If a guy recently patted you on the head then you’re probably wondering why and what it might have meant.

This post will help you figure out why he patted you on the head and help you figure out why other guys might do it in the future.

So, what does it mean when a guy pats you on the head? A guy patting you on the head might mean that he likes you if he only does it to you and he shows different signs of attraction around you. He might also be teasing you, doing it as a power-play or wanting to see your reaction.

Since there are a number of reasons why a guy will pat you on the head it is important to consider the body language signals that he showed and the context of how he did it.

By doing so you’ll be able to get a better understanding of why he patted you on the head.

Reasons why a guy will pat you on the head

Each of the different reasons why a guy will pat you on the head will likely come with a number of clues in his body language.

Below, I will mention a number of reasons why a guy will pat you on the head and the body language signals that you should expect to see with them.

He likes you

If he only did it to you and he changes his body language and behavior when he is around you then it would be likely that he is attracted to you.

If a guy is attracted to a woman he will often find excuses to touch her. If he made up an excuse to pat your head then it would be even more likely that he did it because he is attracted to you.

If he is then he’d probably show other signs of being attracted to you in his body language and behavior.

These signs could include:

  • Sitting upright when he notices you
  • Blinking more frequently than usual
  • Making plans based on your schedule
  • Pointing his feet at you
  • Mirroring your body language
  • Holding prolonged eye contact with you
  • Looking at you then quickly looking away if you notice
  • Adjusting his clothing or hair when he first sees you
  • Standing close to you when talking to you
  • Asking you the most questions when in a group and keeping his focus on you
  • Becoming agitated when you’re around other men
  • Becoming defensive when other men are around
  • Positioning himself to be near you
  • Having more dilated pupils than usual when looking at you
  • Uncrossing his arms and legs when he sees you

He’s teasing you

If he did it while joking with you or while teasing you then it would be more likely that he did it in order to make his joke funnier.

If that is why he did it then it would be likely that he would only have done it once. If he does it more than once then it would be more likely that he is attracted to you and he is using it as an excuse to touch you.

You should consider the type of body language that he shows around you to figure out whether or not he was teasing you or just using it as an excuse.

He’s being dominant

The reason that he patted you on the head might actually have been due to dominating behavior.

When a person is trying to make other people around them be submissive the person would often touch the other people that they are with.

This is because it shows that they are not a threat to the person and that the person is not concerned about how they will react.

If he patted you on the head in front of other people, while telling you to do something and while doing it more firmly then it would be more likely that he was showing dominant behavior.

It could be the case that he was showing both dominant behavior and attraction. If he was then it would be likely that he would have shown other signs of dominating behavior and attraction in his body language.

If he was being dominant then it would be likely that he would show it in his body language in other ways by doing things such as:

  • Touching the people around him
  • Taking up lots of space in the way that he stands and sits
  • Standing with a stance that makes his body appear to be larger
  • Talking with a deeper pitch
  • Telling people to do things
  • Talking over people
  • Interrupting people
  • Staring at people when talking to them
  • Squinting when looking at people
  • Having tight lips when other people are talking
  • Tightening the eyebrows when other people are talking

He wants to be more than just friends

If he has been your friend for a while then the reason that he patted you on the head could be that he wants to be more than just friends with you.

If that is why he patted you on the head then it would be likely that he would have been showing other signs of being attracted to you in his body language.

It would be especially likely that he would do things such as get agitated and stick around when you’re with other men, get defensive when other men are around and that he would make plans based around your schedule.

He wants to see your reaction

It could be the case that he is attracted to you but he isn’t sure whether or not you are attracted to him so he did it to see how you would react.

If that is why he did it then he would probably have been showing other signs of being attracted to you in his body language.

Consider your relationship with him

The type of relationship will likely have an impact on the possible reasons that he patted you on the head.

If he is your friend then it would be more likely that he either did it because he was teasing you or because he wants to be more than just friends with you.

If it was a guy that you don’t know very well then it would be more likely that he either did it because he is attracted to you or that he was being dominant or both.

Consider when and where he did it

The timing and the location of when he patted you on the head would also likely be a useful thing to consider.

If he did it in front of other people and he wasn’t teasing you in some way then it would be more likely that he was showing dominant behavior and you should consider if he was showing other signs of dominating behavior. He might also have been teasing you or showing attraction if he wasn’t showing signs of dominating behavior.

If he did it while you were alone together then it would make it more likely that he did it because he was showing attraction to you.

Consider how he interacts with other people

Comparing the way that he interacts with other people with the way that he interacts with you would also likely give you a lot of information as to why he did it.

If he tends to touch other people a lot and he shows the same behavior and body language around them as he does with you then it would be more likely that he was showing dominant behavior.

Whereas, if he only seems to touch you and he changes his body language around you then it would be more likely that he is attracted to you.

Consider how he reacts to seeing you

The way that he initially reacts to seeing you would also be a helpful thing to think about.

If he tends to uncross his arms and legs, raise his eyebrows and smile, point his feet at you, stare at you, adjust his clothing or hair and his pupils become more dilated when you enter the room then it would be more likely that he is attracted to you.

Related

What does it mean when a guy touches your head? It would depend on the context that he touched your head. It could mean that he is attracted to you, that he was being dominant, that he was teasing you or he might have been trying to reassure you if you were sad at the time.

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.