“What do you do for a living?”
Career and job questions are classic conversation starters. Kickstart the process of getting to know your new acquaintance by asking them about their current job—or, if they aren’t working at the moment, what kind of job they plan to get. From there, you could ask other questions too—like what they do as part of their job every day. “What’s your favorite thing about your current job?” “What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?” “Is there one job you’d never ever do?” “What type of job do you want after this one?” “What energizes you about your career?” “Do you get along with all your coworkers?”
“Did you go to college?”
Learn more about their education and past college experiences. If they went to college, talking about their time at school can be a great source of funny and fascinating stories. Plus, if you’ve also been to college, you might be able to share a few crazy stories of your own! “What was the craziest thing that happened to you in college?” “What was your college major?” “Did you do any studying abroad?” “Where did you go to college? Was your campus in the city or country?”
“What’s your favorite movie?”
Mention some of your favorite movies and get to know theirs. Who doesn’t love talking about movies? If you’re familiar with the films or genres they tell you about, chime in with some of your favorites too. Or, if you haven’t seen their favorite movie and want to get to know them better, why not suggest watching it together sometime? “Do you like going to the movies or prefer watching at home?” “Who’s the best movie villain?” “What movie do you turn on when you want to zone out and feel better?” “What’s your most-watched movie?”
“What was the last TV show you binged?”
Ask about their favorite shows—and why they like them so much. If you’ve seen a couple of the shows your new acquaintance mentions, then you’ve got an easy conversation topic to use! Even if you haven’t, listen to their answer and take the opportunity to find out more about the shows they like. Get them to explain more about each show’s genre and premise! For example: “What’s your favorite TV genre?” “What’s the best TV show you ever watched?” “If you could star on a reality TV show, which one would you appear on?” “What’s the one TV show you think everyone should watch?” “What’s the funniest TV show you’ve ever seen?”
“Do you have a favorite song?”
Music is a subject that just about anyone can discuss! Find out if your musical tastes line up, or compare your favorite artists, songs, and genres. Whether you have a lot in common or nothing at all, there’ll still be plenty to discuss with your new acquaintance. “What type of music are you into?” “Do you like podcasts, or do you only listen to music?” “What song always gets you out on the dance floor?” “What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?” “Do you sing in the shower?” “What's your go-to karaoke song?”
“What’s the best book you ever read?”
Bring up reading and ask them for a few book recommendations. Once you know what their favorite books are, ask them what makes them the best, or ask for a synopsis of the plot. Generally, people love talking about their favorite things—and your acquaintance will likely be flattered if you take them up on their recommendation. “What book impacted you the most?” “Do you read any magazines? Which ones?” “Do you prefer audiobooks or paper books?” “What’s the fastest you’ve ever read a book?” “How many books would you say you read every year?” “Who is your favorite author?”
“Do you follow any sports teams?”
Find out if the two of you have any sports teams in common. After all, if you both follow the same teams (or the sport in general), you can easily continue the conversation and chat about which teams you love most or which players you’re the biggest fans of. If you don’t follow the same sports, ask them more about their favorite sport and what makes it so exciting! “Do you watch the Superbowl?” “What’s your favorite sport of all time?” “Do you prefer football or soccer? Why?” “Have you ever seen your favorite team play live?” “What’s your favorite sport to play personally?”
“Do you have any pets?”
Pets are a lighthearted topic that often sparks more exchanges. If your new acquaintance has a pet, keep the conversation going by asking to see a photo—or, if they don’t have a pet and you do, you could be the one to show them a pic. Pet owners usually love showing off their animals, so this question is a no-brainer when you meet someone new. “Can I see a picture of your pets?” “What’s the silliest thing your pet has done?” “Did you have any pets when you were a kid? What were their names?” “What kind of activities do you do with your pet?” “Is your pet clingy or super independent?” “Do you want to get a pet? What would it be?”
“What’s your favorite food?”
Everyone has to eat, which makes food an easy topic to discuss. Plus, learning about their favorite foods and restaurants can give you a great idea of where to invite them if you ever want to grab a bite with your acquaintance. Ask about favorite types of food, meals, desserts, drinks, and beyond to get a sense of their tastes. “Would you rather cook or order in?” “Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?” “If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?” “What’s your favorite coffee order?” “What’s the best cocktail drink you’ve ever had?” “What's your go-to midnight snack?”
“What do you like to do for fun?”
Get an idea of what you could do together as you become friends. Maybe your acquaintance is a big roller skater or loves knitting hats for their friends. Regardless of their favorite hobbies and what they do for fun, asking follow-up questions and offering to do those activities with them as friends is a great way to get to know them better. “What are your hobbies, and how did you get into them?” “What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?” “What activity instantly calms you? “How do you enjoy spending your alone time?” “What’s an essential part of your daily routine?” “Do you collect anything?” Reader Poll: We asked 368 wikiHow readers about the best topics to bring up when you’re getting to know someone better, and 75% agreed that it’s best to discuss the other person’s hobbies and interests. [Take Poll]
“What’s your personality type?”
