12 things it means when a girl calls you “special”

We sometimes include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Read our affiliate disclosure.

It’s not easy to figure out what a girl means when she calls you special.

Is it a compliment?

Or is it a way to put you down, like she is out of your league?

I’ve thought about this long and hard because I’ve been called special before, and today I want to explain why I think it’s a good thing.

Here are 12 things she might be implying by calling you special:

1) She Thinks You’re Different From Other Guys She Has Met

Special literally means unique or distinctive.

She might call you special because she believes you’re different from other guys she has met.

There could be many reasons she thinks you’re unique.

Perhaps you don’t subscribe to the same “bro” culture that every other guy subscribes to.

You might be a little more mature than the rest in her eyes.

Maybe you’re a gentleman who treats other people with respect and dignity. We all know chivalry is dead.

Maybe you’re not caught up in the superficial elements of being popular all the time.

It’s a cruel world out there, so maybe she thinks you’re special because you simply have your heart in the right place.

You might be so different from other guys that she has no idea what to do with you…which could make you even more attractive to her.

Whatever it is that makes you unique, if she’s calling you special because you’re unique then this is definitely a compliment!

After all:

According to Jeremy Nicholson M.S.W., Ph.D. in Psychology Today, everyone “looks for something unique and different” to satisfy them in longer-term relationships.

So if she’s giving you compliments like calling you special, then she may find you uniquely appealing for a relationship.

2) She Has a Crush on You

Yep, I’m sure you were hoping for this one.

This is actually one of the more obvious meanings for her calling you special.

In fact, every girl that has called me “special” in my past ended up being attracted to me.

The truth is:

She might have had a crush on you for a long time and it’s only just now that she has the courage to let you know how unique you are.

Women won’t usually call you “special” unless they know your personality well.

But if she’s taken her time to compliment you, she may have given you a particular position in her heart.

What other signs indicate she has a crush on you?

You can be sure that she has a crush on you if she remembers the minor details of your life, always has time for you and consistently looks at you from across the room.

If you want to figure out if she has a crush on you, check out our article 14 signs she is hiding her feelings (but she secretly wants you)

3) You Remind Her of Someone She Considers Special

She may call you special because you may remind her of someone she loves or used to love.

This might be an uncanny resemblance you have with someone who meant a great deal to her in the past.

This may also be the reason she has developed a crush on you.

After all, if you have the same qualities as an important person in her life, that can only be a positive thing.

Don’t get creeped out, but Celeste Walley Jean, professor of Psychology at Clayton State University, says heterosexual people may seek partners who share attributes that remind them of their opposite-sex parent.

Why?

Because that is what they’ve always known growing up.

So if you remind her of her Dad, that is probably why she likes you and thinks you’re special.

4) She Considers You to Be Her Brother

I’m sure you were hoping she was attracted to you, but unfortunately, this isn’t always the case.

However, considering you as her brother is a compliment.

After all:

It means she feels safe around you. It also means that you probably share a unique bond.

Now if you were hoping that she is attracted to you, then you might not be there yet.

But at least she considers you someone she is close to and can rely on.

That’s a good sign, and it could lead to something more in the future.

5) She Looks at You as a Close Friend She Trusts a Lot

Again, while this indicates she is not physically attracted to you, it does mean you’re a close friend in her circle of trust.

She may even see you as a best friend with whom she can share her deepest and darkest secrets.

Gaining a girl’s trust is nothing to scoff at, and the fact that she is willing to be vulnerable with you means that you’re someone she feels like will have her back no matter what happens.

It’s important not to confuse her friendship and trust for attraction; it’s entirely possible for her to see you as a trusted confidante but not like you in that way.

She may develop deeper feelings for you in the future, but you must never break her trust.

Having that level of trust can help the two of you nurture a special bond that nobody else can break.

6) You’re Her Soulmate

This is a pretty straightforward reason for her to call you someone special.

Even if you don’t believe in soulmates, she might.

She considers you special because, in her mind, she sees you as her soulmate.

Soulmates don’t come around often!

You may have ticked all the boxes she is looking for in a partner and already started falling for you.

She may not admit those feelings for you just yet, because she wants to see if you feel the same way about her.

Usually, the man makes the first move, so calling you special could be her way of pushing you to make the first move.

7) She Likes You but Isn’t Ready to Embrace Her Feelings for You Yet

You may be special to her because she’s still confused about how she feels about you.

She may like you but may not yet be willing to embrace her feelings for you.

She might be leading you on because she’s just not sure whether she wants a relationship with you.

The mood and environment may have even made you know that you’re special to her.

And honestly, it just might not be a good time for her to enter into a relationship.

Maybe she just got out of a relationship.

Or she has had bad experiences in the past where she got hurt.

If this is the case, you need to be patient with her while she figures out how much you mean to her without making her feel pressured.

She may not be able to admit it now but will cherish you even more if you give her the time and space she needs.

It might also help to let her know how you feel about her. She won’t have to worry about her feelings not being reciprocated.

8) She Wants You to Ask Her Out

She might call you special because she wants you to ask her out.

She might feel it’s the guy’s responsibility to ask a girl out and may be waiting for you to do so.

Letting you know that you’re special to her might be her way of clueing you into her feelings for you.

It might also be her way of seeing if you will reciprocate her feelings.

Let’s be honest:

Most women are scared about asking out a guy first. She doesn’t want to get rejected and usually it’s up to the man to make the first move.

The solution?

Ask her out! Let her know that you’re interested in her and that she’s special to you.

9) She Wants Something More Than Just Friends

A girl might call you special when she wants to take things to the next level in the relationship.

She may want something more than just friends with you but may not be sure what that might be.

For example, she might want to start a serious relationship with you if you were only casually dating.

She might want to be your girlfriend if you have known each other for a considerable time as just friends.

She calls you special because she means it; it’s her way of letting you know that she’s been thinking about the relationship a lot lately and feels like she’s ready to be serious about you.

10) She Cares About You Deeply

She might also call you special if she cares about you deeply on an emotional level.

It means that you have a very important place in her heart, and she wants you to know that.

She has gotten to know you first hand and she genuinely thinks your personality is unique and wonderful.

It’s also possible that her love language might be words of affirmation, and she’s complimenting your best attributes by calling you special.

If you’re already in a relationship with her, she wants to be the best version of herself for you.

It could also be a sign that she isn’t afraid of committing to you and feels safe expressing her feelings to you.

11) She Might Be Unsure of Her Feelings and May Be Trying to Manipulate You

Okay, this one is a little more negative, but it’s important to be aware of.

If she is a narcissist, then she might trying to manipulate you for her own benefit.

She simply likes the attention she gets from you.

This may cause her to be disingenuous with you to get what she needs from you.

She will know exactly what to say to make you fall for her but is only in the relationship for herself.

You can know if she’s being genuine with you or is trying to manipulate you just by observing her tone and body language.

12) She’s Grateful for the Care You Have Given Her

Sometimes, a girl might call you special as a token of her gratitude for something you may have done for her.

This might be helping her with a project she’s been struggling with or giving her a thoughtful gift.

She may have gotten overwhelmed by the care you gave her and may call you special because she appreciates the efforts you make for her.

You’re special to her because you stand up for her when no one else does.

It might imply that she has developed feelings for you, but that isn’t necessarily the case.

It could be as innocent as her way of thanking you but could also hint from her end that she’s willing to take the relationship to the next level.

Now if you can’t get this girl out of your mind, and you’re wondering what it means, then you might enjoy might latest article: 12 things it might mean when a girl keeps coming to mind