Questions to talk about with friends
257 Juicy Questions to Ask Your Friends
People love to talk about themselves. Studies show that talking about oneself activates the same parts of your brain as food, drugs, and sex!
Self-disclosure (and getting other people to open up) is scientifically proven to make you more likable and help you form deeper social bonds.
So how do you get past boring small talk and into the good stuff?
The secret to threading conversation into something deeper is simply asking others excellent questions.
Open-ended questions are beneficial for learning more about somebody because they may evoke a story. However, you can also use follow-up yes/no questions with “why” or “tell me more” to encourage people to elaborate.
Here are 250+ juicy and thought-provoking conversation starters to get to know someone better and (hopefully) create an intriguing and memorable conversation.
Random Questions to Ask Your Friends About Their Interests
When you’re trying to bridge the gap between small talk and deep conversation, the most accessible place to start is asking about what someone likes.
- What’s the best birthday party you’ve ever had?
- Where is your favorite place you’ve ever visited?
- How do you like to spend your free time?
- What’s one of your favorite bands?
- What is the cutest animal you’ve ever seen in person?
- How would you describe your style?
- If your wardrobe could only be one color, what would it be?
- What was the first concert you ever went to?
- What is the best book you’ve ever read?
- What’s your favorite movie of all time?
- What’s the stupidest movie or TV show you’ve ever seen?
- If you could only have one food for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
- What are your biggest pet peeves?
- Are you more into brains or looks?
- Do you celebrate any holidays? What’s your favorite?
- What’s your guilty pleasure?
- Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
- What do you do when you want to chill out after a long day?
- How would you spend your ideal weekend?
- Do you listen to podcasts, or mostly just music? What’s your favorite podcast?
- Do you prefer to go to the movies or watch movies at home?
- What was your favorite TV show growing up?
- What’s your favorite TV show now?
- How would you spend your birthday if money was no object?
- What’s your favorite season? What do you love most about it?
- Do you prefer camping or going to the beach?
- Which phone app do you think you use the most?
- Would you instead cook, order delivery, or go out to eat?
- How do you drink your coffee?
- If you could have any animal as a pet, what would you choose?
- Do you enjoy being alone? How do you spend your alone time?
- What is your biggest pet peeve?
- Are you more of an extrovert or introvert?
- How would your closest friends describe you?
- When you’re in a bad mood, is there something or someone that can instantly make it better? Who or what?
- What is the best gift you’ve ever received?
- What is your favorite part of your daily routine?
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Yes or No Questions to Ask Your Friends
For a quick introduction to someone, yes/no questions are low-pressure and leave room for elaboration. These are also quick-fire ways to get to know someone quickly.
Want to have fun? Answer at the same time and see if your answers match!
- Have you ever kept a journal?
- Do you have a best friend?
- Do you pay attention to the news?
- Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket?
- Do you live alone?
- Do you have any kids?
- Do you like your job?
- Did you ever go to college?
- Have you ever been on TV?
- Do you believe in ghosts?
- Do you like cilantro?
- Do you ever talk to yourself in your head?
- Do you sing in the shower?
- Have you ever had deja vu?
- Do you believe in aliens?
- Do you like chocolate?
- Do you own bitcoin?
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Questions to Ask People About Their Job
Asking someone about their job doesn’t have to be super bland. There is a lot more to a career than meets the eye. Use these questions to understand more about someone’s interests, motivations, and goals in the professional realm.
However, if someone clarifies that they don’t enjoy their job (for example, they give concise answers or make negative comments), you may want to move on to a different topic of conversation or only focus on questions related to their dream job or future aspirations.
- What do you enjoy most about your career?
- What was your greatest accomplishment in the past year?
- What motivates you to work hard at what you do?
- How long have you been doing this job?
- What was your first job? Did you enjoy it?
- How do you define success?
- What’s your least favorite thing about your job?
- Have you ever had “imposter syndrome”? What did you do about it?
- Would you instead make a lot of money at a job you hate or make less money doing something you love?
- Are there any exciting projects you’re currently working on?
- Do you prefer working remotely or in an office?
- What career did your parents try to get you to pursue?
- Is your career path the same as your college degree?
- What does the average week look like for you?
- Do you prefer a time-block schedule or a simple to-do list?
- What are your career aspirations?
- What is one job you’ve always wanted to try?
- Do you think your personality matches your current job?
- What was the worst interview you ever had?
- Where do you see yourself professionally in the next 5 or 10 years?
- When you were a kid, how did you answer the question, “what do you want to be when you grow up?”
- Did you ever expect yourself to end up in the job you have now?
- Do you consider your job fulfilling? Why or why not?
- Do you think it’s possible to have your passion and job be the same thing?
- What is the wisest business advice someone has ever given you?
- Who do you admire most in your professional circle?
- Who was the most influential mentor in your career so far?
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Questions to Ask Your Friends About Yourself
See how well your friends know you with fun questions about yourself and their perception of you.
- How would you describe me in 3 words?
