They say that a man will always pursue someone he’s interested in. We’ve all heard the classic warning that if he doesn’t make a move, it’s because he’s just not that into that person.

And while that theory is certainly true for some personalities, it doesn’t take into account the millions of shy men in this world who are hesitant to open up about their feelings. Making a move on a potential lover is daunting, so it’s no surprise that many people prefer to play it safe and find other, subtler ways to express how they feel.

A guy who is shy might not make a direct move, but if he’s really interested in someone, he will make some moves. While he doesn’t necessarily have to pursue the person he’s interested in to prove that he’s interested, he will naturally adopt some behaviors that make it obvious. Some are more understated than others, and there are also those that he might not even realize he’s doing!

But learning how to decipher these actions can be the key to finding out whether the guy who hasn’t made his move yet is just shy, or whether he’s not interested at all.

Check out these 20 signs that he wants her, but he’s too shy to do anything about it.

20 He Makes Excuses To See Her Rather Than Asking Her Out

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If someone is interested in you, some part of them will want to see you, even if they’re shy or nervous. But if they are shy, they might not have the confidence to directly ask you out. Instead, they’ll make excuses to see you that don’t leave them open to possibly being rejected.

For example, if a guy who likes you finds out that you’re going to be at a certain party, he might try to score an invite. Or he might want to catch up to ask you a specific question or drop by to give you something. All these little things allow him to see you without having to ask you out.

19 His Body Language Is A Giveaway

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We can tell a lot from a person’s body language. When he’s interested in you, he’ll subconsciously do things that give it away, even if he tries to hide it. All you have to do is know what to look for! The biggest thing to look out for is eye contact.

Guys who want you will tend to stare at you when they think you’re not looking. They’ll also be touchier with you than a guy who’s totally not interested, and you’ll find that they do things like brush up against you when you’re walking together or even sit quite close to you. Also, keep an eye out for blushing!

18 But Can’t Look Her In The Eyes

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Although a shy guy will tend to stare at someone that he likes, that’s not usually the case when he’s actually having a conversation with that person. Maintaining eye contact with someone can take confidence at the best of times, let alone when you have feelings for them!

Instead, a guy who does like you but is more shy or introverted will probably avoid looking into your eyes when you’re talking to him, even though you’ve caught him staring when he thought you weren’t looking. Other body language that could suggest he likes you might include him fidgeting his fingers or constantly moving his feet.

17 When She Talks To Other Guys, He Gets Jealous

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Jealousy is a huge hint that someone is at least a little bit interested in you, and luckily, this one is super easy to spot! If a guy is jealous when he sees you talking to other guys, he’ll probably keep looking over. He might be cold or even a little hostile to whomever you were talking to.

You might catch him staring at them, perhaps wondering how you feel about them and what they might have that he doesn’t. On the other hand, a guy who doesn’t want you probably couldn’t care less that you’re talking to other men.

16 His Friends Tease Him When She’s Around

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It doesn’t get much more obvious than this! The chances are he’s at least a little bit interested in you if his friends tease him in front of you, or tease him when your name is mentioned (you’ll need spies to report back to tell you about this one!).

This sign is even more exciting because not only does it suggest that he’s interested, but that he’s interested enough to have mentioned it to his friends. Teasing him could be anything from a simple nudge when you walk in the room to dropping hints right in front of your face.

15 His Face Lights Up When She Walks In

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Pay attention to his reaction when you walk into the room. If he wants you, you’ll probably be able to tell from his face. His expression will depend on the relationship you have, but it will usually show that your presence has affected him. If you’re good friends, his face might light up, more than it does when he sees his other friends.

Whatever the circumstances, there’s a good chance he’ll suddenly be more alert when you walk in. He might try hard to conceal his reaction, but if you look carefully, you’ll be able to tell that you have made a difference to his mood.

14 He’s Not Totally Calm Around Her

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It’s normal to be nervous around the person you like. People who are shy or introverted tend to be even more prone to the nerves and anxiety that come with dating and relationships. So it’s a sign that he does have feelings for you if he’s nervous around you. This is especially true if he’s normally a more confident person but he suddenly changes when you’re there.

Of course, nerves aren’t a definite sign that he’s interested—he might have social anxiety in general or there might be something else going on in his life that’s making him nervous. But if you notice that he’s clumsy and jumpy around you, in addition to some of the other signs, it strongly suggests that he’s interested.

13 He Falls Silent When She Walks In

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It’s always helpful to gauge his reaction when he first sees you. If he falls silent around you, it could be another sign that he’s nervous and doesn’t know what to say. It could also show that he really wants to impress you and is worried he’ll say the wrong thing.

He might not fall totally silent, but it’s still a sign if he says things that aren’t clear or well-articulated (when he normally speaks well). Stuttering, or saying short sentences that don’t make sense, might show that he’s really overthinking everything he’s saying and getting frazzled by his nerves.

12 He’s Much More Talkative Online

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There are a lot of downfalls to dating in 2019, but the significant role of social media in our lives can actually be helpful when it comes to understanding potential love interests. It’s a sign that he does like you but he’s too shy to do anything about it if he’s very talkative online but hardly says a word when you do see him.

It’s easier to be confident when you’re sitting behind a screen since the consequences of what you say are confined to the digital space (for the time being, anyway). You also have more time to think of the right thing to say. Those who are shy tend to gain more confidence on social media, and if he’s always talking to you, it’s a sign that he’s interested.

