have endless questions to respond to via text message, but nobody said relationships were easy! You have to invest time and effort into them, and that includes taking the time to answer questions so the other person can get to know you better.
If you feel the same way about them, you’ll naturally want to follow up their questions with a few of your own so you can come to understand more about them. If the conversation gets too long to have over text, you can always ask to move it to a coffee catch-up.
4How He Texts: Being Honest And Direct Over Message
If a guy is honest and direct with you over text message, it could be because he is into you and is trying to show you that he doesn’t play games. He might surprise you with his bluntness and honesty, but it could be his way of letting you know that he’s the real deal.
Though this can be a little confronting if you’re used to guys beating around the bush with regards to their feelings, he’s possibly trying to impress you with his fearless, honest attitude. After all, there’s nothing more attractive than a guy who is over playing childish cat-and-mouse games.
3How To Respond: Avoid Lying
When all his messages are blunt and honest, no matter how much he puts himself out there, he’s probably the type who appreciates honesty in return. It’s not a good idea to lie in response to someone who delivers the truth at all costs, even if they risk making a fool of themselves.
Instead, try to be as truthful as possible when you’re texting him back. If you’re more into playing games and sending cryptic messages and letting the other person figure out how you feel rather than laying it out on the table, you might not be compatible with a guy who sends messages like this.
2How He Texts: The First Message In The Conversation
People tend to make a big deal out of who texts first. While it doesn’t have to make or break a relationship, the patterns that texting follow early on in a conversation can reveal a lot about the state of a relationship between two people.
If one person is always texting first, then you might assume they care more than the other person. So if you notice that he’s usually the one to text you first, it could be because he is interested in you and wants to talk to you. He could also be trying to impress you by showing that he’s reliable and is making the effort to contact you.
1How To Respond: Don’t Leave Him Waiting For Ages
If you are interested in someone and they’re often texting you first, we would say try not to let them wait for overly long amounts of time before you respond. If you don’t see their message for hours because you’re working, that’s one thing.
But to see their message and purposely wait to respond because you don’t want to look too keen isn’t necessary, especially if they put themselves out there to text you first. Leave the games and plays for power in high school, and simply reply when you see the message or whenever you have the time to tap out a coherent reply.