- What was the first thing you thought of me when we met?
- What’s the most annoying trait I have?
- Where do you see me in five years?
- What attracts you to people?
- What is my favorite food?
- What job do you think I would be perfect for?
- Where can you always find me?
- What is the most fun memory we’ve had during our friendship?
- Do you know my middle name?
- Do you know about my birthday?
- What’s my favorite color?
- If I called you in the middle of the night, would you pick me up?
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Questions to Ask About Hobbies
How someone spends their leisure time is an essential clue as to what kind of person they are. Asking a passionate person about their hobbies can get them talking.
These questions are broad openers that you should follow up with more topic-specific questions if someone has a particular hobby that they are excited about.
- What are you passionate about outside of work?
- If you had unlimited free time, how would you spend it?
- Do you have any hobbies?
- What do you do for fun?
- How did you get into your hobby?
- What lights you up about your hobbies?
- Do you collect anything?
- What’s your favorite sport?
- Have you ever been in a sports league?
- Do you think hobbies are important?
- Would you consider yourself a creative person?
- Have you ever tried a creative endeavor like painting, writing, or acting?
- Do you like to sing or dance?
- What hobbies did you try as a kid? Which ones did you love and which did you despise?
- What is your idea of a perfect vacation?
- What’s your favorite type of workout or exercise?
- What is your favorite thing to learn about?
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Funny Questions and Weird Questions to Ask Your Friends
Research shows that shared laughter brings people together. If you’re looking for some lighthearted conversation or opportunities for witty banter, these questions let you explore your goofy side.
- Have you ever waved at someone thinking you know them, only to realize they are the wrong person?
- Do you eat or drink soup?
- What is a song you pretend you don’t like because it’s embarrassing to enjoy it?
- Have you ever tried to look cool in front of someone and failed?
- What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen someone do in public?
- When was the last time you had a big fail moment?
- If you could live anywhere in the world but had to stay naked all the time, where would you choose?
- What voice accent impersonations can you do (British, Australian, country, etc.)?
- What’s your favorite corny joke?
- Have you ever tripped or fallen in front of a vast crowd?
- What is the weirdest fact you know?
- What is the strangest joke someone has asked you?
- If you could have one useless superpower, what would it be?
- Which sport would be funniest if it had mandatory alcohol?
- If animals could talk, which would be the most sarcastic?
- What is one thing that people consider trashy but you consider classy?
- What’s the most awkward first date you’ve ever been on?
- What’s your favorite white elephant gift?
- Where is the worst smelling place you’ve ever been?
- What is the most fruitless talent you have?
- If you got banned from the library, what would be the reason behind it?
- Do you think penguins have knees?
- Why is it called lipstick if it doesn’t stick your lips together?
- What’s the silliest way you’ve accidentally injured yourself?
- What would be the worst bio for a dating app?
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Questions About Family
Family relationships and upbringing have a significant impact on who people become as adults. Showing interest in someone’s family demonstrates that you want to get closer to them and understand their origins.
- Who is your closest family member?
- Do you have a best friend that you talk to daily?
- What kind of relationship do you have with your parents?
- How much time do you usually spend with your family?
- Who in your family do you most enjoy being around, and why?
- Which family member cooks the best food?
- What’s the most challenging part about spending time away from your family?
- Do you have any siblings? Tell me about them?
- Are you close with your brother(s)/sister(s)? What drives you crazy about them?
- Do you ever wish you had more or fewer siblings?
- Who gives the best gifts in your family?
- Which holiday did you celebrate most with your family when growing up?
- What’s your favorite story your grandparents have told you?
- Have you ever looked into your family lineage? Do you know anything about your ancestry?
- What is your favorite childhood memory?
- What is the best piece of advice your grandparents or parents have ever given you?
- Were you a rebel or an obedient kid growing up? Did you hide things from your parents?
- How would you describe your family now?
- Does anyone in your family have a nickname for you?
- What’s your favorite tradition in your family?
- What will always bring your family together?
- Is anyone in your family a “character”? What makes them so unique?
- Who is the “black sheep” of your family?
- Do you think friends or family are more important?
- How do you deal with arguments in your family?
- What’s something your family doesn’t know about you?
- Do you look more like your mom or dad?
- Do you know how your parents met?
- What was your favorite story your family members told you as a kid?
- What was the most challenging part about growing up in your family?
- What are you most grateful for about your family?
- Who in your family makes you feel the safest?
- Is there a particular food your family always makes when they get together?
- What kind of music does your family listen to?
- What was the house like that you grew up in?
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Questions About Values and Goals
Finding out someone’s morals and values is more complex than simply asking, “what are your values?” You can get to the root of what someone believes in by asking things about their motivations, life philosophies, and what drives them forward daily.
It is also helpful to ask some thought-provoking questions about hypothetical scenarios like “If you could time travel, what time period would you go to?” This allows them to talk about their values in a hypothetical situation without feeling pressured to reveal more profound stories if they don’t want to.
