How can a guy tell if a girl’s interested in him or just trying to put him down nicely? Well, outside of the obvious (ignoring him), there are a few sure-tell signs that should raise some flags — and give off hints.

Look, being turned down is never a good feeling, but, when it comes to dating, it happens to absolutely everyone. Yep, even suave dudes like George Clooney, Ryan Reynolds and others have been told no by girls, so don’t let the feeling bring you down. Instead, use it as an opportunity to learn about some of the things you may have done to get one girl to that point, change things up, and move onto the next one.

Whether you’re being too pushy, too sexual or she’s just not feeling that chemistry, a girl’s probably not going to tell you. Instead, pick up on these subtle hints as a clear-cut sign that she’d rather not hang out with you.

She’s afraid to commit

We’re not talking about committing to a relationship — let’s not get ahead of ourselves here — but, instead, committing to something as simple as plans for an evening. Just as guys do this when they’re not interested in a girl, girl’s do it even more so, choosing to avoid making plans or offering up days later in the week till things fizzle out. Trust us, she’s not testing your interest in her, she’s just subtly putting you down.

No physical contact

OK, so you’ve gotten her to hangout — maybe even more than a few times — but she’s absolutely got you cornered into the friend zone. She may like your company and think you’re a nice guy, but if she’s not giving you the time of day to get physical with her; from holding hands to kissing, she’s giving you a sign that she looks at you as nothing more than a buddy.

She’s short when communicating

In a day and age where texting and online dating rules, if a girl is interested in you, she’s probably not going to be quiet or short in her replies when messaging. Think about it, if she’s really excited about going out with you, would she really a) tell you to wait a few days to meet up and b) when you try to stay top-of-mind with a “hey, excited for this weekend,” text, she replies with a simple, “yup, same.” She’ll probably meet up, but don’t expect her to be fully engaged at first.

She’s not thinking of you

If you’re the only one who’s always initiating communication between the two of you, that’s not a good sign, guys. We’re not saying she’s texting you all day, every day, but when the text chain is clearly dominated by just you, she’s more than turned off. Whether that’s a full on ghosting on her part or something else, have some respect for yourself and just stop texting. She has your number and knows how to get in contact if she ever feels like she wants to.