in: Dating & Relationships

What Should I Talk about on the First Date?

If you’re stressing the age-old question, fear not. It’s time to remove “What should I talk about on the first date?” from your dating vernacular.


First dates can be intimidating.

Those first dates are often sprinkled with uncertain pauses and looking around the restaurant to see if your food is coming. It’s important to ask the right questions and talk about appropriate things. First dates are supposed to be fun, so keep it light and just enjoy getting to know another person!

Check out these conversation starters and questions to ask on a first date:

1. Family

Most people love talking about their family. Find out who their parents are. Do they have siblings? Nephews and nieces? Family is important, so make sure it’s a focus on your first date, devote some time to it.

One fun suggestion: ask about their favorite childhood memory. This will tell you more about how they were raised and it will give you some insight into what kind of fun things their family did or continues to do!

2. Hobbies

Find out what that person likes to do in their free time. Ask what books they have recently read. If you really enjoy reading books, this will help you find some common ground. Other avenues of inquiry: ask if they prefer TV shows or if they like watching movies. This will determine what kind of things you’ll binge-watch on Netflix! Plus, you might even share some favorites, giving you another great conversation starter!

3. Current Events

Don’t ever talk politics on a first date—it can be a very touchy subject. Instead, talk about what is in the news. Show you’re an educated individual who is interested in world events. Most likely, you’ll find out if your date is also well-informed. You don’t want to end up with someone who just doesn’t care about the same (or similar) things you do. There are always things in the news worthy of discussion, and maybe you’ll learn a new point of view!

4. Dislikes

Sometimes dislikes can be fun to talk about! Discussing the origins of some of these dislikes might spark some funny stories, or you may find that you dislike some of the same things. Mutual feelings on anything gives you something to discuss. Mix it up with some teasing and banter and you are sure to have fun!

5. The Famous Dinner Question

“If you could sit down and have dinner with one person, living or not living, who would it be?” This is a classic ice breaker. You will learn if your date has a love for history, a dear family member, or a long lost friend. Ask them why they chose that person. See what kind of questions they would ask that person. Would they cook for dinner or go to a restaurant? What kind of food do you think that person would order? The possibilities are endless with this question, and it will lead to even more conversation. Don’t forget to answer the questions for yourself, as well!

6. Passions

When a person is passionate about something, they will want to talk about it forever. This will give you some perspective into what kind of person your date is. Do they love animals? Could they travel for months at a time and never grow tired of it? These kinds of things will tell you if you can be empathetic to that passion or if you just don’t care about it.

It is actually said that if you focus your interactions and conversations on positive and interactive topics, these types of conversations will become more prominent between one another. Understanding what habits you and your significant other embody is a practice that can help your relationship and a beneficial thing to be aware of. You may as well start by trying to understand this is the beginning! 

7. Fun Questions

It’s important that you don’t interrogate your date, but sometimes you just need some fun questions to break the ice. Ask if they are a morning or a night person. Or maybe you could ask about one thing they think is surprising about themselves. Keep these questions in the back of your mind, just in case the conversation trails off at some point in the date.

8. Plans

Ask them about their future. What sort of goals do they have? What is their dream job? What are they doing for the summer or even this weekend? Those sort of questions open up new conversation opportunities. Don’t ask if they want kids or if they want to get married. And don’t get focused on the past, like exes. Again, first dates should be light and fun. Keep it that way and ask your date some questions that keep things interesting.

First dates don’t have to be awkward! Be committed to creating a fun atmosphere so that you can casually get to know each other.

[image: via shutterstock]

About the Author:

Kacey Mya Bradley

Kacey Mya Bradley is a lifestyle blogger for The Drifter Collective . Throughout her life, she has found excitement in the world around her. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations, cultures, and styles, while communicating these endeavors through her passion for writing and expression. Her love for the world around her is portrayed through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. Connect with Kacey on Twitter and Pinterest.

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