I've always heard of the term "love language" being thrown around in most love-related articles and blogs I've read throughout my life, but never genuinely understood the concept of it, until one day, when I was curious enough to actually research it. I found out that a love language is how one expresses and desires to receive love from someone. There are five official love languages, which are words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, physical touch, and quality time. For those of you who would like more elaboration on these languages:

Words of affirmation refer to reassuring reminders. Hearing "I love you" and the reasons why they do, having your love write paragraphs to you to encourage and uplift your spirits when feeling hopeless, will impact you more than anything else someone can tell you. Some people believe actions speak louder than words, which brings us to the second love language: acts of service. This could be fulfilling household chores (washing dishes, doing laundry) or doing anything on your feet to show that you are physically, and literally, willing to put in the work and time for them. The implicit meaning it is that you care about your significant other and wouldn't mind lending them a helping hand.

Receiving gifts may seem self-explanatory, as in the person is materialistic, but it's actually deeper than this. It's not the gift itself, but the thoughtfulness and effort shown from your loved one that's portrayed through the gift. The gift should be personal and show that you care about the person enough to know what they would like, and who they are. For example, if you're dating someone who loves art and speaks this language, they would absolutely adore you if you made a painting of them as a gift. It's the thought that matters, not the object itself.

A person who loves physical touch is a person who is, obviously, touchy. They're a hugger. They'll find many excuses to touch you, whether it be a light nudge after you make them laugh, or putting their arm around you for no reason. Besides wholesome moments, there are times of emergency where just hugging a person can do wonders, much more than a reassuring talk. It makes them feel safe, knowing you're physically there for them to lean on and provide comfort.

And last but not least, quality time. This one is very straightforward because all the person really needs is your undivided attention. That is, always make eye contact to show that you're listening to them, communicate with them effectively, put your phone on silent when going on dates, and put in the effort to show that you genuinely do want to spend your time with them.

As someone who is interested in understanding why people behave and think in the way that they naturally do, I thought each and every one of these love languages were vital in their own unique way. I'm glad I decided to look into this concept because it gave me a deeper understanding of the main things everyone wants in a relationship. Personally, I have yet to experience being in a committed relationship myself, so I'm not sure yet what my love language is. But after writing this article, I definitely wanna know. Time to take these Buzzfeed love language quizzes!