15 Best Topics To Talk About On A First Date To Spark A Romance
Not a single dull moment on your first date if you keep the playful conversation going.
Darrell ReeseMS, LMFT-A
Expertise: Marriage And Family Therapy
Experience: 20 years
Darrell Reese is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate with 20 years of experience. He helps couples rekindle their love and create a loving and happy relationship through Darrell Reese Counseling. He employs various modalities... more
Expertise: Relationships
Experience: 4 years
Sneha has a master's degree in Applied Linguistics from the University of Hyderabad, a professional Relationship Coach diploma, and over four years of experience in writing. She writes about relations... more
Image: Shutterstock
First dates are packed with emotions, excitement, tension, awkwardness, and hope. Since you are unaware of the other person’s likes and dislikes, you might even get confused about what topics to talk about on a first date. It might lead to awkward silences that may decide the relationship’s future. Therefore, it is best to go prepared with interesting topics that help the smooth flow of the conversation. If you are wondering what to talk about on the first date, we can help. Here, we have the 16 best topics you may discuss on your first date. Scroll down.
15 Best Topics To Talk About On A First Date
1. Learn About Their Family
Your date’s family background can help you understand who they are today. It explains hardships they faced in childhood, personality traits, or trauma, if any. Talking about family and their bonding with family members can be one of the most revealing parts. Find out if they have siblings and how close they are to them. You will also be able to learn more about their culture and family life. You can ask about their favorite childhood memory. This will also give you some insight into how they were raised.
2. Open Up About Your Hobbies
Image: Shutterstock
Talk about yourself on your first date – your hobbies, pass time, and interests. It helps connect each other by knowing what they like and are passionate about. Discussion on these topics helps you find common grounds and interesting facts about your date.
If you enjoy reading books, ask what books they have recently read. Find their interests and common hobbies you both have.
3. What Brought You To This City?
You need a common ground to create a connection with your date. And asking this question allows you to know their professional, academic, and personal history. You both might be living in the same city now, but home can mean something different. It might be the place they grew up, were born, or have made the fondest memories.
4. Discuss Your Childhood Memories
We often hear our hearts whispering, ‘I wish I were a kid’. There is always a lot to speak about our childhood, which can be the most entertaining topic on your first date. Maybe you were obsessed with playing cricket, would never eat anything other than ice creams, or pulled a crazy prank on your best friend. There’s no better way to get over it than by sharing and laughing about it. Those good old memories are cherished for a lifetime. Your date will also speak about the crazy things they did as a child.
5. Talk About Food
Image: Shutterstock
If your date is a foodie, talking about food can make your conversation more interesting. You can learn what type of food they love or if they have any signature dish. Conversations around food are also a great way to bring up the idea of your second date. You and your date can visit your favorite restaurants and the best places in the town to bite.
6. Who Are The Special People In Your Life?
If you want to know someone’s personality, see how they express their love while talking about them. That special person can be their best friends, parents, or siblings. This also shows which people have had the most significant impact on their lives and helped them grow.
7. What Is Your Dream Job?
This question gives your date a chance to express what they want to achieve in their career and what they are passionate about. Asking someone’s dream job will provide you with an insight into their ambition, goals, and what makes them choose their career.
8. One Special Quality Of Yours?
It is a great way to find out what they think about themselves. If they find it challenging to figure out one quality about themselves, it indicates they lack confidence and are unaware of self-love. On the other hand, if they have a huge list to say in a row, they might just be boasting about themselves.
9. Did You Have Any Nicknames?
This turns more interesting when you hear the story behind the nickname. The stories will leave you both with bursts of laughter, enliven your childhood memories, and help lighten the sense of nervousness.
Quick Tip10. What Is Your Greatest Fear?
A common response to this question will be heights, darkness, closed spaces, or bugs. You might even get a more honest answer – they might tell you they are afraid of losing their loved ones. It is one of the best topics to understand the tender side of your date.
11. What’s On Your Bucket List?
Image: Shutterstock
If you pose this question, you can learn about a person’s list of goals, dreams, and desires. You never know what you will find out, so pay close attention. You can also learn about their short-term and long-term goals by asking this question.
12. Address Deal Breakers
Every individual has their rules, limits, and boundaries in relationships. Address those on your first date to know whether the relationship will work or not. Impolite behavior, refusal to compromise, substance abuse, or not being open to change are red flags in any new relationship. Make sure to understand what your date is thinking about the points you discussed, and evaluate your relationship whether you wish to move ahead or not.
13. Discuss Your Favorite TV Shows Or Movies
Image: Shutterstock
This is one of the best things to discuss on your first date to know about their favorite movies or TV shows. If you both are interested in the same genre of movies, there will be a lot to discuss. It can be a great conversation starter for a first date and help keep the chat flowing for some time.
Quick Tip14. What Do You Regret The Most?
There is always something to change when we get a chance to return in our past? So, ask your date this question and learn what situations they contemplate till now. Listen to them carefully because there is a risk of humiliation in revealing where they messed up. Also, try to reassure them that those events are common in everyone’s life.
15. Have a Conversation On Traveling Plans
Image: Shutterstock
Discussing each other’s traveling plans can be one of the best first-date conversations. You both can share some travel stories and the various cultures you came across during the journey. You will learn which type of trips your date prefers, such as road trips, solo trips, short or long trips. You can also share your dream destination and favorite travel spots.
Infographic: Fun Topics To Talk About On A First Date
First dates can be exciting and scary at the same time. Since you are meeting the person for the first time, the wrong question might make the date awkward and uncomfortable. Hence, to break the ice, we have listed a few fun topics you can talk about on your first date.
Check out the infographic below to know more. Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team
Save the high-quality PDF version on your device now.
Download Infographic
First dates are all about getting to know the other person at a basic level and understanding their likes and dislikes. So, you should focus on learning more about their family, sharing your hobby, and even discussing cherished childhood memories. Other topics of interest would be food, special people in your life, your dream job, quirky nicknames, bucket list, deal breakers, favorite shows, and more. Finally, if you want to delve deeper into their personalities, you can discuss any major regrets, greatest fears, and future plans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What topics should you avoid on a first date?
Avoid discussing past relationships, marriage, religion, and on a first date.
What is the most important question to ask on your first date?
Questions about their values and priorities are among the most important questions to ask on your first date. It will help you understand the person better.
How long should a first date last?
A first date can last from 1 hour to 2 hours. However, if both of you enjoy the company and the conversation keeps flowing, it may stretch beyond two hours. And that means your date is going great!
Is it OK to kiss on the first date?
If your date is comfortable, kissing on the first date is okay.
Key Takeaways
- You can center the conversation around your hobbies, childhood memories, and favorite shows to keep things light on a first date.
- Talking about your date’s family and childhood can reveal a lot about them and their likes.
- Show curiosity but do not be too prying as it can make you look nosy.
