What do women want? The question men have been asking for centuries.
And some men (and poets in particular) would say that women just want to be loved. It’s not about understanding women and all their complexities perfectly, it’s simply accepting and loving them – truly and deeply.
But what happens when a guy is totally clueless about how to be in a relationship or how to make a woman happy. What if he loves a woman but keeps feeling like he’s failing her. Or the one he’s been with seems to be drifting away.
Here is a handy guide of 20 things every girl wants from her man in a relationship.
Table of Contents
1. Commit to her

When a woman is in a relationship, she expects the man in front of her to be truly present, and that means commitment. Relationships are hard work, and if the guy won’t commit, then he’s ultimately wasting a girl’s time.
Not every relationship has to end in marriage, but if a woman keeps waiting for the guy to grow up and be ready for commitment, then it won’t be a happy relationship, but one simply destined to fail.
2. Be faithful to her

A woman wants to believe that the guy she’s with is only with her. No ifs and no buts. He needs to be loyal, and he needs to try not to check out every woman who walks past him. It’s just not respectful! It literally makes women feel like shit, and it has nothing to do with being a jealous type.
If you can’t stay faithful to a woman, then you have no place starting a relationship with her in the first place. Being faithful is more than not cheating – it’s about everything you do and say.
3. Be honest with her

Why is it that men feel the need to conceal their true feelings, or keep their options open? Just be honest with the woman you are dating. Is she doing something that truly annoys you? Then address it!
Is she not the one for you? Then don’t waste her time!
Do you need more from the relationship and she’s just not getting it?
Make honesty a priority in the relationship. Open, regular, honest communication is the foundation of a strong relationship. There is nothing that cannot be resolved when two people are committed to talking it all out.
4. Intimacy

Intimacy goes beyond just physical attraction and sex. It’s so much more! Women want cuddles, attention, and time to connect with their guy. Especially after having been together for a while, you need to really put in the time to be together.
Couples sometimes even forget to kiss, because life just gets in the way. Make sure you are the guy who remembers!
5. Text her

Sometimes a random text during the workday is enough to make her gush all over you. Text her often, don’t ignore her texts for hours, and when you are really busy just give her a little warning so she doesn’t worry if you can’t respond for hours.
Text her you love her when she least expects her. Just to make her smile!
6. Tell her you love her often

Saying “I love you” never gets old. Tell her you love her often – when she wakes up, before you fall asleep, when you hug her, in front of friends. No woman can deny it feels amazing hearing it and makes her feel safe and happy.
7. Notice things about her

Open your eyes and notice details about her. Tell her she’s beautiful, compliment her outfits, don’t let a day go without acknowledging how great she is.
A woman adored by her man is the happiest woman in the world, and her love knows no bounds.
8. Romantic gestures go a long way

Even the women who say they don’t care about romance secretly wish their guy would make a gesture once in a while, without being told. Whether it’s opening the door for her, or buying her flowers, it’s usually the small things that go a long way. Romance never goes out of style!
The longer you are in a relationship the more it might feel like romance has left the building, but making conscious effort to notice things about her, surprise her and make her smile is what will keep her in love with you.
9. Appreciate what she does

Women do so many things and do them so well, with such natural flair. Especially in relationships. A woman might be the main chef, the planner of all holidays, the one reminding her man about important dates, and so much more.
Make sure she knows you appreciate every little thing she does. There’s nothing worse than a woman feeling underappreciated or taken for granted – she doesn’t have to do all these things but she does them because she loves you. Make sure she knows that you notice them!
10. Make her laugh

Women love humor! Who doesn’t! If you know how to make her laugh you will be irresistible to her. Make sure you know how to have fun together, and just be silly with one another, especially when she’s had a tough day. Life can be boring if you don’t let loose once in a while.
11. Be her friend

A woman wants more than just a lover. She wants a true companion – someone she can trust, talk to openly, someone who truly gets her. These are all the foundations of a strong friendship, which is exactly what you need to build with her if you want your love to last.
Be her friend, support her, make her happiness a priority, be her biggest fan. Simple, right?
12. Encouragement

Being her friend means also being 100% supportive of her dreams. Even if those dreams sometimes clash with your own plans. That’s the toughest thing really! Don’t deprive her of what she truly wants because it doesn’t work for you.
Be the man who supports their woman! You’d be surprised how many women drop their dreams for the men they love, why would you want her to do that? His ambition shouldn’t threaten your manhood.
Show her anything is possible and boost her confidence whenever she doubts herself. She will love you forever.
13. Give her space

It’s not just men who seek time with their friends and little space for their manly hobbies. Women need space too. They’d just ask for it a lot less often! Show her you notice when she just needs a few hours to herself.
Do something around the house so she doesn’t have to. Show her that her time is valuable too, don’t just assume she needs to take care of most chores, and somehow magically find time for herself and the things she enjoys doing, like simply being able to relax and put her feet up.
14. Know how to handle her at her worst

No relationship is perfect, and no woman is either. The woman you love will go through highs and lows and it’s important to be there for her for both. When she’s at her lowest you need to find ways to pick her up, by being supportive, not critical.
When she has a tantrum, you have to practice calming her, not just trying to outshout her. If you can be that person for her then you will truly be irreplaceable in her eyes.
15. Don’t fall into type all the time

If your woman is a planner and she does it well, it doesn’t mean that you should never plan anything. If she’s great at cooking, it doesn’t mean that she wants to cook every single meal.
When in a relationship it’s important not to always fall into type! Step out of your type and do more, especially the stuff that maybe doesn’t come that naturally to you. Just because it will make her happy.
16. Respect her friends and family

Whether you like your woman’s close friends and family doesn’t really matter, you don’t have to be best friends with them. But you need to be courteous, and you need to respect the fact that they are important to her.
If you don’t then all you are going to do is alienate her from them or appear to be a total a**hole in their eyes. Neither is a winning situation!
17. Be the man in the house

Whatever society may be saying, women still want men to be handy at home, and be able to fix things around the place.
Whether it’s the simplest thing like changing a lightbulb or something more complicated, women enjoy being able to step away once in a while and just let the guy do it.
18. Let her be the boss

At the end of the day, a woman chooses her man. The woman is the prize, and the guy does the chasing. Whatever else you may have heard, this is the truth. Let her be the boss in the relationship. That doesn’t mean not being equal or her treading on you and bossing you around.
It simply means letting her win, acknowledging that 9 out of 10 times, a woman really does know best. Trust her choices and instincts and just let her get her way. She will be looking after both of you.
19. Don’t miss the moment

How do you know she’s ready to get married? Well, she’ll probably start hinting it after a few years of being together, or even earlier. Just don’t let it go for too long, as she will get tired of hinting at it and start to think you aren’t serious about her.
Get that ring you know she’ll love and pop the question whilst she’s still excited and ready to say yes! What are you waiting for?
20. She doesn’t want to chase you

Regardless of how it may look, a woman never wants to chase a man. It’s not in women’s nature and it gives them zero confidence to do that. The woman you date shouldn’t have to convince you of her worth or beg for your attention, so careful how you treat her.
Women are different in relationships but there are some basic needs every girl has from the man in her life which, if you nail, you will be the perfect partner. And at the end of the day, she will probably remind you about what it is she needs from you.