Gary Chapman’s The 5 Love Languages has been helping relationships for more than 25 years. The New York Times Best Selling Book has improved millions of relationships around the world by teaching the simple yet effective idea.

If you’re unfamiliar with the five love languages, they include quality time, acts of service, words of affirmation, physical touch, and receiving gifts.

I first learned about the five love languages about a year ago and was instantly hooked by the idea. While I’m no love expert or relationship therapist, I’ve been able to get a great insight into my and other relationships simply by understanding the love languages.

Understanding love languages is crucial for relationships because it helps you recognize and validate your partner’s needs. For example, my husband’s top love language is physical touch, however, I’ve never been much of an affectionate person. By understanding love languages, I now know how important acts like hugs and pats can be.

For me, words of affirmation are at the top of the list. An unsolicited compliment can help validate what I’m doing and means the world to me. I value actions more than words, and insults linger in my mind for a while. That’s why I appreciate when my husband expresses his love, admiration, and respect for me.

While simply understanding and practicing the five love languages doesn’t guarantee a successful partnership, it’ll help you understand the other person’s needs aside from your own. It’s important to communicate with your partner what your love language means and what you need from them.

The idea is simple, but it requires action and effort to be effective. Simply understanding each other’s love language is useless unless you make a change. Make an effort to adapt how you’re currently expressing love to fit your partner’s needs. Simple gestures like hugs, dates, compliments, small gifts, or completing a chore can go a long way in a relationship.

If you’re curious about what love language you are and would like to complete a quiz to find out, click here.