- How do you hope people feel when they’re around you?
- What are the most important values that you have always stood by?
- How would you define a “good person”?
- What are the most essential qualities you want in a friend?
- What life lessons did you have to learn the hard way?
- If you only had one of your five senses, which one would you choose?
- Have you ever volunteered?
- What are causes important to you?
- Who do you admire the most and why?
- What is your life motto or mantra?
- What was your most proud accomplishment in the past year?
- If you could choose one thing that would make the world better, what would it be?
- Do you believe in astrology? Why or why not?
- What is your astrological sign?
- Do you believe in giving people second chances?
- How can someone earn your trust?
- What has someone done to lose your trust?
- Do you believe in aliens or life on other planets?
- What do you think about manifestation? Have you ever tried it?
- Do you have vivid dreams?
- Do you think dreams have a deeper meaning?
- Where have you always dreamed of going?
- Do you believe you should do one thing every day that scares you?
- What does getting out of your comfort zone look like for you?
- How do you define beauty in a person or life?
- What is a boundary you have that you’ve always upheld?
- What boundary do you have a more challenging time reinforcing?
- What do you think holds people back the most from achieving their goals and dreams?
- When you want to give up on something, what keeps you moving forward?
- When was the last time you had a regret?
- Do you live by any particular words of wisdom?
- Is it easy or difficult for you to accept help from people?
- If money were no object, what would you devote your life to?
- Have you ever wanted to start a business? What kind would it be and why?
- If you could live forever, would you want to? Why?
- If you could time travel, what period would you go to?
- If you could go back in history and spend a day with one famous person, would it be?
- Do you have a vision board? If so, what is currently on it?
- A genie in a bottle randomly gives you three wishes– what are they?
- If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose? Why?
- If you found out today was your last day on Earth, how would you spend it?
- If you find yourself stranded on a deserted island, what three things would you want to have with you?
- What is your number one goal for the coming year?
Pro Tip: There is a certain balance you have to strike between expressing interest in someone versus being too nosey. You don’t want to violate their privacy or go too deep too quickly.
It’s usually best to steer clear of certain types of questions early on in a friendship: for example, “who did you vote for?”, “what are your religious beliefs?” or “what’s the worst thing that ever happened to you?” are probably best saved for someone you’ve known for a while.
On the other hand, if you notice someone is sharing more about themselves, move on to more profound questions like the ones below.
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Juicy Questions About Romance and Relationships
Finding out about someone’s perspectives and experiences with relationships is a powerful way to get a little closer to their heart. But there is a time and place for everything.
It’s best to avoid asking these questions to professional colleagues, new acquaintances, or on a first date. Instead, dive into the relationship realm with friends and significant others that you’ve known for a little while.
- Have you ever been in love?
- What is the most attractive quality in a man/woman?
- Do you’re a good kisser?
- What is your idea of a perfect date?
- Do you believe in love at first sight?
- What was it like the first time you met your significant other? (if they have one)
- Do you think people fall in love because the right person shows up or because the time in their life is right?
- What did your past relationship teach you?
- Do you believe in soul mates? Why or why not?
- Would you ever take somebody back who cheated on you?
- Would you uproot and relocate your life for someone you love?
- What is a relationship deal-breaker for you?
- Do you ever want to have a family of your own someday?
- Have you heard of love languages? What is your love language?
- What is your favorite book or romantic movie?
- What is the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for you?
- Which is more romantic: flowers and gifts or a candlelit meal?
- Do you think that people meet for a reason or by chance?
- What’s the best advice an older person has ever given you about relationships?
- How do you get over heartbreak?
- How old were you when you had your first boyfriend/girlfriend?
- What are your top 3 most essential qualities in a romantic partner?
- What is the longest relationship you’ve been in?
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Deep Questions to Ask Your Friends
When you want to get to know someone deeper, it is often helpful to open up about your own stories and viewpoints.
Psychologists have found that an equal amount of give-and-take is essential to make both people in a conversation feel comfortable to disclose more intimate details about their lives.
However, over-sharing can lead to awkwardness or embarrassment. Self-disclosure requires trust that you can only build through time and conversation. So only dig into these types of questions once you’ve already started to form a relationship with somebody.
- How would you title this chapter of your life?
- If you only had one month left to live, how would you spend it?
- What is the best advice someone has ever given you?
- What makes you feel alive?
- Do you typically follow your heart or your head?
- What are you most grateful for in your life?
- If you could go back and change one thing about your past, what would it be?
- Which is more critical – beauty, power, or money?
- What’s your biggest fear?
- What makes you feel unstoppable?
- What is your biggest regret?
- Do you think people are mostly good or mostly evil? Why?
- Where do you go when you need fresh inspiration?
- What’s your philosophy on life?
- Do you like diving into the deep end or easing your way into the water? (literally or figuratively)?
- What life-changing events have you experienced?
- What’s one thing you would change about yourself?
- Have you ever had a moment of deja vu?
