Nobody Warns You About Dating A Leo Man. We Will.

So you want to date a Leo man. Good news: he’ll make it obvious that he’s interested, plan the whole first date, and tell his friends about you before dessert. Less good news: he needs an audience, an ego check now and then, and a partner who won’t disappear into his glow. Leo is ruled by the Sun, which explains most of his personality and all of his lighting preferences. If you can hold your own, he’s one of the most generous partners in the zodiac. Here’s how to date him well.

What To Expect When You Date A Leo Man

Not all Leo men are exactly alike. A July Leo may approach love differently than an August Leo, so check his birthday first—then read below for tips on the best ways to date him.

Expect To Be Adored, Out Loud

Get comfortable being someone’s favorite subject. A Leo man has no lukewarm setting, so when he picks you, he goes hard: he says how he feels without needing three drinks first, he talks you up in rooms you’re not in, and he learns the name of your annoying coworker. Let yourself enjoy it. Playing hard to get with a Leo man mostly just confuses him.

Be Ready To Share The Spotlight

You’re dating in public now, so plan accordingly. He’ll appoint himself in charge of the plans, the playlist, and the table’s dinner order, and he wants an audience for all of it. If you’ve ever wondered why Leos are like this, astrologers have answers, but your job is simpler: hype him in front of his friends, and he’ll spend the rest of the night hyping you.

Let Him Do The Grand Gesture

Do not talk him out of it. He will send flowers that don’t fit in your kitchen, plan a birthday you never asked for, and buy the gift that’s frankly too much for how long you’ve been dating. Leo men are generous with money, time, and effort, and being told it’s “too much” reads as rejection. Say thank you, take the photo, and let him feel like a hero.

Don’t Shrink To Fit His Ego

Here’s where most people get it wrong. He has a big ego and a stubborn streak, and he’ll offer his opinion whether or not you requested it. Match him instead of managing him. Say your piece, hold your ground, and tell him when a conversation has curved back toward him for the fourth time. He respects a partner with a spine and gets bored of easy agreement fast.

Give Your Leo Man Credit When He Earns It

Praise is the actual price of admission. He lands the promotion, nails the recipe, finishes the race, and then hovers a little until someone says something, so be the one who says it. There’s more to this sign than the confidence, and appreciation works on him like fuel. Tell a Leo man he’s talented and watch how much more generous he becomes with you.

Give Him Space When He Goes Quiet

Every so often he’ll disappear. Plans get canceled, texts get short, and he spends a weekend doing absolutely nothing. Resist the urge to make it a State of the Relationship conversation, because nine times out of ten it isn’t about you. Let him recharge without an audience for a minute, and he’ll come back warmer, funnier, and ready to be the main character again.

Say Yes To The Adventure

Your Leo man gets restless doing the same Friday twice, so be the person who’s game. He’ll float the road trip, the restaurant across town, the thing you’d normally decline on principle. Say yes, or at minimum say “fine, but I’m driving.” That’s when you meet the version of him that’s the most fun to date, and he’ll remember which partner said yes.

Get Comfortable With PDA

If you’re a keep-it-private person, negotiate early. Leos are one of the hottest zodiac signs around. So, he’ll hold your hand across the table, kiss you in the grocery line, and tell his coworkers how great you are while you’re standing right next to him. For a Leo man, hiding it feels like being embarrassed by it. Meet him halfway and you’ll never once have to guess where you stand.

How To Keep A Leo Man Interested

The long game is simpler than his personality suggests. Show up, pay attention, and tell him the truth, including when the truth is that he’s being a lot. It helps to know what Leo is actually looking for in a partner, because a Leo man who’s proud of his relationship is one of the most generous partners in the zodiac. Give him the applause he earned, and only that.