If a guy recently held your hand then you’re probably wondering why and what it might mean.

This post will help you understand why he might have held your hand and why other guys might do it as well in the future.

So, what does it mean when a guy holds your hand? A guy holding your hand could mean that he likes you especially if he only does it with you and if he shows other signs of attraction around you. He might also be trying to be protective or dominant and he might do it to try and reassure you.

Since there are a number of reasons why a guy will hold your hand it is important to consider the context of how he did it and the body language that he shows around you.

By doing so you will be able to get a better understanding of why he held your hand and the way that he feels about you.

Reasons why a guy will hold your hand

Each of the different reasons why a guy will hold your hand will come with a number of clues in that way that he holds it and the body language that he shows.

Below, I will mention a number of reasons why a guy will hold your hand and the signs that you can expect to see with them.

He is attracted to you

If he only holds your hand and he shows positive behavior and body language around you then it would be likely that he does it because he is attracted to you.

It would be more likely that he did it because he is attracted to you if he interlocked fingers with you and he held your hand more firmly.

With that being said, even if he just brushed your hand with his, it could be the case that he is attracted to you but also that he was nervous to do it.

If he did hold your hand because he is attracted to you then it would be likely that he would show signs of being attracted to you in his behavior and body language when he is around you.

These signs can include:

  • Mirroring your body language (for example, he stands like you, smiles like you, talks at a similar pitch or he mirrors your hand and facial gestures)
  • Laughing and looking to see if you are also laughing
  • Standing closer to you when talking to you than he does with other people
  • Talking to you with a deeper voice with you than he does with other people
  • His pupils dilate when he sees you
  • Holding prolonged eye contact with you
  • Asking you the most questions when you are in a group together
  • Touching you often and finding excuses to touch you
  • Becoming agitated when you’re with other men
  • Watching you when you’re with other men
  • Staring at you then smiling or quickly looking away when you notice
  • Sticking around when you’re with other men
  • Getting defensive when you are both with other men
  • Pointing his feet at you
  • Touching your feet with his
  • Making plans based on your schedule
  • Asking your friends about you

He wants to be more than just friends

If he is your friend then the reason that he held your hand could be that he wants to be more than just friends with you.

If that is the case then it would be likely that he wouldn’t hold his other female friend’s hands. It would also be likely that he would have been showing a number of the signs of attraction about when around you but you might not have noticed them.

It would be especially likely that he would get agitated when you’re with other men, get defensive when you’re both with other men, his pupils would dilate when he is with you and he would likely make plans based on your plans.

He’s being protective

The reason that he held your hand could be that he was trying to be protective.

If that was the case then it would be more likely that he would have done it in an uncertain situation such as when walking through a crowd or walking through a dark area at night. It would also be likely that he would have stopped when you were both feeling secure again.

It could also be the case that he used it as an excuse to hold your hand because he actually likes you. If that is why he did it then it would be likely that he would have shown other signs of attraction in his body language as mentioned in the first section above. It would be especially likely that he would find other excuses to touch you as well.

Alternatively, it might be the case that he was the one that was feeling nervous in the situation and he held your hand for reassurance.

Again, if that was the case it would be likely that he would have done it in an uncertain situation or if he was feeling sad at the time.

If he was feeling sad then it would be likely that he would have shown signs of being sad such as having watery eyes, taking deeper breaths and inhaling quickly through the nose.

He’s being dominating

The reason that he held your hand could be that he was showing dominating behavior.

When a person is trying to show that they are in a higher position than the people around them he/she will often touch the people around them in order to show that they have the power to do so.

If did hold your hand because he was being dominating then it would be likely that he would have grabbed it more quickly, he would likely have held it more firmly and he would likely have made you follow him somewhere.

If he was being dominating then it would be likely that he would show other signs of dominating behavior.

These signs can include:

  • Telling people to do things
  • Staring at people for longer than usual
  • Squinting when looking at people
  • Having tight lips when people are talking
  • Touching the people around him
  • Standing in people’s personal space
  • Talking over people
  • Talking with a deeper voice
  • Putting his hands and feet on things that are not his
  • Standing in a way that makes his body appear to be larger

He wants to see how you’ll react

The reason that he held your hand could be that he wanted to see how you would react.