- What legacy do you want to leave on Earth once you’re gone?
- What gives you hope?
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Key Takeaways: How to Drive Conversation with Intriguing Questions
Everyone has differing levels of how much they’re willing to open up and share. Fortunately, there is a lot of ground to cover between “how was your day?” and “have you ever been in love?”
There are hundreds of questions you can ask someone without getting ultra-vulnerable, awkward, or nosey. Reading people’s body language and conversation cues is a great way to know what kinds of questions you want to ask next.
A reciprocal give-and-take can make for an excellent deep conversation that brings you closer to your friends.
If you want to become an expert conversationalist, Learn the 3 Steps to Amazing Conversation.
168 Questions to Ask Friends That Are Fun, Personal, and Deep
Relationships
Time for a BFF quiz.
By Kristi Kellogg and Lauren Rearick
Photo: Jean Catuffe/GC Images
Ready to achieve BFF status? Take your friendship to the next level with these fun, personal, and juicy questions to ask friends.
No matter how many years you’ve known your friend, there’s always something new to discover about your BFF. And part of being a best friend, means finding new ways to show you care. Friendship questions are the perfect way of building on an already stellar friendship.
Quiz your pals with deep questions that allow you to understand what makes them tick. You can also find out more about their personality with fun questions that cover the basics, like favorite Hollywood superstar and current Netflix obsession. We’ve rounded up some of the best questions to ask friends, ranging from silly to serious, that are sure to bring out all the feels and spark a stronger bond.
But of course, your BFF didn’t become your ride or die overnight. Knowing what kinds of questions to ask your friend group, including your newest friends, will help you cultivate closeness with everyone in your circle. You’ll find the deep questions to ask a new friend are perfect for a bond that’s just beginning.
So, grab your bestie for a best friend questions video date, or pull up this list of 168 questions the next time you’re hanging with your friend group. You’ll be surprised by how much there is to learn about people, no matter how far into the friendship you are!
In this article:
Personal questions to ask friends
Fun questions to ask friends
Juicy questions to ask friends
Deep questions to ask a new friend
Personal questions to ask friends1. What embarrasses you the most and/or what’s been your most embarrassing moment?
2. Who do you look up to the most, and what qualities do you love about that person?
3. What’s your biggest fear?
4. What’s your love language?
5. How do you like to be comforted when you’re sad or upset?
6. What’s your all-time favorite memory?
7. Who was the last person to make you cry and why?
8. Where do you hope to be five years from now? Ten? Fifteen?
9. When have you felt the most proud?
10. When have you felt the most challenged?
11. Have you ever been bullied?
12. Do you have any regrets? If so, what are they?
13. Out of all your family members, who are you closest to?
14. What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
15. What do you think happens when we die?
16. Do you want to have kids one day? How many?
17. What's your earliest childhood memory?
18. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
19. Do you believe in soulmates?
20. When you can't sleep, what keeps you up at night?
21. What has your hardest goodbye in life been so far?
22. What’s the worst date you’ve ever been on?
23. What’s a talent you wish you had or that you’re working on?
Fun questions to ask friends1. Which celeb would you want as your other BFF and why?
2. What do you do when no one else is around?
3. What's the best present you ever received? Who gave it to you and why was it so special?
4. What's the last thing you watched on Netflix?
5. What do you consider the ultimate comfort food?
6. If you could only have three things on your life bucket list, what would they be?
7. Would you rather be an expert at one thing, or pretty good at many things?
8. What’s your favorite thing you own and why?
9. Have you ever had your fortune told?
10. Would you rather order in or eat out?
11. What was the first movie you remember seeing in theaters?
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12. What’s your favorite TikTok video?