11 He’s Eager To Please Her

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A clear sign that a guy wants you is if he’s eager to please you. You’ll be able to recognize this pretty easily because he’ll go out of his way for you. If you need something, he’ll probably be the first to offer a hand. It’s an even clearer sign if he doesn’t do this for anybody else but you.

It can sometimes be tricky to separate the guys who are just genuinely nice people from the ones who are being nice to impress you, so noticing the difference between the way he acts toward you and everyone else is helpful. Going out of his way for you shows his feelings without forcing him to admit it.

10 He Pays Extra Attention When She Speaks

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When a guy is interested in you, he’ll pay attention to everything about you. He’ll want to look at you as much as he can, and he’ll really listen to you when you speak, taking in every word. Sure, he might pretend like his mind is elsewhere, but he’ll be listening because he’ll naturally want to learn as much about you as he can.

He’ll typically be much more interested in what you have to say than what anybody else does (that’s not to say that he’ll be rude to all the other people who are present!). But he’ll concentrate on you the most.

9 He’s Also Interested In Her Friends

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It’s a sign that a guy has caught feelings for you if he’s also showing interest in your friends. Not in a way that suggests he has feelings for them as well, but just in a way that shows he wants to get to know them because they’re part of your life.

If he’s shy, then chances are he’ll find it easier to talk to people he’s not directly interested in, like your friends, than to talk to you. So he’ll try to forge a relationship with the people in your life and possibly move closer to you through them. If he becomes friends with your friends, he’ll get to see you more often without having to ask you out on a date.

8 He Brings Her Up When She’s Not There

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This is a sign that you won’t personally be able to witness, but you might find it gets back to you through the grapevine. Bringing you up when you’re not there is the behavior of someone who’s interested. It might not be a big deal if he brings you up just once, but if he does it again and again it strongly suggests that you’re on his mind.

He might ask about you if he’s seeing your friends, or link things back to you to try and push other people to talk about you so he can find out more.

7 He Seems Unnatural Around Her

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It’s not always a negative sign if a guy seems unnatural when he’s around you. You might immediately assume that he’s not genuine or he’s got something bad to hide, but most likely, he seems unnatural because he’s trying hard to impress you.

Especially if he’s shy and doesn’t have a lot of self-confidence, he might feel like being himself isn’t enough to get you to like him. We’ve all been there before! Trying too hard to impress you could look like him telling too many jokes or even using lots of superfluous words to make himself appear smarter in conversation.

6 He’s Highly Protective Of Her

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It could suggest that he wants you if he’s protective of you—more so of you than he is of his other friends. Compare how tolerant he is of attacks on him as opposed to attacks on you. If he’s always rushing to your defense but he lets that sort of thing go when he’s the one being attacked, it’s a sign that he has feelings for you.

Defending you is a way of showing you that he’s capable of being there for you and that he’s got your back. It allows him to express how he’s feeling without having to tell you the truth.

5 He Takes More Pride In His Appearance

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If he changes the way he looks when he’s around you, it’s a sign that he’s trying to impress you, which points to the fact that he likes you. When he knows you’re going to be somewhere he's going, he might dress up more or even change his hairstyle.

He might just be the kind of guy who takes pride in his appearance all the time, though, so again, notice whether or not he’s making a special effort just because you’re there. Complimenting him on how he looks might make him blush, but it could help to reassure him that he doesn’t have to be so shy around you and that you won’t reject him if he were to make a move.

4 He’s Super Agreeable With Her

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Sometimes when a guy likes you, his nerves might lead him to say all the wrong things. He might even end up being rude because his attempts to be funny or impress you are completely off the mark. If his personality is more on the shy side, though, he could go the other way and be super agreeable.

In other words, he’ll nod along with everything you say. This is a way of showing you that he’s easy to get along with and it might also be an attempt to prove that you have a lot in common with him.

3 Eventually, He Confides In Her

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A guy’s behavior toward you will change as he gets to know you and gets more comfortable around you. Eventually, once he feels like he knows you well enough, a guy who likes you will be more likely to confide in you. This shows you that he cares about you because he’s being vulnerable around you and letting you into his world.

It’s not likely that this will happen for a while, particularly if he’s shy, but it’s another move that people tend to make when they’re interested in someone, even if they’re not up to admitting that they’re interested yet.

2 He Wants To Have Deep Conversations With Her

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If he really wants you, he’ll want to talk to you about more than just the weather. This is something else that tends to happen after you’ve known him for a while, but he’ll probably get to the stage where he wants to have deep conversations with you. He’ll want to find out if you have similar stances on important issues, and whether or not you share values.

Even if he doesn’t make a move to ask you out or admit his feelings, you’ll find that your conversations go from chatting about mutual friends to talking about your passions and goals for the future.

1 He Seems Interested But Never Makes A Move

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Ultimately, your instincts will help you to figure out whether he likes you but is too shy to make his move, or whether he’s just not interested. By paying attention to the signs and following your gut, the answer will reveal itself to you.

If you weigh everything up and he truly seems interested, then he probably is, even if he hasn’t asked you out or come clean about his feelings. And if it truly seems like he’s indifferent, then chances are he actually is, despite what you might be hoping for. Relax and read the signs, and listen to what your gut feelings tell you!

Sources: Your Tango, Vixen Daily, Her Way

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