How do you figure out what your relationship status is with a partner?

Are you friends who hang out every so often, but you want the relationship to progress? Or have you been dating for months without discussing if you’re boyfriend/girlfriend yet?

Here are some common relationship statuses:

1. Friends with benefits: You’ve been friends for a while, and now you sometimes hook up when you hang out. You also hang out with clothes on and do “friends” activities if you’re not in the mood.

2. Hookup buddies: You hooked up right after meeting and have great physical chemistry. There’s not much of an emotional connection, but you continue hooking up because the sex is good.

3. It’s complicated: You may have been friends with benefits or hookup buddies, and one of you wants to take it to the next level. You can’t agree on what your status is. Therefore, it’s complicated.

4. Talking: You basically have a penpal. You talk regularly through text and maybe even on the phone, but no one is making the move to ask the other out.

5. Dating: You’ve been out a few times, and you like each other. You may be dating other people as well just to keep your options open. If you’ve had sex, you might assume that he/she is only having sex with you. Because you’re still in the dating phase, though, you’re not breaking any rules by having sex with others.

6. Open relationship: This status tends to exist when you put pressure on him/her to be exclusive. He/she can get around it by asking for an open relationship. Then he/she will say you’re the girlfriend/boyfriend but still be allowed to date and sleep with other people.

7. Exclusively dating: You’re not quite ready to use the boyfriend/girlfriend terms, but it’s pretty much the same thing. You’re only dating each other and sleeping with each other in this phase.

8. Boyfriend/girlfriend: You are officially boyfriend and girlfriend. You’re only seeing each other and sleeping with each other, and you can proudly introduce him/her to all your friends as your boyfriend/girlfriend.

What relationship status do you want?

If you’re not sure if you even want a relationship right now, you can take this quiz to discover whether you’re ready for that step. Elite Singles discusses the different relationship statuses in this article, and it includes many similar terms to what I listed above.

If you know what you want your relationship status to be with a partner, you need to have an open, honest conversation about it. Assuming you’re in the boyfriend/girlfriend phase without discussing it can lead to confusion and breaking up.

In conclusion, decide what relationship status makes the most sense for you. The person you’re dating will either agree or disagree, and then you can proceed however you choose.