13. What’s been your most questionable haircut and/or fashion moment?
14. If money was no object, what would you buy?
15. When was the moment in your life you laughed the hardest?
16. What do you do when no one else is around?
17. Where do you want to travel the most?
18. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
19. What book has impacted you the most?
20. What’s your favorite movie romance? commercial?
21. What are the qualities that attract you most in a love interest?
22. You just won $10,000 — what are you going to do with the money?
23. What's the luckiest thing that's ever happened to you?
24. What's your favorite way to exercise?
25. Do you like roller coasters?
26. What is your most hated chore and why?
27. What's your favorite holiday and why?
28. If you were going to get some ink, what would you choose and why?
29. If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?
30. If you had to choose only one, would you pick a dog or a cat?
31. Do you believe in aliens?
32. If you were President, what's the first thing you would work to change in this country?
33. If you had to live in another time period, what would you choose?
34. What foreign language(s) would you want to master and why?
35. What's your all-time favorite dessert?
36. Do you believe in ghosts?
37. What’s your survival plan during a zombie apocalypse?
38 If you were an animal, what would you be?
39. If you had to create an alter ego for yourself, who would it be and what would you name them?
40. What’s your No. 1 karaoke song?
41. Have you ever been on a blind date?
42. What was your AIM screen name, or your first email address?
43. What’s your favorite piece of random trivia?
44. What was your first concert?
45. Which decade, in your opinion, had the best fashion trends?
46. If a song played every time you entered a room, what would it be?
47. What’s your skincare routine?
48. Did you ever go to summer camp?
49. When’s the last time you got to really experience nature?
50. Do you feel that you’re young at heart, or an old soul?
51. What does your name mean, and why was it given to you?
52. What’s an unexpected movie that makes you cry?
53. What flavor of ice cream best represents your personality?
54. What’s the one snack you can’t live without?
55. What’s the first place you’d go to in the mall?
56. What’s the scariest or most thrilling roller coaster you’ve ever been on?
57. What’s the last song you listened to?
58. Which item in your closet is your favorite?
59. What is your key to a cozy evening in?
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60. What’s the last video game you played?
61. What’s the last thing TikTok convinced you to buy?
Juicy questions to ask friends1. What's the last lie you told?
2. Who was your very first crush?
3. What's the best compliment you've ever received?
4. What do you consider your best physical feature?
5. What are the top three things that stress you out?
6. What are the top three ways you deal with stress?
7. When was the last time you were jealous and why?
8. Do you believe in monogamy?
9. If you choose to get married one day, what would your dream proposal scenario be?
10. What would your dream home look like?
11. When’s the last time you felt inspired to create something?
12. How did your parents meet?
13. Who’s been your favorite teacher?
14. What are your favorite childrens’ names?
15. What did you dream about last night?
16. What do you think you’ll be like in old age?
17. What’s the worst decision you’ve ever made?
18. What’s something you’d consider unforgivable?
19. What’s the most loved you’ve ever felt?
20. Have you ever experienced a “friendship breakup”? What did it teach you?
21. Who was your first friend, and are they still in your life?
22. Would you ever consider being in a long-distance relationship?
23. What do you think the best way to resolve conflict is?
24. Do you feel that you have a healthy relationship with social media?
25. Is there a time when I made you feel particularly well supported?
26. How can I be a better friend to you?
27. What does friendship mean to you?
28. What qualities do you look for in a best friend?
29. What’s the most important thing I should know about you?
Deep questions to ask new friends1. What are your pronouns?
2. What would be your perfect day? Plan it out from waking up to bedtime.
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3. What’s your zodiac sign?
4. What’s your Enneagram type?
5. On vacation, are you the relax-by-the-pool type or a get-up-and-go adventurer?
6. Do you consider yourself religious or spiritual?
7. What college major are you thinking of choosing and why?
8. If you could only listen to one singer or band for the rest of your life, who would you choose?
9. What's your go-to dish when you have to make dinner?
10. Are you a superstitious person?
11. What’s your favorite board game to play?
12. Who’s the best movie villain?
13. Who’s your favorite follow on TikTok? On Instagram?
14. Did you have an imaginary friend growing up?
15. If you had to describe yourself in only three words, what would you choose? What words do you think your friends would choose to describe you?
16. Do you have any phobias?
17. What are your top three biggest pet peeves?
18. What's your favorite color and what's your least favorite color?
19. What would your dream vacay consist of?
20. Are you competitive?
21. What’s a tough experience that you learned and grew from?
22. What’s your relationship with your parents like?
23. Do you most often follow your heart or your head?
24. What’s the most unexpected or unusual thing on your bucket list?
25. What was your last romantic relationship like?
26. What’s a value you’re unwilling to compromise on?
27. What's your absolute dream job?
28. If you could have a superpower, what would you choose?
29. What TV show do you turn on when you just want to zone out and feel better?
30. What was the last movie you watched in a theater?
31. If you could time travel, where would you go?
32. What do you usually have for breakfast?
33. What's your favorite plant or flower?
34. What’s your favorite season and why?
35. Who always makes you laugh?
36. What do you think your best quality is?
37. What is your definition of success?
38. What’s your most-watched movie?
39. Do you have any hidden talents?
40. What’s the best thing you’ve dressed up as for Halloween?
41. Would you rather live by the ocean or in the mountains?
42. What’s the longest trip you’ve taken?
43. Are you a right brain or left brain person?
44. What is your most-used emoji?
45. What’s a bad habit you’re trying to break?
46. What’s the scariest movie you’ve ever seen?
47. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
48. Do you like to recharge alone or around other people?
49. What’s the best museum you’ve ever been to?
50. When can we hang out again?
51. Which fictional character do you most relate to?
52. What would your ideal friend hangout include?
53. What food do you absolutely hate?
54. Do you believe in your horoscope?
55. What’s your most used emoji?
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Interesting topics for conversation with anyone, anywhere
Hello everyone!
Communication can come to a standstill regardless of who your interlocutor is: a new acquaintance or a person with whom you have known each other for a hundred years. In order not to stretch awkward pauses, it would be good to always have interesting topics for conversation at hand.
We have prepared for you a large list of topics and tips for a variety of occasions. Don't forget to save the article so you don't lose it!
