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Love languages: how to make your partner feel loved

15 October 2026 · Fridge+ guides

We often show love the way we'd like to receive it. But your partner might feel loved in a completely different way. Love languages help you spot the difference.

The five love languages

The idea comes from Gary Chapman's book The 5 Love Languages. Most people lean towards one or two of these:

• Words: compliments, encouragement, "I'm proud of you".
• Time together: full attention, no phones, doing something side by side.
• Thoughtful gifts: small things that say "I thought of you".
• Helping hands: taking a job off their list without being asked.
• Physical touch: a hug, holding hands, sitting close.

How to work out yours

Notice what you ask for most, and what hurts most when it's missing. Or answer a short set of either-or questions together and compare.

Small ways to speak their language this week

• Words: send a one-line "thinking of you" message mid-afternoon.
• Time: a twenty-minute walk together after dinner, phones at home.
• Gifts: pick up their favourite snack on the way home.
• Helping hands: do the job they've been dreading.
• Touch: a long hug when they get in, before anything else.

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