Things to Talk About
107 questions · By Dima Tretyak, creator of DeepTalk · Updated
Running out of things to talk about rarely means you have nothing in common. More often nobody has asked a question that's easy to answer and leads somewhere. One good question moves it somewhere new, and the other person does most of the talking from there.
The topics below are written as questions, so you can ask them as they are. Start with the easy ones for anyone, keep the random ones for slow moments, and save the deep ones for a long walk or a late night. There are separate sections for friends, first dates, your crush or partner, texting, new people and family dinners.
Easy things to talk about with anyone
Safe, friendly and easy to answer. Good for coworkers, a friend of a friend or anyone you've just met.
- 1What's been going well for you lately?
- 2What are you looking forward to right now?
- 3What's something you've gotten really into lately?
- 4What's a video you've watched more than five times?
- 5What's a show or podcast you'd recommend to anyone?
- 6Which job has taught you the most?
- 7What's the best meal you've had this year?
- 8Where have you always wanted to travel?
- 9What's a small thing that always makes your day better?
- 10What's a smell that instantly takes you back somewhere?
- 11What's a class you'd sign up for just for fun?
- 12What's the most interesting place you've ever lived?
Interesting and unique topics to talk about
For when small talk is done and you want an actual opinion. Most of these turn into a debate.
- 13What's a skill you think everyone should learn?
- 14What's an opinion you have that most people disagree with?
- 15What's a rabbit hole you went down online recently?
- 16Which invention do you think the world would be better without?
- 17What's something you believed as a kid that turned out to be completely wrong?
- 18What's a job you think would be secretly fun?
- 19What's a rule you follow that nobody taught you?
- 20What's a trend you never understood?
- 21What's a fun fact that always surprises people?
- 22What could you give a 20-minute talk on with zero prep?
- 23What's something that seems normal now but will look strange in 50 years?
- 24Which era of history would you have liked to live in?
Rather play than scroll? DeepTalk deals these out one card at a time.
Random things to talk about when you're bored
Silly, specific and impossible to answer wrong. Good for road trips, long lines and slow nights.
- 25What's the weirdest food combination you secretly love?
- 26If you had to rename yourself, what name would you pick?
- 27What's the most useless thing you own but refuse to throw away?
- 28Which animal do you think would be the most annoying roommate?
- 29What's a word you think sounds funny for no reason?
- 30What's a household chore you'd happily do forever?
- 31What's your most controversial pizza topping opinion?
- 32What's the oddest thing in your fridge right now?
- 33What's a harmless conspiracy theory you find weirdly convincing?
- 34What's the last thing you googled?
- 35What's a game you were unbeatable at as a kid?
- 36What would your autobiography be called?
Deep conversation topics
For a long walk, a late night or someone you want to know better. More in our deep questions.
- 37What's something you've changed your mind about in the last few years?
- 38What does a good life look like to you?
- 39When do you feel most like yourself?
- 40What's a mistake you're now glad you made?
- 41What are you proud of that nobody really knows about?
- 42What's something you're still trying to figure out?
- 43Who's had the biggest influence on how you think?
- 44What's a fear you'd like to get over?
- 45What does success mean to you now compared to five years ago?
- 46What's a question you wish people asked you more often?
- 47What's been the best year of your life so far?
Things to talk about with friends
Catch-up topics for old friends who already know the basics. For a full list, see our questions to ask your friends.
- 48What's the best thing we've done together that we should do again?
- 49What's something we keep saying we'll do but never actually plan?
- 50What's going on in your life that I don't know about yet?
- 51What's your favorite inside joke of ours, and how did it start?
- 52What's a place we should go together this year?
- 53What's the most chaotic night we've had together?
- 54What's something about me you think has changed since we met?
- 55What's been stressing you out lately, and how can I help?
- 56What's a show we should start watching at the same time?
- 57What's something you've been meaning to tell me?
Things to talk about on a first date
Light enough for the first hour, personal enough to show who someone is. Keep the heavy topics for later dates.
- 58What do you like to do on a free weekend?
- 59What's a place in this city you think is underrated?
- 60What's the best trip you've ever taken?
- 61What's something you're excited about this year?
- 62What's a food you could eat every day?
- 63What's the best concert or live show you've been to?
- 64How would your friends describe you?
