There's this guy I'm starting to really like. He asked me if I wanted to go to this thing where you learn salsa dancing and such. Problem is my intelligence on the dating field is zero to none.
When I was in high school there was a guy who liked me for two years an it was obvious to everyone but me. When I found out we were just months away from graduating and he even said, "Yeah, I tried flirting with you but you didn't seem to show interest other than as friends." I respond, "Because when it comes to my love life....I'm denser than a brick."
So my issue here is how can I tell if this guy is interested, and how do I know if this is a date or just a friend being invited to something?

Dude, if a guy asks you to do something, and he plans it and pays for it, its a date. Plus, it's dancing. Most guys hate to dance. This is totally a date.

Ya know, the best way to find out is to just ask. o_o

kitsuneneo: Thing is, I don't think he plans on paying for it. I asked how much it was when he invited me and he told me the price. Not a "don't worry about it" or anything. So I'm assuming I'm paying for it. But I guess I'll find out when I go.

Sen Lee: I thought about that. But then I realized how awkward that would be if it ended up NOT being a date. And I don't want to ruin the night.

There is such a thing as a dutch date. It's when you pay for yourself and he pays for himself. Granted, I may be totally off course, but as previously stated, most guys don't like dancing, and if he's inviting you, I'm pretty sure he's doing it for you.

If you can ask him before hand, then do so. If you can't, try and be casual. The thing is, if you are as dense as you believe on the romance front, you're going to have to be blunt about it or you could cause a serious misunderstanding that would be a hell of a lot more awkward and difficult to deal with than making yourself look a bit foolish by double checking whether it's a date or not.

If you ask and he says no, then just say "Ah, okay." and let that be the end of it.

You could try asking kinda jokingly and gauge his reaction. Or you could just go and see how it turns out. But chances are since it's dancing that means contact, it is a date. Either way, I hope it works out happily.

To me, that sounds like a date. It's basically like the guy is asking you to a school dance. But I also know how you feel about not knowing much of anything of dating. But what I've noticed over this past year (I've had two boyfriends this year, and I have a girlfriend right now), is that if they want to spend more time with you than normally, he is probably interested. If it seems that he is staring at you more than usually, then he's probably interested. It really all depends on what is happening. But I also agree with Roze, joking say something about it, and see his reaction. If he stutters or something, or pauses for awhile, then it's most likely a definite yes.

It truely depends on how his reactions are. I'd say if he tries to act normal, but is fidgeting a lot or is trying to look in your general direction (or is trying to look directly at you and is staring just a bit too long after you've finished a senctence). Also, if he tries to keep your attention for a very long period of time or if he does really nice things for you (initially opening up the door for you, pulling your chair out, or carrying something that was in your hands). Those are all most prime examples for telling if a guy likes you or just wants to be a friend. (Sorry if any of this was, like, hard to get what I'm saying or if I worded something incorrectly)