Commercials and romantic comedies have made it very difficult to approach an attractive stranger outside of the confines of the internet. That's because in a commercial, if you approach a stranger, soon you will be splitting a piece of gum and necking in a cab. In a rom-com, this is how you meet your spouse.

Unfortunately, in life, these all play out a little bit differently. Mainly, you get shot down; in the worst-case scenario, you get maced. It can leave you feeling frozen when it comes to approaching women. Luckily, there are ways of determining whether or not a woman is down for you to clown.

Here are 4 subtle signs a woman genuinely wants a man to approach her:

1. Her friends are swarming you and singing "Kiss the Girl" from The Little Mermaid

Anyone with friends who take their role as wing-people seriously deserves to see their efforts rewarded by you rolling up on their sweet, sweet bestie.

2. You're at a bar, and she's alone and not reading a book

If a woman is alone at a bar with a book, she's saying, "Guys, I was just tired of being at home, so I thought I'd get out of the house. Please leave me alone." It seems counterintuitive to meet your future partner in a bar with dating apps being all the rage now, but one British survey conducted by brewery Greene King stated that half of all respondents met their partner at a bar.

If there's no book, and she's sitting scanning the room, be like, "Hi, how are you?" But take note: Just because a woman exists in a space by herself, that's no guarantee that she will welcome you. Proceed with caution and follow her cues.

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3. She's tucking her hair behind her ear and screaming, "Oh god, don't let me die alone!" 

It's a well-established fact that every time a woman tucks her hair behind her ear she's acknowledging her all-encompassing fear of the vast maw of eternity.

4. You make eye contact and she smiles

You made eye contact with a cute girl and she smiled, congratulations! Eye contact is actually an important aspect when it comes to attraction and can be a signal someone likes you, according to research from 2019. 

Now is not the time to just stare at her from across the room without moving or saying anything.  If you're nervous, just go up to her. It's a lot better than being mistaken for a creep without even having the option to prove you're not. Now go and prove her right. Unless you are a serial killer, in which case, stop ruining it for everyone.

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Rebecca Jane Stokes is a freelance writer, editor, former Senior Editor of Pop Culture at Newsweek, and former Senior Staff Writer for YourTango. She has a passion for lifestyle, geek news, and true crime topics. Her bylines have appeared on Fatherly, Bustle, SheKnows, Jezebel, and many others.