What does it mean when a guy initiates a hug?

If guy recently initiated a hug with you then you’re probably wondering why and what it might mean.

This post will try to help you figure that out and to help you to make sense of why a guy might hug you as it happens in the future.

So, what does it mean when a guy initiates a hug? Possible causes of a guy initiating a hug are that he is attracted to you, he is being friendly, he’s sad, or that it’s how he naturally says bye to people.

Since there are actually a number of reasons that a guy might initiate a hug with you it is important to consider what other aspects of his body language are saying. By doing this you will be able to get a better idea of why he did it.

Possible reasons why a guy might initiate a hug

Below, I will mention a number of reasons why a guy might initiate a hug with you along with the body language signals that you should look for.

He’s attracted to you

One reason that a guy might initiate a hug with you is that he is attracted to you.

If this the case then the hug would likely last for a slightly longer duration than normal, he may lean into you more and you should consider where he wraps his arms.

If he is attracted to you then it would be likely that he would be showing a number of other signs of attraction when you are around.

These can include:

Pupil dilation when talking to you
Pointing his feet towards you
Talking to you more than others
Asking your friends about you
Maintaining a longer duration of eye contact
Touching you often
Mirroring your behaviors
Standing at a closer proximity to you
Giving lots of glances your way
Speaking with a deeper voice than normal around you
Getting anxious when you’re with other men

He considers you a friend

The reason that he may have hugged you when leaving could simply be that he considers you a friend and that’s how he normally says goodbye to women.

If this was the case, then the hug would likely have been less tight, shorter in duration and he may have only used one arm.

If this is the case then he would likely show a number of signals that would suggest that he is comfortable around you. These can include a lack of rubbing behaviors and a less closed off body language.

Many of the body language signals may appear to be the same as if he were attracted to you. However, if he only hugged you as a friend and he’s not attracted to you then he wouldn’t necessarily hold his gaze for so long, touch you often, get anxious when you’re around other men, and he might not talk to you more than his other friends.

He’s sad

It could be that the reason he hugged you was because he was feeling sad.

If this was the case then he would have likely been talking with you about a sad subject for him.

He would also have likely shown body language signals that this was the case such as:

Crying
Quivering
Monotone speech tone
Slouching
Trembling lower lip
Self-hugging

He’s from a culture where it’s normal to hug

It could just have been the case that he was from a culture where it is normal for people to hug when they leave.

If he tends to do this with all girls that he meets then it would likely be the case that it is a natural way that he says bye to women.

Consider his relationship with you

When trying to figure out why he might have initiated a hug with you it would be helpful to consider your relationship with him.

If it is the case that you tend to get along well together but he doesn’t typically show many signs of being attracted to you then it would be more likely that he did it as a way of saying bye to you.

If you have a more formal relationship with him then it could just be that it is how he naturally says bye to women. It could still be the case that he is attracted to you which is why it is important to consider other body language signals on display.

Think about when he did it

It would also be helpful to consider when he did it.

If he initiated the hug when you were both mid-conversation and it felt more contrived then it may have been that he just wanted an excuse to touch you.

Whereas if it was when you were leaving then it wouldn’t necessarily suggest much other than that he was saying goodbye unless it was only you that he hugged.

If it was when you were sad then it could have just been the case that he was trying to make you feel better.

Observe how he interacts with others

When trying to make sense of body language signals it is important to observe how he interacts with other people and what his body language looks like when he is feeling normal.

This means that you should watch to see if he hugs most other girls when they are parting. If he does then it would suggest that it is how he naturally says goodbye to women. If he doesn’t then it could be that he is attracted to you or that he considers you a closer friend than others.