Picture this: it’s Valentine’s Day, your partner’s birthday, your anniversary or another important relationship milestone. During times like these, it’s natural to want to show your S.O. how much you care about them!
One of our favorite places to start when it comes to a topic like this is to first figure out you and your partner’s love languages! What are love languages? The concept was introduced in Gary Chapman’s 1995 book ‘The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate’. Since then, there’s been many discussions, interpretations, quizzes, and more to help us learn about how we like to give and receive love. Whether you gravitate towards one of the five, a mix of a few, or relate to all of the five languages, leaning into this idea is definitely worth considering for the next time you want to shower your bae with affection. It’s all about communication – make sure you have an honest conversation with your partner to gauge their love languages, and also so you can reveal yours to them. Trust us, it’s worth it!
We’ve also noticed that while some of us are more traditional in displaying our love languages, there’s a modern interpretation to each one as well. So, whether you met your plus one through mutual friends and enjoy writing them romantic love letters, or you swiped right and simply prefer to send them funny TikToks, there’s a version of all five love languages just for you! It’s possible that you’ll relate to a mix of both traditional and modern ideas, so feel free to use any of these suggestions for your next date night or special occasion. Ok, we’re ready to reveal our love languages list paired with classic and new-age interpretations!
Words of Affirmation
Modern Love – The Texting Type
Many people have their own collection of favorite emojis, pet names, in-jokes, or phrases to convey their affection to their partners. With emojis, memes, gifs, and short-form video content, there are infinite modern ways to say ‘I love you.’ in only a few seconds.
Traditional Love – The ‘I Love You’ Type
Not exactly the online type? Then there’s nothing like some old-fashioned verbal communication to tell someone how you feel! Saying those three special words in person can make your hearts soar, and can often feel more meaningful when expressed face to face.
Gift-Giving
Modern Love – The Plant Type
If your S.O. is more into the process than the product, gift them a cute succulent or houseplant that they can nurture and display proudly on their desk, nightstand, or countertop for years to come. Every time they look at it, they’ll think of you!
Traditional Love – The Flower Bouquet Type
There’s nothing more traditional than gifting your favorite person some beautiful fresh flowers and a romantic card! Pick out a bouquet with their favorite flowers, or, if you’re not sure what type they’d love, go for one that has their favorite colors instead.
Acts of Service
Modern Love – Order Delivery From Their Favorite Restaurant
Feel like staying in for dinner? That doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy your favorite food! Check out Postmates, Door Dash, Uber Eats, or another local food delivery service that’ll bring your desired dishes right to your door. Plus, no clean-up means more time spent together.
Traditional Love – Prepare a Home-Cooked Meal
This one is a fool-proof idea, and it’s especially meaningful if you aren’t usually the one to cook dinner. Find a delicious recipe that you can master, and treat your S.O. to an amazing evening where they don’t have to lift a finger (because you’ll wash the dishes too!)
Quality Time
Modern Love – Stream a Show or Movie
If you and your partner like nothing more than cozying up on the couch under a warm blanket and bonding over an episode of a show or movie (and debating it afterward), this easy date night is ideal. No binge-watching judgment here!
Traditional Love – Choose A Romantic Activity
There’s countless ‘traditionally romantic’ activities out there! You could go on a picnic, visit a spa, learn to dance together, browse an art museum, go to a wine tasting, or eat in a fancy restaurant. Pick something they’ve hinted at wanting to try, or go for something totally new and surprising!
Physical Touch
Modern Love – Bring on the PDA!
If you and your partner are both ok with physical touch and affection out in the open, then go for it! This could be as simple as hugging or sharing some kisses in public. The key point here is to make sure you’re both on the same page with what you’re comfortable with.
Traditional Love – Keep it PG
This one is especially important for some of us depending on our age, religion, and cultural norms. If you or your S.O. prefer to be more modest, there’s nothing wrong with keeping it low-key in public and engaging in physical touch by just holding hands.
We hope you enjoyed today’s post! No matter what way you choose to convey your love and appreciation to your special someone, we know they’ll adore it. What are your love languages? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!
Ella is a content specialist from Cork, Ireland. Her passions include spending time with her two energetic dogs, fashion, photography, and trying new vegan food!
