Quality time is Canada’s favourite love language, and Torontonians also appreciate spending time with their significant others, according to a new study.
Online tutoring platform Preply surveyed over 1,000 Canadians on their love language preferences to decipher which is most commonly given and received and where we struggle to communicate.
“Love languages can be described as the unique modes of emotional expression that resonate most deeply with us. These are personal, bespoke dialects of tenderness and connection, framing how we prefer to give and receive love,” Sylvia Johnson, language expert at Preply, said in a press release.
Canada-wide, 30 per cent of respondents said their preferred love language to give was quality time. Meanwhile, 29 per cent answered acts of service and 23 per cent said physical touch.
On the other hand, 33 per cent of respondents said quality time was their preferred language to receive, 28 per cent said physical touch and 19 per cent said acts of service.
According to the study, 40 per cent of respondents said the most difficult love language to communicate through was words of affirmation.
When comparing the data by city, Calgary was the worst at using their words. Almost half (47 per cent) of its residents agreed that choosing the right words to support and uplift their partner was particularly hard to do.
Overall, Canadians said gift giving was the second hardest love language to express, with 21 per cent admitting to finding it challenging to give the right presents.
The study also found that mismatched love languages can put a strain on romantic relationships.
Almost one in three (30 per cent) of respondents admitted that struggles with giving or receiving love languages had put a strain on past or present relationships.
“In extreme cases, a breakdown in love languages is a deal-breaker in a relationship; a quarter of Canadians have split with a partner due to major differences in their preferred love language,” the study said.
Love language preferences also differ between men and women. Women’s favourite love language to receive was quality time while men’s was physical touch. However, both agreed that gift giving was their least favourite to receive.
Favoured expressions of love also differ by age. According to the study, a third of Boomers and Gen-Xs declared their favourite love language to receive was physical touch. Whereas, 35 per cent of both Millennials and Gen-Z opted for quality time as their preferred love language to receive, but all agreed that words of affirmation were the toughest love language to express.
In Toronto, quality time took the top spot as the love language people most like to give and receive. On the contrary, Montrealers prefer to get handsy, and was the only city to prioritize physical touch.
Preply surveyed 1,002 Canadians in January about the love languages they like to give and receive most. Respondents ranged across the Boomer, Gen X, Millennial and Gen Z generations and were 48 per cent female, 49 per cent male and two per cent non-binary.