Personality types can help you get a better sense of who they are. Fortunately, there are a ton of different “personality types” to ask about, from their Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to their astrology sun sign! If they don’t know their various personality types, you could even spend a few minutes taking quizzes together to learn more about each other. “Do you know your MBTI personality type?” “What’s your astrology sun sign?” “Do you have a type A, B, C, or D personality?” “Would you say you’re more right-brained or left-brained?” “Are you more extroverted or introverted?”
“Where do you like to hang out?”
You might discover that you both frequent the same haunts. If both of you live in the same town, city, or area, your new acquaintance might be able to point you to a place you never thought to explore before! And if you don’t live in the same area, they might have some great places for you to explore as a tourist the next time you visit their area. “Are there any cool sightseeing spots around here?” “After a long day at work, where do you go to unwind?” “What’s your favorite restaurant in the area?” “Do you prefer cities or the countryside?”
“What could you give a speech on with no preparation?”
Give them a chance to talk about something they really love! This might seem like an odd question, but plenty of people have at least one interest that they could talk about confidently and with a ton of detail, with absolutely no preparation—a testament to how passionate they are about it. Find out what topic your acquaintance is super passionate about, and share a couple of your interests too. “What was your favorite subject in school?” “Which of your interests do you think you know the most about?” “Could you name 5 fun facts about your favorite topic off the top of your head?” “What topics are you most passionate about?”
“If you could visit anywhere, where would you go?”
Find out if you have similar travel goals and interests. Lots of people dream of traveling the world, but there’s a whole lot of world to see! Ask your acquaintance about the places they’d like to visit most and share your top picks as well. Even if neither of you plans to pack your bags for a while, it can be super fun to gush about your dream destination. “If you could time travel, when and where would you go?” “If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?” “Where would you want to retire one day?” “What’s your favorite vacation spot in the whole world?” “If you could travel around the entire world in 80 days, would you do it?” “What’s the one place you want to see before you die?”
“Where were you born?”
Learn more about their hometown and childhood. When you’ve just met, bringing up someone’s childhood and place of birth can keep the conversation going for a while because there’s so much to talk about! Ask about the place they were born, where they lived for most of their childhood, where they went to school, and so on. “What was your favorite place to go in your hometown as a kid?” “What's the worst haircut you had as a kid?” “What's your favorite story about yourself?” “What’s the weirdest thing you did when you were a kid?” “Where did you spend the holidays when you were younger?” “What’s your favorite memory from childhood?”
“Do you have any siblings?”
Asking about their family can help you connect more personally. Start with a simple question about how many siblings they have or whether their parents live close to them, for example. Then, as you talk, expand on the subject by asking other questions about their family—like how many cousins they have, for example, or whether they see their grandparents often. “What’s your favorite family tradition?” “What’s your favorite story about your grandparents?” “What activities do you like to do with your family?” “Do you ever wish you had a bigger or smaller family?” “Which family member makes the best food?” “Have you ever mapped out your family tree?” “How much time do you spend with your family?” “What’s your favorite family memory?”
“Know any good jokes?”
Get to know their sense of humor by trading a few jokes. Humor can really help people bond and break the ice, especially when they’ve just met. Ask your new acquaintance if they know any jokes, or crack a joke of your own first and then ask if they have any to offer. You might end up discovering you find the same things funny! “What never fails to make you laugh?” “What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever seen?” “What’s the best joke you’ve ever heard?” “Do you have a favorite funny GIF?” “What’s the funniest TikTok video or Instagram reel saved on your phone right now?”
“What things are you willing to splurge on?”
A person's indulgences can also tell you a lot about their values. You never know what kind of answer you’ll get—they might splurge on fine teas or pay for a monthly subscription to indulge their love of comic books, for example. Regardless, this question helps you see what kind of things they value without directly asking about their spending habits. “What’s your go-to guilty pleasure?” “If you suddenly had 1 million dollars, what would you spend it on?” “Do you ever have ‘treat yourself’ days?” “What one thing do you really want but can’t afford yet?” “What’s worth spending more on to get the best?”
“What are 5 things on your bucket list?”
Discuss dreams and life goals if you want a deeper conversation. If the conversation is going well and you’re hitting it off with this new acquaintance, try asking a more in-depth question—one that makes them think a little before they answer. Just be prepared to answer those deeper personal questions yourself, too! “A genie gives you three wishes—what are they?” “What dreams did you have as a little kid?” “How have your dreams changed over time?” “Do you live by any words of wisdom?” “Who or what inspires you?”
“Do you believe in ghosts?”
Unconventional questions can help both of you think outside the box. Finally, don’t be afraid to go outside the box and surprise your new acquaintance with a rather unorthodox or random question. If you can’t think of any conversation topics, a playful and random question can help you change the subject while keeping the tone of the conversation light and fun. “Do you believe in any conspiracy theories?” “How would you face a zombie apocalypse?” “If you could have a superpower, what would it be?” “What's the title of your most niche Spotify playlist?” “Which fictional character do you relate to most?” “Who would play you in the movie of your life?” “What question would you most like to know the answer to?”
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