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220 Fun Conversation Starters For All Situations

A photo of Tom who is the Co-Founder of Questions About Everything

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These fun conversation starters are ideal if you want to connect with people you’re unfamiliar with or an old acquaintance you’ve not seen for a while.

It can be hard to know what conversation starter questions to use, especially if you’re meeting people for the first time, so we’ve done the hard work for you.

You’ll find advice on how to start a conversation, questions to keep a conversation going and good conversation topics you should use to ensure you’re conversations go well.

So why not use some of these great conversation starters the next time you’re at a big event or a party and see how easy it is to strike up a rapport with anyone?

Good Conversation Topics

Picking a conversation topic to talk about with someone you’re not familiar with can be tricky. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be that hard.

If you stick to some interesting conversation topics such as shared interests, passions, and experiences, then you should be able to build a rapport and develop the conversation from there.

You don’t want to pick a topic that’s controversial such as politics, as this can lead to a heated discussion which isn’t ideal when you’re asking questions to get to know someone.

Here are ten topics you should use to open the conversation:

  • Shared passions
  • Experiences
  • Sports
  • Travel
  • Music
  • Movies
  • Food
  • Work
  • Aspirations
  • Goals and motivation

If you want more ideas, we have a list of 40 topics to talk about that will provide you with lots of great talking points!

Best Conversation Starters

The aim of these conversation starters is to make it easy to start chatting with anyone in a variety of different situations. These talking points are ideal as they’re open-ended questions that will allow the conversation to flow.

We’ve included some standard openers you can use with people you’re not familiar with. Then there are others you can use if you already know someone or you’ve met before and want to reacquaint yourself.

best conversation starter on what achievement you're most proud of
  • What achievement are you most proud of?
  • What’s something you read recently that fascinated you?
  • What’s the most exciting thing you’ve done in the past six months?
  • What do you love about what you do?
  • Are you more of a cat or a dog person?
  • How would you describe your perfect weekend?
  • What’s your favorite activity to do with your friends?
  • How do you know the host?
  • What’s your story?
  • What’s been the highlight of your week?
  • What’s new with you?
  • How long have you been part of the organization/company/business?
  • What part of the country/state/world do you hail from?
  • Is there anything you’re working on right now that’s close to your heart?
  • What’s something not a lot of people know about you?
  • What’s a significant event in your life that changed you in some way?
  • If you could swap lives with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?
  • What’s the nicest compliment you’ve ever received?
  • What do you do for work?
  • Where do you see yourself in five years?
  • Are you able to tell when someone is lying?
  • What does your ideal day look like?
  • If you could have everyone in this room donate to one charity, which one would it be and why?
  • What did you want to be when you were growing up?
  • Do you know the meaning behind your name?
fun conversation starter on the podcasts you're listening to at the moment

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  • What podcast are you listening to at the moment?
  • What’s your favorite about living in the city/country/state?
  • How would you describe this event in one sentence?
  • What song would you play next if you had control of the playlist?
  • Are you a fan of games at parties or not?
  • Are you familiar with most of the people here?
  • If you were forced to switch outfits with one person here, who would it be?
  • What do you think are the three most important elements that make a successful party?
  • If you could live anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
  • What’s been the highlight of your day so far?
  • Who was your hero when you were growing up?
  • Are you enjoying that drink/food/game?
  • If you were to write a book, what would it be about?
  • Is there anything that made you smile today?
  • If you didn’t have the job you do now, what would you be doing?
  • What decade would you live in if it was possible to travel back in time?
  • What’s something you can’t live without?
  • Do you own any pets?
  • Is there a hobby you’d like to start that you haven’t been able to do for whatever reason?
  • What are the three most fun facts about yourself?
  • Where did you grow up?
  • What’s the biggest regret you have in life so far?
  • Have you ever taken a really big risk? What was it?
  • In what ways have your priorities changed over the past five years?
  • If you won the lottery, what’s the first thing you’d do?

Questions To Keep a Conversation Going

Now that you’ve started talking, you probably want to know how to keep the conversation going. That’s what this next set of questions is designed to do.

