How to Tell when a Girl Is Interested in You

So you have your heart set on a girl but aren't sure she's feeling the same way. You want to ask her out, and you think there's a good chance she likes you back, but how can you be sure? Well, you can't be 100% certain that she likes you until you ask, but before you do that, you can look for a few tell-tale signs that she has a crush on you, too. See Step 1 below to get started.

Part 2 Noticing Her Actions

1. See if she compliments you a lot. If she compliments you on a shot or kick you made or asks you why you didn't play, it shows that she has been paying as much attention (if not more) to your individual involvement than the game itself. She may also be using the compliment as an excuse to talk to you more, which is also a big sign that she likes you.

• If she compliments something you did when it really wasn't all that great, then there's even more of a chance that she's into you

2. Spend time with her before assuming anything about her. It's important to get to know her better and to give her the chance to get to know you too. Find a shared activity, like a sport, a hobby, a club, or even just hanging around chatting during lunch hour so that you can simply be around one another long enough to get the vibe. While you may be tempted to lock eyes across a crowded room and know "she's the one", it's a lot better to try and spend time around each other before letting instant attraction do all the decision-making.

• The more time you spend with her, the more you'll get to know her, and the easier it will be to tell if she really likes you.

3. Listen to what she says. If a girl is interested in you, some of the things she says will start to give away her interest. For example, she might suddenly start to call you by a pet name and start complimenting you. Other verbal signs of interest in you include giggling, laughing at your jokes even if they're pretty lame, and asking for your help.

• See if she's trying to be coy or playful or just telling you something that you think is calculated to make you like her. If she burps in front of you, confesses something embarrassing, or tells you about a guy she has a crush on, then she probably sees you as a friend because she's a little too comfortable around you for her feelings to be romantic.

4. See if she laughs at your jokes. Crack a joke. It doesn't matter how bad it is; if she's interested in you, she'll laugh. If she's not into you, you'll get such responses as a steely look and no laugh at all, a pitying smile, or a condescending comment.

• Women tend to laugh more at the jokes of people they like, even if they're not all that funny.

5. See what kind of questions she asks you. It's a really good sign if she asks you a question she could easily find the answer to herself because it means she's using the question as an excuse to talk to you. See if she asks you about your plans; she may be trying to find out if you're hanging out with other girls. Most obviously, if she asks you if you have a girlfriend or if you like any girls, then she's probably interested in you (as long as she's not asking for a friend.)

• If you have a class together, and she asks you for the homework, when she could easily ask one of her friends instead, then it's a great sign that she's just looking for excuses to talk to you.

6. Look for a change in her personality. Personality changes can be a big sign of her interest in you – look for signs such as her being bubblier, quieter, or somehow different from her usual self when she's around you. Such changes indicate nervousness in your vicinity and this nervousness is a sign she has a crush on you.

• Try to notice how she acts around other people when she doesn't think you're around or paying attention. This can clue you in to how she "normally" acts so it'll be easier to spot a difference when she's around you.

7. See how she acts when you surprise her. Sit down next to her at lunch, or during an activity, totally out of the blue. This will mean that she doesn't have the time to prepare herself to meet you and her flustered responses will tell you a lot about her feelings for you. Just don't catch her when she's too surprised, like if she's checking to see if there's something in her teeth or really wrapped up in a conversation with one of her friends.

• If she's showing off around you, that's a sure sign she likes you and is trying to impress you.

8. Strike up a conversation about things that she is interested in. Even if she is shy, try and draw her out by asking her about her own interests. If she seems comfortable talking to you about herself and about her interests and points of view with you, this might indicate that she is keen on you. If she shares opinions and comments with you in a way that suggests she is being careful not to sound too strident, bossy, or opinionated, this could mean that she's toning down her usual bravado to encourage you to take an interest in her.

• Does she talk to you more than she talks to other people (anybody not obviously a friend)? If she's usually not extremely talkative, and usually waits for someone else to start a conversation, it's a good sign for you! It means she's trying hard to gain your attention.

9. See how her friends react to you. Go up to her when her friends are all around her. If they suddenly disperse to leave the "two of you alone together", it means she has already told them she likes you and has asked them to scram should you come along. Also, you can see how her friends react when you just walk by them. Do they giggle, whisper to each other, or give you a knowing smile? If so, then that's another sign that she might like you.

10. Compliment other girls when you talk to her. If she responds icily or visibly blanches or stiffens, you've just brought out her jealousy, which means she likes you for herself. Don't keep her in this state; brush off the compliment as something vague and come back with a compliment twice as good directed at her alone. You don't want to do this too much or she'll think that you like someone else instead of her, or that you're a smooth talker who doesn't actually like her.

11. Say hello when you see her talking to another guy. If she appears flustered, uncomfortable, or looks down, this may be a sign that she's not happy about you thinking that she likes this guy over you. If she didn't have any response or simply waved back vaguely, this would indicate that she's not that interested into you. Also realize that she may be more shy around you than she is around guys she considers to be "just friends".

• See if she looks to you for your reaction when she is talking about things with others, especially with other guys. This can be a sign that she cares more about how you react than about the other people she's talking to.

12. See if she asks you lots of questions. If the girl just nods vaguely when she wants to talk to you, then she may be getting bored and is ready to leave. But if she asks you lots of questions, whether she's asking about you or the thing you're talking about, or brings up a completely unrelated topic, then she may be furthering the conversation because she likes you.

• It makes sense: if she likes you, then she'll want to know more about you.

13. See if she likes to stick around when you talk to her. If she keeps checking her phone or looking around when you talk to her, shifting her weight like she's looking for an excuse to leave, then she may not be into you. But if she leans in, laughs a lot, and seems to just like being in your orbit, then chances are that she's doing this because she likes being around you.

• Though she'll leave eventually, you can check to see whether it looks like she's ready to bolt at any second, or if she's comfortable staying right where she is when she talks to you.