When you're on a date and emotions are running high, it can be hard to tell: Are they really into you, or is it all in your head? Kate Kali, a relationship and body language expert, says there's a simple way to tell by interpreting your date's nonverbal cues. In a recent TikTok video, she shared her top three body language giveaways that almost always mean that someone is attracted to you on a date. Read on to hear her tips for spotting the signs of romantic chemistry, so you can finally find out if the feeling is mutual.
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1 | They touch you—even just for a moment.
Petar Chernaev / iStockThe first way to tell if someone finds you attractive is to always pay attention to whether your date touches you, even for a brief moment. If they do, this is a clear sign of chemistry, according to Kali.
"If they touch you in any way, even if it's like a little brush or they just kind of touch your shoulder for a second, that's a pretty sure sign that they're interested in you," she says. "Typically in a dating scenario, if somebody touches you, they're actually subconsciously—and sometimes quite consciously—testing out what it feels like to be physically connected to you."
2 | Their pupils are dilated.
LDprod / ShutterstockNext, Kali says that you should be able to tell whether someone finds you attractive by looking into their eyes. "If someone's pupils dilate, they are definitely into you. The eyes are connected to the heart—that's a Chinese face-reading thing—and when the pupils dilate, they are quite literally, physiologically, trying to take in more of you," she explains.
However, she notes that this sign is "a little bit more difficult to spot with people who have darker colored eyes." There may also be other reasons that someone's pupils have dilated besides attraction (for instance, to let in more light if you're sitting in a dimly lit restaurant or bar).
RELATED: 6 Eye Movements That Mean Someone Is Attracted to You, According to Dating Experts.
3 | They move their belongings across the table towards you.
Dragon Images/ShutterstockFinally, the relationship expert shares that you can determine someone's level of attraction by keeping an eye on where they place their belongings on the table. "It's one of my favorite [cues] because it's really fun to watch in any kind of dating scenario," she says.
To figure out if they're attracted to you, watch closely to see if they move their phone or their drink on the table. "You will notice that couples or people that are dating that are into each other will subconsciously and slowly over time, get their drinks closer together," Kali explains.
If instead, your date keeps their phone, drink, or other belongings decidedly on their own side of the table, this may mean they're not yet comfortable bridging the space between you or are uninterested in doing so.
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Here's how to spot other signs of attraction.
Shutterstock/Inside Creative HouseThough Kali highlighted those three tell-tale signs of attraction, she also shared in a separate TikTok video that different people may express their interest through other nonverbal cues. For instance, someone may be especially expressive or animated while you talk, raising their eyebrows, smiling, or otherwise demonstrating their engagement.
"What you're looking for is when people light up, when they come into their body. When they're experiencing a hefty amount of pleasure or comfort or joy around something, you will always see this reflected in the body," she explains, adding, "The body never lies, but words lie all the time."
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