They’re more specific than the previous set of questions and allow you to build on the foundation you’ve established. This means you can get to know the person or people you’re speaking with on a more intimate level.

question to keep the conversation going on any fun plans you have for the weekend
  • Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?
  • Do you have any more exciting events coming up?
  • Have you seen that viral YouTube video/article/Instagram post everyone’s talking about?
  • What are your thoughts on (insert relevant/latest new stories here)?
  • I’m going to get/make a coffee/tea/drink, does anyone want one?
  • Where’s your favorite place to grab a quick bit to eat around here?
  • What are you thinking about ordering/eating/drinking?
  • How do you like to unwind?
  • What do you do for fun around here?
  • What’s the best TV series you’ve watched recently?
  • Did you watch the game/match/event last night/the other day?
  • How’s your project/studying going?
  • What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever seen?
  • Has anything happened to you that you couldn’t explain?
  • Do you secretly enjoy any household chores?
  • What’s your most irrational fear?
  • Have you ever met one of your heroes?
  • What have you got going on at the moment?
  • How regularly do use social media?
  • What’s your opinion on ________________?
  • Do you have a party trick?
  • What’s the first job you ever had?
  • Is there anything you tried once that you won’t try again?
  • What’s your guilty pleasure?
  • What’s something you think is overrated?
conversation starter on your favorite memory from childhood

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  • What’s your favorite childhood memory?
  • What’s the funniest thing that happened while you were in high school?
  • If you could have any superpower, which one would it be?
  • What’s the best TV show you’ve ever watched?
  • Where would you love to go on your honeymoon?
  • Do you have a favorite quote you refer to every now and then?
  • What’s your favorite show on Netflix right now?
  • What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
  • What do you think makes the perfect date night?
  • Was it fun to grow up where you did?
  • What’s the best thing about your hometown?
  • Do you have a favorite season?
  • What’s one topic that fascinates you?
  • If success was guaranteed, what job would you want to do?
  • What’s the worst career advice you’ve ever received?
  • What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
  • Is there anything you’ve done that was totally out of character?
  • What’s been the most important invention of the last 50 years?
  • What makes someone a good friend?
  • Would you like to be rich and famous? If so, why?
  • Who’s the best boss/teacher you ever had? Why was he/she such a good boss/teacher?
  • When was the last time you laughed so hard that your stomach hurt? What happened?
  • Do you collect anything?
  • Do you have any superstitions?
  • If you could invite five historical figures to a dinner party, who would they be and why?

Next: Family Conversation Starters

Random Conversation Starters

random conversation starter on the period you'd like to travel back to if it was possible
  • If you could travel back to any period of history, what period would you visit?
  • What’s the weirdest situation you’ve ever been in?
  • Who do you think is the most inspirational figure in the world today?
  • What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
  • What’s the strangest date you’ve ever been on?
  • What’s the oddest dream you’ve ever had?
  • What’s your most controversial opinion?
  • If you could introduce one law, what would it be?
  • If you could find out details of your future, would you want to know?
  • What’s the best TV series you’ve ever watched?
  • What’s one piece of technology you couldn’t live without?
  • What’s the most important invention of the last 50 years?
  • Do you prefer the summer or winter?
  • If you could take five items with you to a desert island, what would they be?
  • If you were offered the chance to go into outer space, would you?
  • What’s the most obscure fact you know?
  • If you could invite three historical figures to a dinner party, who would they be and why?
  • Have you ever experienced you couldn’t explain?
  • If you could bring back one extinct animal, which one would it be?
  • Do you think humanity will ever live on another planet?

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Music Conversation Starters

music conversation starter on what you consider to be the best album of all time
  • What do you consider to be the best album of all time?
  • Who’s your favorite musician?
  • What’s your favorite type of music?
  • Is there a band/artist you think is overrated but everyone else loves?
  • What’s the best concert you’ve been to?
  • What was the last song you listened to?
  • Is there a song that’s always guaranteed to make you cry?
  • What’s your favorite music to listen to while you’re exercising?
  • What’s the first band/artist you remember being really into?
  • Are there any songs you know all the words to?
  • Do you think streaming services like Spotify etc. are good for the music industry or not?
  • Can you play any instruments?
  • What’s the best way to discover new music?
  • What movie soundtrack is your favorite?
  • Are you a fan of classical music or not?
  • Is there an instrument you always wanted to learn how to play but never got around to?
  • Is there an artist/band you like that flies under everyone else’s radar?
  • What decade had the best music?
  • Is there any type of music you can’t stand?
  • How would you describe your musical taste?

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Movie Conversation Starters

movie conversation starter on a movie you can watch over and over and never get bored
  • Is there a movie you can watch over and over and never get bored?
  • What’s your favorite movie?
  • What’s the last movie you watched in a cinema?
  • Who’s your favorite actor/actress?
  • Have you ever watched a silent movie?
  • Who do you think is the most overrated actor/actress of all time?
  • Is there a director whose movies you’ll watch no matter what?
  • Who do you think is the best actor/actress of all time?
  • What’s your favorite movie genre?
  • Have you ever walked out of the cinema midway through a movie and not come back?
  • Is there any movie you can’t get through without crying?
  • What’s your favorite Disney movie?
  • What’s the weirdest movie you’ve ever seen?
  • Are you a fan of horror movies or not?
  • Do you prefer to stream movies at home or watch them in the theater?
  • What do you think of awards season? Is it too much or should we celebrate the movie industry?
  • Do you like watching documentaries?
  • Is there a movie that everyone you can’t stand?
  • What’s your favorite movie series?
  • Has a movie ever made a deep impact on you? What movie was it?

