Have you ever met someone and then had the nagging suspicion that they might have more than “friends” in mind? There aren’t always clear cut signs, but there are some not so obvious clues that people give…even when they aren’t aware of it. The next time you need help determining a potential partner’s interest level, use these seven tips as your guide.

1. Their pupils are enlarged when talking with you.
The human pupil dilates when someone is excited or is having strong feelings about something. You can gauge a lot about their interest by paying attention to their eye contact. We often reveal far more than we desire through our eyes.

2. They seem to share a lot of common interests.
If someone is engaging in activities that you like to do, or making an extra effort to be a part of them, chances are they’re doing it just to spend more time with you. Take notice of how often they are asking or desiring to do things with you. If it seems rather frequent, it’s a good sign they are in to you.

3. They want to spend time with you over weekends and holidays. With schedules the way they usually are for people, spending time on special days like weekends and especially holidays is a very clear sign that they are interested in something more than just hanging out together. All weekend invites are not only a great way to get to know someone on a deeper level, they are also a pretty open message that they want to see if this relationship has any potential.

4. They give you a pet name.
Pet names are usually reserved for someone you have a sweet spot for. If your potential interest has decided to call you by one, you’re in a pretty good position interest wise.

5. They send gifts without a reason.
This is probably the most obvious sign on this list. If they’ve sent you flowers or any small gift, they are trying to let you know you’ve gained their interest. Now the ball is in your court to signal that you want to take things a little further.

6. They do little things for you.
Do you find your potential interest going out of their way to do favors for you? Maybe they offer to run an errand or go grab something for you. You can especially tell if they are interested when you are within a group of friends. Are thet only doing the little favors for you?

7. They tell friends and family about you, or they introduce you to them. If they have talked about you to their friends and family, you can be assured you are on their dating radar. If they feel comfortable enough to introduce you to the family, you’re probably looking at a potential romance. With this sign you have to gauge each situation individually. If they have a really open relationship with their family, it may not mean anything special. However, if they are usually closed off with them, they are definitely ready for something more.

There are many different ways someone will show you they are interested. You really need to take the whole situation into perspective and be aware of which method they are choosing to communicate their interest