The reason that he wanted to see how you would react might be that he is attracted to you but he is not sure whether or not you are attracted to him. If that is the case then it would be likely that he would have held your hand slightly more loosely as he was nervous about how you would react. It would also be likely that he would show signs of attraction in his body language when he is around you.

He’s trying to reassure you

If you were sad at the time then the reason that he held your hand could be that he was trying to make you feel better.

If that is why he held your hand then it would be more likely that he would have done it while you were telling him about something that made you sad or when he thought that you were sad.

It would also be likely that you would have shown some signs of being sad such as:

  • Taking deeper breaths
  • Slouching
  • Looking down
  • Talking less
  • Inhaling through the nose quickly
  • Talking with a flat tone
  • Watery eyes

Consider how he held your hand

When trying to understand why he held your hand it would be useful to consider the way that he held it.

If he held it more firmly and he grabbed it then it would suggest that he was being dominant and you should consider whether or not he was showing other signs of being dominant. It might also be the case that he was showing attraction to you or that he was trying to be protective.

If he held it by putting his hand on top of yours then he might have been trying to reassure you if you were also feeling sad at the time. Alternatively, he might have been showing that he is attracted to you if he also shows other signs of attraction around you.

If he interlaced his fingers with yours then it would make it more likely that he was showing that he is attracted to you. It would be likely that he would also have been showing signs of attraction when doing it.

Consider the situation in which he held your hand

It would also be useful to consider the situation in which he held your hand.

If he held your hand while you were both sitting down together then it would be more likely that he was either trying to reassure you or that he was showing attraction to you. It would be helpful to consider whether or not you were sad at the time.

If he held your hand when you were in an uncertain situation then it would be more likely that he was trying to be protective but he might also have done it for reassurance himself.

Think about how he reacts to seeing you

When trying to understand why he held your hand and how he feels about you it would be useful to consider the way that he reacts to seeing you.

This is because if he noticeably changes his body language and behavior upon seeing you then it would be a strong sign that he has good or bad feelings about you.

If he reacts to seeing you by:

  • Raising his eyebrows
  • Smiling
  • Holding eye contact
  • Making space for you
  • Sitting or standing with a straighter posture
  • Pointing his feet at you
  • Adjusting his hair or clothing
  • Uncrossing his arms
  • Having more dilated pupils

Then it would be more likely that he held your hand because he is attracted to you.

Whereas, if he reacts to seeing you by:

  • Crossing his arms
  • Squinting
  • Tightening his eyebrows together
  • Tensing his jaw
  • Pointing his feet away from you
  • Tightening his lips

Then it would be more likely that he has negative feelings towards you.

Think about a number of body language signs

When considering the body language that he shows around you it would be helpful to look for clusters of body language signs.

This means that it would be helpful to look for multiple aspects of his body language that all suggest the same thing.

This is because he could be showing a single body language sign for a number of different reasons. This can make it difficult to accurately assess why he is showing one body language sign in particular.

Whereas, if he shows multiple body language signs that all suggest the same thing then it would be a lot more likely that he is showing them for that exact reason.

Consider the type of relationship that you have with him

It would also be helpful to consider your relationship with him.

If he has been your friend for a while then it would be more likely that he held your hand because he wants to be more than just friends, he was being protective or he was trying to reassure you or himself. It would be helpful to consider the situation in which he did it. If he did it when everything else seemed normal then it would be more likely that he was showing attraction.

If he is a guy that you don’t know very well then it would be more likely that he was showing attraction or that he was being dominating or both.

Related

What does it mean when a guy holds your hand while driving? It would be likely that he is showing that he is attracted to you and you should consider whether or not he shows other signs of being attracted to you in his body language. It might also be the case that he does it to reassure you.

What does it mean when a guy holds your hand while interlocking fingers? It would be more likely that he is showing attraction to you. It could also be that he is trying to make you feel better.

If you want to learn more about body language, a book I would recommend would be The Definitive Book of Body Language (on Amazon). It shows you how to interpret body language and understand people's true intentions.

Author

I created and currently manage Body Language Central, one of the premier sources for body language-related knowledge. Body language plays a key role in our daily lives. I hope that my website can help condense the wide amount of body language information available and allow you to make full use of it in your daily life. You can read more about me and my website here.