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Travel Conversation Starters

travel conversation starter on the five things at the top of your bucket list
  • What five things are at the top of your bucket list?
  • Have you been on any trips recently?
  • Where’s the best place you ever visited?
  • If you could be transported anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?
  • Where’s the worst place you’ve ever visited?
  • Do you prefer city breaks or adventure trips?
  • Are you more of a slow traveler or do you enjoy seeing somewhere in 2/3 days?
  • Have you ever been backpacking before?
  • Would you rather spend the day at the beach or visit cultural sights?
  • What’s the most underrated country you’ve visited?
  • What’s your favorite mode of travel? Planes, trains, or cars?
  • What’s your funniest traveling story?
  • What’s your favorite city?
  • Do you have any upcoming trips planned?
  • What’s the most adventurous trip you’ve ever been on?
  • Do you have a travel horror story you could share?
  • What’s the longest flight you’ve taken?
  • Do you prefer to travel solo or in a group?
  • Have you ever visited somewhere that took your breath away? Where was it?
  • In what ways has travel changed you as a person?

You might also like: Deep Conversation Starters

Food Conversation Starters

food conversation starter on what your favorite pizza topping is
  • What’s your favorite pizza topping?
  • If you had to eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
  • Do you think pineapple on pizza is acceptable?
  • What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?
  • What’s the one type of cuisine you could eat over and over again?
  • Which country has the best cuisine?
  • Do you prefer to go to a nice restaurant or get takeout?
  • What food is your guilty pleasure?
  • Which one is better: McDonald’s or Burger King? Or neither?
  • Have you ever eaten something so disgusting you threw up straight away?
  • What’s your favorite meal to cook at home?
  • Do you like it when your partner cooks for you?
  • What’s your favorite dessert?
  • Have you ever had a food fight?
  • If you were on death row, what would your last meal be?
  • What’s the spiciest food you’ve ever eaten?
  • Which country’s cuisine is the most underrated?
  • Have you ever enjoyed a meal so much you licked the plater afterward?
  • Have you ever eaten at a Michelin-starred restaurant?
  • What’s your go-to meal to make if you’re in a rush and wanted to make something quick?

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Sports Conversation Starters

sports conversation starter on an underrated sport you really enjoy
  • What’s an underrated sport that you really enjoy?
  • What’s your favorite sport?
  • Is there a sports team you follow religiously?
  • What’s your favorite sport to play?
  • What do you think is the hardest sport to master?
  • Do sportspeople deserve to be paid as much as they are?
  • Are there fantasy leagues you take part in?
  • Do you prefer to watch a sport or play it?
  • Are there any sports video games you enjoy playing?
  • Who do you think is the best sports star at the moment?
  • Why do you think sports are so popular not just in our culture but in the past too?
  • What’s your least favorite sport?
  • Is there a sport you’ve always wanted to try but never got around to?
  • What’s the best sporting event you’ve been to?
  • How do you define what constitutes a sport? Do you consider chess or darts to be a sport for example?
  • Who do you think are the top 5 sports stars of all time?
  • If you could be a professional in any sport, which one would it be?
  • What’s the most boring sport to watch on TV?
  • What’s the most interesting fact about sports you know?
  • What would the world look if there were no sports?

Looking For More Questions?

Deep Questions – Want to get to know someone on a deeper level? These are the questions you should be asking.

Thought-Provoking Questions – A set of talking points that will have you discussing a variety of topics long into the night.

Conversation Starters For Texting – Want to know the best ways to start a conversation via text? We’ve got you covered.

Christmas Conversation Starters – Never run out of talking points with these festive conversation starters to use with your family!

Icebreaker Questions – Perfect questions to ask if you’re meeting people for the first time at work or at a party!

A photo of Tom who is the Co-Founder of Questions About Everything

Tom Stevenson

Co-Founder of Questions About Everything

Tom is a travel writer and Co-Founder of Questions About Everything. He grew up in the UK and enjoys spending his time traveling to new places, supporting Liverpool FC, and blogging about his adventures. He spent two years teaching English in Barcelona and frequently utilized question games and conversation starters as part of his lesson plans. As an EFL teacher, he took full responsibility for planning and delivering lessons, frequently employing creative and diverse questions to engage the children in conversation. Learn more about Tom on our About page.

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