Suggestions for interesting conversations
Before we go directly to the topics, we would like to dwell on important nuances that will help avoid communication mistakes:
- "Yes or no".
- If you come to a tête-à-tête meeting, do not turn the dialogue into an interrogation with passion. Do not bombard the person with questions as if he came for an interview. When deciding to touch on a particular topic, be sure to tell similar information about yourself. Usually people continue to speak out of inertia and so do not feel discomfort. But pulling the blanket over yourself, forcing you to listen only to your person, is also not worth it. Stick to the golden mean.
- Listen carefully, ask clarifying questions. This is how you show interest and show respect.
- Don't give unsolicited advice, especially to strangers. Even if you think the person needs it. This is extremely insensitive.
- Avoid complaining and pitting anyone. The negative is repulsive.
- Do not be afraid of silence. There can be natural pauses in any conversation. Long conversations are also exhausting. If it is comfortable to talk with a person, then it will be comfortable with him and be silent for a while. At least to finish your salad or finish your cup of coffee, if the circumstances are appropriate.
Topics to talk about
Each situation has its own topics to talk about, so we have divided this article into several categories. Choose your case and take note of what fits.
On a date
Before a date, the main thing to remember is how important it is to be yourself. Do not choose topics that you are not interested in.
If you do not like art, do not study the work of Claude Monet and speak about the work of Pablo Picasso before the meeting.
Look for things you can talk about passionately together.
Otherwise, you shouldn't even get upset if communication doesn't work out.
We did not divide the topics into male and female, but put together a universal list of sample questions, on the basis of which you can develop a discussion with both a guy and a girl. Not only will they help keep the conversation going, but they'll also help you get to know the person well enough to form an opinion about them and decide if they're right for you.
What are some interesting questions for the couple?
We invite you to chat on the following topics:
- How was your day, working week?
- Talk about what helped you get to know each other. For example, if the meeting took place in a group of friends, ask how long the person has known them. If the acquaintance happened on social networks, ask how often the interlocutor makes friends in this way.
- What do you like to do in your free time, what are your hobbies?
- Where are you from?
- What childhood memories do you remember the most?
- What films do you watch? What was the last time you went to the cinema? What do you recommend to watch from comedies, science fiction and other things?
- What places in the city do you visit most often?
- Where have you rested in your life and where would you prefer to return again?
- How do you feel about sports, art, music?
- Do you like to read books? What genres do you prefer? What publications do you remember the most?
- Do you have dreams?
- Tell us about your profession, study, work.
- How do you feel about alcohol?
- Are there bad habits that you struggle with?
- How do you like to spend weekends and holidays? Do you prefer a relaxing holiday or an active one?
- Do you have any pets?
- What would you like to do if you had no restrictions on finances and resources?
- Are you a lark or an owl?
- What do you value most in members of the opposite sex?
- What brings you the most joy?
- What are you looking for in a relationship? What are your goals?
- What do you watch on TV? Who is subscribed to on YouTube? How do you feel about TikTok?
- What is your attitude towards loneliness?
- Do you have childhood friends with whom you still keep in touch?
- What type of personality do you consider yourself: extroverts or introverts?
- How do you feel about self-knowledge, meditation, yoga and other practices?
- What event are you looking forward to? This could be, for example, a festival, a concert by your favorite band, a friend's birthday, a relative's wedding, etc.
These are just examples of some topics.
You can create your own list based on your own interests and preferences.
For example, if you like Italian cuisine, tell us about the most interesting dishes and ask your interlocutor what his culinary preferences are.
In the company of friends
Silence rarely hangs in a noisy company, but you can still make the meeting even more exciting and exciting. And there are countless topics for friendly conversations.
Here are the random options:
- If you were Neo in The Matrix, which pill would you choose: blue or red?
- What superpower would you like to have and why?
- Would you rather be the richest person or the smartest?
- You can discuss some interesting life hacks and suggest trying them.
- New gadgets, mobile applications, news from the world of technology.
- How do you feel about esotericism, predictions, horoscopes? Have you had any experience with similar practices?
- Discussions on adrenaline, extreme sports, climbing, camping, etc.
- Attitude towards various conspiracy theories. For example, the world is ruled by aliens, special services, is mass chipping possible, who killed Kennedy, etc.
- Do you believe in ghosts, afterlife?
- What's the best advice you've ever been given?
- What would you spend money on if you won a very large amount?
- New movies, bloopers, favorite directors, etc.
- Political news.
- Cool memes from the Internet.
- What do you think about gender equality, feminism and other movements.
- Which place of residence would you prefer: city or countryside, coastal resort or mountains, house or apartment, metropolis or province?
- Would you agree to explore a new planet in the event of an impending apocalypse?
- If you had a time machine, where would you go?
- How long could you live without communication and amenities?
- What was the first thing you felt and did if you woke up in an unfamiliar place?
Note! One of the most productive ways to spend time with friends is to organize board games. So you will avoid silence, and stretch your brain.
