Singles swipe right on bilinguals more often on dating apps

Written by: Jakob Straub

Published on: Feb 7th, 2023

You may have suspected it, but now there’s proof: Speaking another language can improve your romantic prospects. That’s according to a recent Lingoda poll in the US, which found that 66% of American singles would be more likely to “swipe right” on someone’s dating app profile if the person speaks more than one language..

But you’d best follow up after you match: Our poll also found that nearly half of US singles (45%) have lied about speaking another language on their dating profiles. (Learn about our methodology.)

Let’s take a deeper look at the results of the survey below and investigate why bilingualism can make you more attractive to others.

Key survey insights

Being bilingual could make your dating profile more attractive, especially if you’re a millennial

If you find yourself swiping right on a dating app on someone who speaks more than one language, you’re not alone: Nearly two-thirds of US adults who are single and are actively dating online do the same. Lingoda polled 1,000 people across the US and 66% responded they were more likely to select someone if their dating profile showed they’re at least bilingual.

One age group stands out: Of the participants aged 25-34 years, the majority of which are millennials, 77% said they were more likely to want to match with someone if their dating profile showed they spoke at least two languages.

Nearly half of US singles have lied about speaking a language on their dating profiles

The harsh truth about swiping on dating apps is that people will lie on their profile about many things to make themselves appear more attractive. Language skills are no exception: Nearly half of respondents (45%) reported they had lied about speaking a language fluently on their dating profile.
Women were somewhat more likely to lie about their language skills than men. Of those who said they were not truthful about speaking a language fluently, 49% identified as female and 38% identified as male.

Why speaking another language might improve your dating prospects

Our poll didn't ask participants why they found bilingualism to be an attractive trait, but research shows that speaking another language might communicate that you have a well-rounded – and more interesting – personality.

For example, in a study among Spanish-English bilinguals, participants took a ‘Big Five’ personality test to measure the following personality traits: extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness and neuroticism. The results suggest bilingual speakers behave as if they have two distinct personalities, though not in a fractured sense. Multilinguals have a strong sense of identity and capacity to identify with others.

In dating, we can speculate that such a multi-faceted personality is appealing to others because you come across as more interesting, or more ‘deep’—along with the other benefits of bilingualism.

Improve your language skills, improve your dating prospects

So there you have it: A large majority of American singles would swipe right on someone who speaks more than one language. So if you speak several languages, go ahead and list it on your profile to increase your chances of matching with a potential partner. But be wary of false bilinguals: 45% of respondents also said they have lied on their profile about the languages they speak.

And because learning a new language encourages you to learn about new cultures, you’ll also have plenty of interesting topics to discuss on your dates, even without being fluent. And if you haven’t yet reached your language goals but want a romantic gesture for Valentine’s Day, we’ll tell you how to profess your love in 10 different languages.

Methodology

On behalf of Lingoda, OnePoll collected quantitative data for this study from 1,000 respondents between January 30 and February 1, 2023. All survey participants were US adults who were single and actively dating.

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