If there’s one thing that adult, working life has made painfully clear to us, it is that making friends is so hard. Tell me you’re with me on this. Seriously, just striking up a conversation can be a mortifying ordeal, especially when you don’t wanna come off as offensive, snobbish, or, even worse, narcissistic. Whether you’re trying to get acquainted with a new colleague at work, or woo (big word) your potential partner on a blind date your BFF set you up with, here are a few conversation starters that work almost always. Play it safe with these 31 basic yet fun conversation starters that help you break the ice.
- What does your name mean? (Follow up with, do you like it?)
- What’s your favorite thing about yourself?
- What’s your favorite thing about the place you grew up in?
- Do you believe in zodiacs, and what’s yours?
- What do you do for a living?
- What do you think is the most interesting/fun thing about your job?
- What’s your dream job?
- What kind of music do you like?
- Who’s your favorite singer/artist?
- What was the highlight of your day/week?
- What do you do on weekends?
- Do you like cooking?
- What’s your favorite food/cuisine?
- What are some good food places in this city/town?
- Are you a tea person or a coffee person?
- What was the last show you binged?
- What’s your favorite show/movie?
- Who’s your favorite fictional character?
- Which fictional character do you relate to the most?
- Who’s your celebrity crush?
- What are you reading right now?
- What’s your favorite genre?
- Do you have any pets?
- What’s your guilty pleasure?
- What is your top pet peeve?
- Do you have a favorite chore?
- What’s your biggest fear?
- Where do you want to live when you retire?
- What are the top 2 things on your bucket list?
- What’s your favorite family tradition?
- Who’s the most interesting person you’ve met so far and why?