With strangers
In the company of strangers, topics for communication should be chosen carefully so as not to stumble upon subjects of heated disagreement.
Here are the most neutral questions that can be used for conversation:
- What do you do, what is your occupation?
- Where did you study and why exactly there?
- Do you have a hobby?
- How do you prefer to relax, spend holidays, relax after a working day?
- Where did you spend your childhood, where are you from? How did you get to this city?
- You can discuss the most popular classic questions. For example, talk about the weather, nature and housing and communal services problems.
- If friends introduced you, ask how long they have known each other and what connects them.
As you ask these questions, always remember to be sure to say the same about yourself.
In a conversation with a stranger, do not touch on “slippery” topics . It is undesirable to talk about religion, personal life, political views, finances, health.
Pay attention to the other person's reaction to certain phrases or topics. So you can understand what he is interested in, and what is better not to talk about. In addition, pay attention to how willingly the stranger communicates and whether you are too intrusive.
It may turn out that you are looking for topics to discuss in vain.
For heartfelt conversation
As a rule, topics for spiritual conversations are found by themselves. The direction will depend on who is in front of you: a close friend or a friend, a loved one, a parent, etc.
The simplest topics will be everyday life, family, relationships with relatives, colleagues, financial issues, health.
If a person is really close, then the range of topics that can be touched upon expands significantly.
You can discuss sex with your partner or spouse. Ask what suits you, what you would like to bring, what fantasies to try to realize.
Here is a list of universal topics that are suitable for heart-to-heart conversations:
- Childhood, youthful, student memories. This is an inexhaustible topic, because everyone will find funny, cute, sad, interesting stories from the past in their memory.
- Dreams of a person: what he dreamed about in childhood, what he dreams about now.
- Friendship: is it possible between a man and a woman, how does the interlocutor look at communication with former partners, etc.
- Esoteric, unknown. As a rule, in large companies, rarely does anyone admit that they believe in ghosts or have ever seen something unusual, because no one wants to be ridiculed. But behind a sincere conversation, such secrets are easier to entrust.
- Children: attitude towards children, large families, childfree.
- Intimate Such issues can be discussed not only between partners, but also between two friends. What is acceptable and what is not. You can share some funny cases from the past. But for this it is necessary that the interlocutor be really congenial and open enough for such topics.
Intimate conversations are best conducted in the evening over a cup of aromatic tea or wine to create a special intimate atmosphere.
List of deep philosophical questions
If you want something more intellectual and serious, you can discuss the following questions:
- Are we alone in the universe?
- When will people be free to fly into space? Is it necessary?
- What will happen to our planet if all people disappear? How quickly and to what extent will structures, nature, wildlife be changed?
- What books have had the greatest impact on modern civilization? If you want to show off your intellect, you can, for example, compare the Bible, the Koran, the Torah and other religious works, or share your opinion about literary classics.
- What events of world history were the most striking and significant? You can discuss the great commanders, the overthrow of empires, the conquest of new lands, etc.
- Medical novelties, the latest news from the world of pharmacological technologies, medieval and modern methods of treatment.
- The theme of immortality. Would you like to live forever, would you agree to cryogenic freezing for 200 years?
- If you could choose an era in which to live, what would it be?
- What would heaven and hell look like if you invented them?
- Is there a destiny? If so, how then freedom of choice?
- What is the meaning of life?
- Where did self-esteem come from if man evolved from apes?
- Will religion as an institution last forever or will it ever become obsolete?
- How would the world change if life expectancy increased to 500 years?
- How to live life to the fullest?
- Do animals have a soul and how does it differ from a human one?
- Is poverty inevitable?
- Do weapons protect or destroy?
- Why are the dead more respected than the living?
- How relevant is the institution of marriage and family in the modern world?
- If we learn from mistakes, why are we so afraid of them?
Such topics can be discussed in company with friends, in correspondence with a new acquaintance, in the family circle, with a beloved man (woman), even with teenage children.
You can come up with your own questions and google them first, and then show off your knowledge and thoughts in the company.
Married couple
Married life is often engulfed in routine, and over the years it is more and more difficult to find topics for communication that have not yet been ridden.
If, apart from everyday life and children, you have not talked about anything for a long time, here is an approximate list of topical topics and questions that will not only dilute the family evening, but also help you get closer:
- What are the most joyful or funny moments in your life (not necessarily joint) can you remember?
- Plan your vacation and discuss the necessary details.
- Rate how the two of you have changed since you met and why.
- What was the most difficult event in your married life for each of you?
- What annoys you the most at work?
- What brings joy and what brings sorrow?
- When did you first feel like an adult?
- What details would you change about your own appearance?
- How do you see your old age?
- What act, from your point of view, was stupid or wrong, do you regret the most?
- How did you imagine your life when you were little?
- What dreams had to be abandoned and is there a chance to fulfill them now?
- What skill would you like to acquire, what to learn?
