Like women, men tend to show love toward their partners by offering affection. Affection can be verbal, such as saying "I love you," or it can be physical, such as embracing or kissing. According to 2012 research in the "Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin," a common perception is that men show less affectionate behaviors than women as demonstrations of love. However, men were indicated to show the same level of affectionate behaviors as women.

Unlike women, men tend to show love for their partners through physical intimacy. Men view sex as an act of love and thus are likely to initiate sex the more they love their partners. To many men, physical intimacy is an appropriate way to show love. Research in the "Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin" points to the idea that men feel sex allows them the chance to have and express emotional depth. Physical intimacy gives men the freedom to express love in a way that fits their emotional lives.

Men often do household chores with women to show them love. Men tend to be goal-oriented, preferring tasks with a purpose, but they do chores with women to show love for companionate reasons. For men, doing household tasks with women they love is an intimate act. This process brings two people together with a common goal. Jointly performing household chores promotes closeness, an important part of a relationship for many men.

Sharing leisure activities is another way men show love to women. Leisure activities can be considered a safe space for men. Hobbies are often how men deal with grief because it gives them time and space to process their emotions while achieving their desire for goal- or solution-oriented behavior. By inviting women into their leisure spaces, men show they are willing to share part of their emotional world with women in an unspoken way. The more a man loves a woman, the more likely he is to share leisure activities with her.