- 65What hobby have you stuck with the longest?
- 66What did you love about the place you grew up?
- 67What's something you're surprisingly good at?
Things to talk about with your crush, boyfriend or girlfriend
A little personal, a little flirty. The last few are for when you're already together. Full lists for your crush, your boyfriend and your girlfriend.
- 68What's a small thing that gives you butterflies?
- 69What's a nickname you've had, and where did it come from?
- 70What's your idea of a perfect lazy day?
- 71What's something you've always wanted to try but haven't yet?
- 72What's something about you that most people don't notice?
- 73What's a date you've always wanted to go on?
- 74What's a moment from this week you wish I'd been there for?
- 75What's a weekend trip you'd plan for the two of us?
- 76What's a memory of us you think about a lot?
- 77What's one thing I do that always makes you smile?
Conversation starters over text
Short, easy to reply to and better than "hey". Send one at a time.
- 78What did you have for dinner, and how would you rate it out of ten?
- 79What's playing in your headphones right now?
- 80What's the most random thing you did today?
- 81What's one photo from your camera roll that sums up your week?
- 82What are you up to this weekend?
- 83What's one thing that annoyed you today?
- 84Which meme describes your mood right now?
- 85What are you watching these days?
- 86What's a recommendation you've been meaning to send me?
- 87What's the best thing you saw on your commute today?
Conversation starters with strangers and new people
For parties, events and the first day somewhere new. More openers in our icebreaker questions.
- 88What brings you here today?
- 89How do you know the host?
- 90What's keeping you busy these days outside of work?
- 91What's the best thing to do around here?
- 92What's something you're learning right now?
- 93Where's the best food you've found in this neighborhood?
- 94What's a trip you're planning next?
- 95What got you into what you do?
- 96What's the most interesting thing you've read or heard this week?
- 97What's a book or movie that changed your mind about something?
Dinner table topics for family and groups
For family dinners and long tables where everyone should get a turn, kids included.
- 98Who made you laugh today, and how?
- 99What's something kind someone did for you recently?
- 100What's a family story you want us to remember?
- 101What's a tradition we should start or bring back?
- 102What's a family recipe that should never be lost?
- 103What did you learn this week that surprised you?
- 104Who at this table would survive longest on a desert island, and why?
- 105What was a normal day like when you were a kid?
- 106What's the best advice you've gotten from someone at this table?
- 107If we planned a family trip, where would you vote to go?
How to use these questions
- Start with an easy question and save the deep ones until the conversation is flowing.
- Ask a follow-up about whatever the other person gets excited about. "Wait, how did that happen?" does more than a new topic.
- Share your own answer as well. People open up more when you go first.
- If a topic falls flat, laugh it off and move to a different section.
- Over text, send one question at a time and reply to the answer before asking the next.
Play them as cards instead
DeepTalk deals questions like these one card at a time, with 20 decks and over 2,000 questions for couples and friends.
Frequently asked questions
What are good things to talk about?
Things the other person can tell a story about: what they're into lately, a trip they loved, an opinion most people disagree with, something they changed their mind about. Open questions like "What's something you've gotten really into lately?" work better than yes-or-no ones because they give the other person room to talk.
What do you talk about when you have nothing to talk about?
Ask something random and specific, like "What's the weirdest food combination you secretly love?" or "What would your autobiography be called?" Silly questions are easy to answer and often lead to a real story. You can also talk about what's right in front of you: the place, the food, the music.
What are some good conversation starters?
"What are you looking forward to right now?", "What's a rabbit hole you went down online recently?" and "What's something you're surprisingly good at?" They're easy to answer, they're about the other person, and each answer gives you something to ask about next.
How do you keep a conversation going?
Listen for one detail in the answer and ask about it. If someone says they went hiking, ask where, or what the best part was. Share something of your own in return, then ask another question. A new topic is only needed when the current one has really run out.
What are some deep topics to talk about?
Changes of mind, lessons learned the hard way, fears, what a good life looks like and the people who shaped you. Try "When do you feel most like yourself?" or "What's something you're still trying to figure out?" There are more on our deep questions page.
What should I talk about with my crush?
Start with what they're into: music, plans for the weekend, a show they love. Then get a little more personal, like "What's something about you that most people don't notice?" There are light, flirty and texting ones on our questions to ask your crush page.