There is a special kind of tension that appears when you have a quiet crush on him and you are not sure how much he has picked up on. You replay conversations in your head, analyze every emoji, and wonder whether your small gestures are obviously romantic or still flying under the radar. When you have a crush on him, it is almost impossible not to overthink every tiny look or text.

At the same time, he is not completely oblivious. Most people notice when someone is giving them more attention than everyone else, even if they pretend they do not. The way you stand a little closer, how often you message, and the topics you avoid all send a clear signal that you have a crush on him, even if you never put those feelings into words.

This whole situation can feel like one long guessing game. On one side, you are wondering whether he knows you have a crush on him. On the other side, he is watching your behavior and asking himself if he is imagining things. To make that puzzle a little easier to read, it helps to look at both perspectives – what he notices about you and what he does once he realizes you really do have a crush on him.

How He Decodes Your Behavior

Before he ever says anything out loud, he pays attention. When you have a crush on him, your behavior shifts in subtle but consistent ways, and most guys notice more than they admit. These are some of the signals he is likely reading, even if you think you are being subtle.

1. He notices how your body naturally orients toward him. You might lean in a little closer, fiddle with your hair, or hold eye contact just a bit longer than usual. When you have a crush on him, your body almost betrays you – you face him when he talks, you mirror his gestures, and you physically open up your posture instead of turning away. Even if he has never studied body language, he can feel the difference between friendly politeness and the kind of focused attention that comes from having a crush on him.
2. He realizes you keep finding reasons to stay near him. Maybe you stretch out a conversation that could have ended, volunteer to help with something just because he is involved, or linger in doorways and hallways so you can keep talking. It might look casual from the outside, but when you have a crush on him, you naturally extend any interaction you can, and he starts to recognize that you rarely rush to leave when he is around.
3. He sees the pattern in your messages. You are usually the one who sends the first text, you reply faster to him than to others, and you keep the conversation alive with questions and playful comments. Wishing him good morning or checking in before you go to sleep gives your feelings away too. When you have a crush on him, your phone becomes a way to stay connected, and he notices how consistently you show up in his notifications.
4. He realizes you steer clear of talking about other guys. Around friends or co-workers, people often chat about dates and crushes, but when he is part of the conversation, you go quiet or change the subject. You rarely mention anyone you are seeing, and you pay very close attention whenever he talks about his own romantic life. That combination – wanting to know his status while offering very little about your own – tells him that you probably have a crush on him and are wondering whether he is available.
5. He picks up on your invitations to spend time together. Maybe you suggest grabbing coffee after work, studying together, or checking out an event that you think he would enjoy. You might label it as “just hanging out” so it does not sound like a formal date, but he can sense that you would not make that extra effort for just anyone. When you have a crush on him, even casual plans carry a hopeful energy, and he feels that you are not inviting the whole group – you are trying to carve out time with him specifically.
6. He hears the playful “you as my boyfriend” comments. Jokes about how he would make a good partner for you, or teasing lines like “you’d be such a cute boyfriend,” are rarely random. They are your way of testing the waters without fully exposing your feelings. When you have a crush on him, humor becomes a shield – you can say what you want while pretending it is all just a joke – and he usually realizes there is a bit of truth hiding underneath the punchline.

By the time all of these little signals stack up, he has probably formed a pretty strong guess that you have a crush on him. The next part of the puzzle is how he responds once he believes your feelings are real.

Signs He Already Knows You Like Him

Once he is fairly sure you have a crush on him, his behavior often shifts. Sometimes that shift is warm and inviting, and sometimes it is cautious or distant. Either way, those changes are powerful clues that he has connected the dots about your crush on him.

