In a relationship, a French kiss is the king of kisses

There are many different ways to kiss your lover, and all of them can communicate something different about what or how you’re feeling.

A kiss can mean so many things. Here is a guide to the major types of kisses, and what you’re saying with each of them.

1. Peck. Sounds innocent, doesn’t it? But this quick lip-on-lip contact still sends a message. The primary one? “I want to kiss you and—hopefully, sometime soon—make out, but it’s early and we’re not there yet, so this peck on the lips is a suggestion that there is to be much more smooching in our future.”

2. Pehhhck. A lingering, closed-mouth kiss on the lips. Very sensual, yet still somewhat chaste and restrained. This is how grown-ups say, “We are so about to make out big-time.” This extended peck is usually followed by a knowing smirk and, sometimes, an audible “mmmm.”

3. Woodpecker. Rapid-fire pecks. Playful and cute, these say, “I really like you, a lot, but I don’t want to get myself all randy right now.” These convey a lot of affection without allowing things to get too hot and heavy.

4. French. The French kiss is the king of kisses, and involves open mouths and some form of tongue interaction. It’s too complex and nuanced for one description.

a) Standard. Moving your open lips against each other with some tongue interplay can be very sweet, very hot, very passionate, or all of the above. This kiss really gets the hormones racing and says, “I would like to sleep with you.”

b) Tongue Tango. Ideally an elegant ballet of tongue play, the Tongue Tango occurs when the tips of the tongues push off of each other and twist around. This kiss says “I think outside the box in and out of bed” This kiss, however, is a close relative of the dreaded Lizard Kiss, where tongues dart in a stabbing, lizard-like motion. What’s the lizard’s saying? “I am a creep.” So be careful.

c) He’s Eating My Mouth. This kiss leaves the kissee with what we call a saliva beard. Basically, the kisser opens his or her mouth as wide as possible, rolls their tongue all around and down their partner’s throat and then, inexplicably, slides it all over their poor partner’s face.