This is only a modest part of everything that you can discuss with your soulmate. You can easily choose any topic from the section of philosophical questions or for a sincere conversation. Family psychologists also recommend sharing secrets.
You can play a game: one spouse asks any 5 questions, and the second must honestly answer them.
It would also be very good to remember what you talked about in the first days and weeks of your acquaintance. This will help to nostalgic and refresh the senses.
How to be a good conversationalist
In conclusion, here are some generally accepted rules of communication:
- If the interlocutor is talking, do not interrupt with questions, let him finish his thought. Perhaps you have found a topic that is interesting for a person and new subjects for discussion will naturally be born from it. The conversation should not be forced. The key to good dialogue is ease.
- Call your interlocutor by name. This helps to establish trust and sympathy.
- Do not use obscene language, jargon, parasitic words in company with unfamiliar people.
- Show respect even if you disagree with something said.
- Keep your distance. Not all people like it when someone breaks into their personal space.
- Avoid distractions while talking on your smartphone. This is not appropriate.
We also recommend that you check out our other publications:
- How to learn to learn
- How to learn to control your emotions and feelings
- How to keep up a conversation
- How to learn to say NO
- Where to find motivation and how to motivate yourself: effective methods and pitfalls
- How to learn to remember better: mnemonics
- How to deal with stress: useful techniques
- How to ask the right questions
Conclusion
We have sorted out the best topics for conversation. Use them as a hint, not as a guide to action. It is not necessary, for example, to go on a date with a whole list of the above questions and strive by all means to ask them all.
And to become an interesting interlocutor, you need to read a lot of fiction, news, documentary research, historical and geographical facts, self-development sources, etc. Then there will definitely not be any difficulties and confusion in front of the interlocutor.
We wish you exciting conversations. See you later!
48 questions to help you make awkward conversations easier / Sudo Null IT News0429 about topics that are not interesting for you or discuss
questions that you have already discussed a thousand times because you just need to say something? This usually happens when you are forced to wait for something, for example, while waiting for a very slow moving elevator in the company of your own colleagues or casual acquaintances during various events. To make such boring conversations more interesting, ask people unexpected questions that make them think, and which cannot be simply answered with “yes” or “no”.The result is likely to be amazing: you will learn a lot of interesting facts about other people who would never be pulled out of the usual boring conversation. And, as an added bonus, you will become closer to each other. Sometimes it can be really important!
If you are ready for unconventional actions, look at the list of the most successful questions, which is divided into topics for convenience.
Of course, not every one of these questions is appropriate to talk to every person and in every situation, but, nevertheless, this list provides a fairly wide selection to avoid awkward silence.
Work
1. If you weren't working here, what would you most likely be doing now?
2. How did you become ... (job title)?
3. What surprised you the most about this job?
4. What is the most ridiculous task your boss has ever given you?
5. Which would be more preferable for you - to work four days a week for 10 hours or five days for 8?
6. If you had guaranteed success in any position, what would you prefer to do?
7. What was your first job? Did you like her?
8. What is the most valuable professional development advice you have ever received? And which was the worst?
Entertainment
9. Are you reading any interesting book now? I'd like to get some advice. And what about the show?
10. Are there any apps on your phone that you can't live without?
11. If you could only watch one genre of cinema for the rest of your life, which would it be? What about musical preferences?
12. What book that everyone admired did you hate? And vice versa?
13. Do you have any podcast recommendations?
14. What movie have you watched lately that made you cry? How about laughing out loud?
15. Who would you like to be your partner on the reality show Amazing Race? In our realities, you can ask a similar question about programs like Fort Boyard or The Last Hero.
16. Who is your favorite on Instagram? And vice versa? Oh, you don't have Instagram? Why?
Food
17. If you were told that you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
18. What is the strangest dish you have ever tried in your life?
19. What habitual food is the most comfortable for you?
20. Is there any food that you will never eat?
21. Advise what you can easily and without problems take with you to work / study as lunch, but it should not be sandwiches.
22. Where can I eat cheaply here?
23. Does your family have any culinary secrets or traditional recipes?
24. What is your favorite restaurant / cafe that is not very well known to a wide range of people?
Travel
25. Is there a “paradise” place for recreation somewhere nearby?
26. If you could fly anywhere for free, where would you go?
27. What is the coolest road trip you have ever taken?
28. What trip did you take during your last vacation? What were you doing there? What do you remember?
29. What type of vacation do you prefer - active or relaxing somewhere on a cozy beach?
30. What next trip have you already planned?
31. If you could take a day off or have the opportunity to work remotely, where would you go and what would you do?
32. What is your favorite thing to do on the weekends?
Biography
33. Where did you live before? How is that city different from where you live now?
34. What did you want to be when you grew up as a child?
35. Do you have any hidden talents or unexpected hobbies?
36. What did you like to do in elementary school (outside the school curriculum)?
37. What accessory or item was your “must-have” as a child/adolescent, i.e., while growing up?
38. What was the most incredible event that has ever happened to you?
39.