Does he want to keep talking if he seems unexcited?

A short reply on its own tells you almost nothing. Plenty of people send three-word texts while they're at work, on the bus, or in the middle of something. What matters is what happens over the next few exchanges. Does he pick up the thread you offered? Does he add something new, like a detail about his day or a question back? Or does he answer the literal question and stop, every time?

Pay attention to who carries the conversation. If you're always the one bringing up the next topic and he's always just responding, that's a real signal, even if nothing he says is rude. Timing counts too. If he usually replies within a few hours but sometimes vanishes for two days, that's a pattern of low priority, not one bad moment. Two or three weeks of data will tell you more than any single text.

When someone is lukewarm, the path of least effort is the one he'll take. So keep your messages to one clear, answerable thread, not a menu. Ask one specific question about something he's already said. Give him a small reason to reply, like a photo, a link, or a funny observation about something you both know.

Match his energy without going cold. If he's brief, you can be brief. Drop the long setup and the multi-part question. Replying should take him under thirty seconds and give him an easy reason to keep going if he wants to. If he responds to short, specific messages but ignores longer ones, that tells you how much he's willing to put in right now.

Texting alone rarely tells you whether someone wants to see you. Many people are happy to chat for weeks and never move toward meeting, and that can look like interest the whole time. The clearest signal shows up when a plan is on the table.

If you've been talking for a while and it's pleasant but going nowhere, suggest something specific with a day and a rough time. A vague 'we should hang out sometime' gives him an out. A concrete option asks him to commit or decline. How he responds, and how fast, is your answer. A warm yes with a real counter-suggestion is a good sign. Dodging, 'maybe, let's see,' or going quiet after the plan is the answer you were hoping not to get.