7. Your instincts tell you something has changed. There is a moment when you catch his eye across the room and the air feels different, or he smiles in a way that makes you suddenly self-conscious. When you have a crush on him, you are tuned in to his energy, so you quickly notice when he acts as if he knows more than before. You might not be able to explain it logically, but that quiet inner voice – the one that says he has figured out you have a crush on him – tends to be surprisingly accurate.
8. He suddenly makes more effort to talk to you. If he was previously a little distant but now initiates conversations, stops by your desk, or messages you just to say hi, that is meaningful. A guy who is not interested usually keeps things short and polite. But once he realizes you have a crush on him and he is curious or attracted too, he leans into the connection. He looks for excuses to ask your opinion, tell you a funny story, or share something about his day.
9. He starts including you in group plans with his friends. Out of nowhere, he is asking if you want to join for drinks, games, or casual hangouts. Being invited into his social circle is rarely accidental. It suggests that he knows you have a crush on him and wants to see how you fit into his world. Watching you interact with his friends helps him decide whether taking your connection further would blend well with his everyday life.
10. He begins opening up about personal topics. Once he realizes you have a crush on him, the fear of being rejected eases up a bit. You might notice that he talks more about his past, his family, or the things that scare and motivate him. That kind of vulnerability is a sign that he feels safer with you and trusts that you care. When you have a crush on him and he responds by sharing more of himself, it often means he wants you to see who he really is, not just the surface version.
11. He goes out of his way to make your life easier. Maybe he offers you a ride when you need one, picks something up for you without being asked, or helps you with a task that is not his responsibility. Small acts of service are rarely random. If he knows you have a crush on him and he feels the same, he looks for ways to show up and be useful. When you have a crush on him, those gestures stand out – not just because they help you, but because they confirm that you matter more to him than most people.
12. He seems adorably nervous around you. He might fumble his words, laugh at odd times, or look away quickly after making eye contact. Sometimes he fixes his hair, adjusts his clothes, or repeats a question he already asked because he is distracted. That anxious energy is different from disinterest – it is the tension of someone who knows you have a crush on him and is very aware of his own feelings too. When you have a crush on him and he looks flustered whenever you are near, it is often because he does not want to mess things up.
13. He teases you more than he does other people. Playful jokes, light mocking, and gentle nicknames become his way of building a fun dynamic with you. He might poke fun at your habits, challenge you in games, or pretend to argue about small things. This kind of teasing is a classic way to flirt when both people are testing the line between friendly and romantic. If he knows you have a crush on him, leaning into that teasing gives him a low-pressure way to explore the chemistry between you.
14. He suddenly pulls back and creates distance. Not every reaction is positive. Sometimes, once he realizes you have a crush on him, he actually talks to you less, avoids one-on-one situations, or becomes strangely formal. This usually means he does not want to lead you on. When you have a crush on him and he backs away after noticing, he might be unsure, overwhelmed, or simply not interested in more – but he is definitely aware of your feelings, or he would not change his behavior so dramatically.
15. His body language becomes more deliberate around you. He may stand closer than before, angle his chair toward you, or maintain longer and softer eye contact. If he likes you back, he might casually touch your arm, rest his hand near yours, or lean in when you talk. If he does not, he often tilts away, keeps his arms crossed, or avoids brushing against you. The way he positions himself around you after realizing you have a crush on him is one of the clearest signals of how he feels.
16. He increases the amount of texting and online interaction. Suddenly he is the one sending the first message, reacting to your stories, or sending memes that remind him of you. Conversations stretch later into the night, and he continues them even when there is no real reason to keep talking. When you have a crush on him and he knows it, choosing to engage more instead of retreating is a strong sign that he enjoys the attention and probably feels a pull toward you too.
17. He avoids mentioning other women around you. A guy who is not interested might talk openly about people he finds attractive or dates he has been on, especially if he wants to make it clear he does not share your feelings. But if he knows you have a crush on him and he is at least considering something more, he usually stops bringing up anyone else. When you have a crush on him and notice that he downplays other women or brushes off their attention in front of you, it suggests that he cares how that information lands with you.
18. He allows himself to be more openly flirtatious. The more certain he is that you have a crush on him, the more confident he feels about stepping things up. Compliments become warmer and more specific, his jokes are a little more suggestive, and he might create moments that feel almost like a date even if you have not labeled it that way. When you have a crush on him and he responds by flirting more boldly, it usually means he has accepted that the attraction is mutual – and he is inviting you to see where it could lead.

When you notice several of these signs at once, it is very likely that he has already realized you have a crush on him. The way he moves toward you or away from you once he knows tells you even more than his words. Paying attention to these clues helps you decide whether to keep dropping hints, stay patient and let him make a move, or gently shift your focus if his reaction shows that he does not want anything beyond friendship. Whatever you choose, understanding how he reads your behavior makes the whole experience of having a crush on him a little less confusing – and a lot more in your control.