In digital spaces—like dating apps, social media DMs, or even email—you need to tailor your tone and style. Just as good openers build bridges, bad ones create distance. They might come off as boring, intrusive, or disingenuous—and often stop a conversation before it begins. Complex or philosophical openers can feel intimidating. Keep it light and accessible—especially with someone new.
So we rounded up 5 examples and 45 questions to help you get started. This one can often lead to some funny stories or somedecidedly unfunny stories. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, so I put it in the verypersonal section just to be safe. There’s no doubt that the events we’ve experienced have ahuge effect on who we are and how we view the world. It’s always good to knowwhat kind of events shaped the person you are talking to and how they chose toview those events.
What Are Some Small Things That Make Your Day Better?
Some people enjoy people watching, others not so much. Itoften depends on whether they live in a small town or a big city. If they are into sports, this one can be good, but if not,you might want to pass on to another question. Conversation Starters For Texting – Want to know the best ways to start a conversation via text?
Whatever their answer is, it will tell you a lot moreabout the person. It might be something that how to get started on Fanfills reminds them of happier times, orperhaps just a pleasant smell. Another one that forces them to be a bit creative.
Everything fromsomething extremely thoughtful, to childhood presents, to ridiculously generouspresents. We’ve all done a lot ofridiculous things in our lives and some of them we can be proud of, even ifthey might not be the most prestigious accomplishments. Just like you, the person you are talking to probably hassome doubts about what they are doing or perhaps even what they believe. And ifthey don’t, then at least you know they are the type of person who has nodoubts. Sharing embarrassing things often brings people together,unless it’s really disturbing and puts you off.
Under each topic are a few sample questions to get you started and to help you think of other questions. But remember that these are just the beginning of the questions you can ask. There are many more possible questions for each topic. Come up with your own questions based on their answers or from your own creativity. And if you need even more topics and questions check out our interesting conversation topics page for a few more.
It could be something momentous you don’t want to forget,or it could be to answer a long-standing question about the event. It can be interesting to talk about paths not taken and whatmight have been. And we all wish that our earlier selves did something toimprove our current self.
There are a lot ofstereotypes out there, and chances are some of the ones that are aimed at youhit the mark. The person you are talking to is probably in the same boat.Embrace some of the lighthearted or positive stereotypes and have a laugh aboutthem. If the person is humble or doesn’t have a lot ofself-esteem, it might be hard to get an answer out of them. But most folks willhave an answer, even if they have to think about it a bit. There is a ton of philosophy behind this simple question. Sometimesthe shortest questions are the biggest.
These thoughtful openers invite more meaningful dialogue—perfect for when the conversation naturally shifts to life, values, experiences, or personal growth. Ultimately, a good conversation starter is open-ended, tailored to the moment, and free of judgment. When you show up with presence, context, and care, even the simplest question can turn into something extraordinary. Talking about fashion trends and clothing is a great way to get to know someone.
Dating Conversation Starters
But depending on where you are and if they have a special hatred for a creature, you might get a different answer. If you get the mosquito answer, you could always talk about the best way to get rid of the evil pokey buzzing things. It’ll be easy to start up a conversation about anything of the things they do on the regular.
Fun Facts
They’re sure to respond with unique (and surprisingly insightful) answers. These friendly, easy-going openers are perfect for sparking great conversations around the table. They’re light enough for casual chatter but interesting enough to keep the energy flowing—without interrupting the vibe.
- “Goodbye, have a good day” is a nice way to end a formal chat.
- This simple question can tell you a lot about their worldview.
- Find out how they view themselves, and don’t forget to ask follow-up questions about each of the words they chose.
- Find out what websites they enjoy; chances are you probably like some of the same websites.
Sometimes you’ll get people who will rattle off three factsas quick as can be. But the vast majority of people will take their time andreally ponder this question. Sometimes it can be a bit hard to slip into aconversation casually, but it does make a good question to get to know someone. They’re more specific than the previous set of questions and allow you to build on the foundation you’ve established. This means you can get to know the person or people you’re speaking with more intimately.
Open up and share your own thoughts and experiences too, but try to spend more time listening than talking. Having three to five ready, spanning a universal opener, an icebreaker question, and one deeper or interest-based question, is usually enough. Trying to memorize dozens of questions in advance tends to feel forced, since the best conversations grow naturally from whatever the other person says. Ever thought about starting a chat with something totally unexpected?
This may be very similar to which sports they like to watch, or it could be a completely different list. Either way, talking about something the person is passionate about is always a great way to have a good conversation. While probably not the most thrilling conversation starter, whoever you are talking about probably has a bit to say about where they get their apps.
Boy howdy, has TV changed a lot over the years. Even if you or the person you are talking to didn’t grow up in the age of Saturday morning cartoons. You both probably still have some beloved childhood cartoons. But the real question is which ones and how often? Is it the same old show or something new each time? Perhaps you’ll even find your next binge-worthy show.
But if you ask this question, don’t get offended because they start hating on a movie you love. Ask them why, and just remember, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Depending on how old the person you are talking with is, this might be a rich vein of conversation.
And if they really liked the book, well, now you’ve got a good recommendation. Perfect for starting a great conversation about the best and worst documentaries you’ve both seen. Now you can have a conversation about why it’s so popular.
These are topics that might seem a little weird to ask someone you just met or to ask someone out of the blue. But they are great topics to talk about for friends or people you’ve gotten to know well. They also work well if a person shows an interest in the topic. We also have a huge list of good questions to ask that are similar to these types of questions. We have some more useful Business English resources here, too. These funny conversation starters can help lighten the mood and make people smile.
