Why Your Love Language Matters For Sex

Have you heard of the Love Languages? Popularized by Gary Chapman, The 5 Love Languages have become a standard reference point for intimate communication - and the realization that we may not enjoy receiving "love" in the same way that we enjoy giving our love. While the original books have some inclusivity problems, among other issues, the premise behind it is sound, and if you haven't looked into it, it's a real eye-opener.

What Is the 5 Love Languages Concept?

A very interesting read (and a fun way to find out more about yourself), the 5 Love Languages theorizes that people feel loved in different ways. It postulates that most of us will give love in the way we want to receive love - but our partners may not even see what we're "giving" as their idea of receiving affection.

The book also theorizes that this mismatch in expectations and needs is part of where many interpersonal conflicts come from. If you believe spending time together is the best way to receive love - but your partner thinks giving you gifts is the way they're showing how much they love you, you're both going to end up feeling upset and resentful because your expectations are entirely mismatched.

Essentially, the 5 Love Languages gives us a framework to talk about our needs and giving styles to lead to better romantic and non-romantic relationships.

The 5 Love Languages and Sex?

With the rising popularity of the book, there have been a multitude of related guides that help you figure out how your love language translates to other aspects of your life - like how your love language determines what self-care you enjoy. Here, we're going to be talking about why your love language matters during sex - and how to ensure that your needs are being met in the framework of your love language.

I actually find this to be a really, really helpful way to view our sexual needs. While many of us here on Kinkly are probably better-than-average at expressing our sexual wants and desires, it still isn't always comfortable, and a lifetime of societal "don't talk about it" has left a lot of us feeling entirely unsure what our sexual needs actually are. So when a partner asks us "What do you need?" we're not entirely sure how to articulate it, and we're left with a general, uncomfortable sensation of "this isn't enough" with no way to figure out or phrase what it is we really need.

Taking the 5 Love Languages and applying them to sex helps you view your sexual needs in a whole new way - and it opens a comfortable, easy way to talk about your needs too. It might even open up your eyes about why certain encounters have felt refreshing while others haven't.

With that in mind, let's hop into each one of the 5 love languages - and how you might fulfill your needs during sex with that language.

Read: Sex Communication 101

Receiving Gifts

What Is It: For someone who has "receiving gifts" as their love language, it's all about receiving trinkets, tokens, or experiences that show you were thinking about your partner - or putting your time and effort into doing something for the one you love. Your "gifts" can be surprise experiences or physical objects, but it's all about tailoring the "gift" to the preferences of the receiver. That's part of how this becomes an act of love. It shows you know your partner's preferences enough to surprise them with something they would love. (Can you tell my love language is Receiving Gifts?)

During Sex: Someone who's into receiving gifts is going to be the perfect choice for surprise sex toys. Knowing what they love in the bedroom, you can pick out a toy that would pleasure them - and surprise them with it during sex! Normally, I wouldn't recommend surprising anyone mid-sex with new activities or items, but for someone who loves receiving gifts, this can be a really pleasant addition.

The biggest caveat, though: you can't let your ego get wrapped up in the gift. Sometimes toys don't work for specific bodies - even if it's something that person would have normally loved. You'll negate all of the positive feelings you brought into the sexual encounter if you get upset because your gift didn't work how you wanted it to. Remember: it's about the thought behind the gift - not how successful the gift is.

If money is tight, sex toys aren't the only option. Your "gift" can just be something surprising - like a night of pampering in bed, a specific sex scene you've planned out just for them, a bedroom set-up for romance when they're least expecting it, and more.

Words of Affirmation

What Is It: The easiest love language to understand, people who prefer Words of Affirmation prefer you to express how you feel about them with your words. Praise them when they've done something well, compliment who they are and how they look, and verbally recognize the things they've done for you and accomplished in their personal lives.

During Sex: Surprisingly enough, while Words of Affirmation might be the easiest love language to understand, it can be a difficult thing to incorporate into your sex life. To help someone with this love language in the bedroom, praise, compliments, and recognition are the way to go.

Verbally tell your partner how turned on you are by them. Talk about how much you love how they do "that thing". Thank them for the things they do for you in the bedroom - like unexpected oral sex or having sex on a day where they're otherwise exhausted. Express how thankful you feel to be close and intimate with them during sex.

If that seems too hard at this point in time, consider writing a sensual love letter or a sassy message on the Satisfyer Connect app about the things that turn you on about your partner. Unless you're going for pornography, try to keep it in the realm of a sensual "tease" instead of full-blow erotica. Remember, the goal is to compliment and help them see all of the amazing things you see about them during sex - not just for arousal.

People who enjoy Words of Affirmation during sex might also tend to be people who enjoy dirty talk, too. As you practice Words of Affirmation and find them easier and easier to provide, I recommend branching out a bit into dirty talk too - and see how that fits in.

Read: How Do We Stay Connected in a Time of Anxiety?

Quality Time

What Is It: If Quality Time is your love language, it's all about spending time with your partner. Not just any ol' time though: this needs to be time where you both are fully present and focused on one another. It's a focus on the "Quality" - not the "Quantity". While "Quality Time" generally refers to sharing a physical space, some long-distance couples have found ways to enjoy "Quality Time" with one another as well.