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40+ Good Conversation Topics To Talk About

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Do you ever have times when you’re wondering what to talk about? Sometimes it’s difficult to think of what to say to keep a conversation going.

We’ve all been there.

This collection of fun conversation ideas and good topics to talk about will help you spark an interesting chat with anyone you encounter.

Now is the best time to create rapport.

If you’re looking for interesting topics to talk about, you’ve come to the right place.

We’ve created a huge list of questions to keep a conversation going to provide a wide variety of random things to talk about with friends.

We’ve split this list of good conversation topics into categories. All you need to do is browse the different subjects and use the prompts to initiate a long convo!

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5 Secrets For A Brilliant Conversation

  • Ask open-ended questions which allow someone to give an expanded answer rather than “yes” or “no”.
  • Figure out what the other person’s interests are and encourage them to talk about them.
  • Ask follow-up questions to encourage them to expand on their answers. Avoid criticism or condemnation.
  • Ask questions that allow someone to tell a story or express an opinion, but avoid politics early on.
  • Be a good, genuinely interested, listener, and make the other person feel important.

Good Conversation Topics To Talk About

Conversation Topics

These initial good conversation topics to talk about are a list of questions that serve as ideal icebreakers.

The first questions are perfect for a casual social situation where you need to get a conversation started.

The latter suggestions are better for getting to know someone during a longer discussion.

  • Have you been up to anything fun this week? Asking this is a good way to get an insight into their hobbies and interests. People also often say work, which is a good segway into the next question.
  • What do you do for a living? Discussing their career can make them feel important. Look to ask follow-up questions for more detail and show genuine interest.
  • What’s your favorite part of your job? People like to talk about things they enjoy doing. This open question gives someone the opportunity to do just that. It can also give insight into what part of their role they are proud of. Showing sincere respect for someone’s achievements is a likeable trait.
  • Did you hear about (recent news event)? This is a great icebreaker. Talking about current affairs is an easy way to get someone to share an opinion on something, which makes for an interesting discussion.
  • Do you follow sports? Finding out what someone’s interests are and encouraging them to talk about them is a great approach to starting a conversation. Sports can often be a winner.
  • Ask a question about the current situation. Look at the surroundings for cues to start a discussion. If you’re in a bar, ask what they’re drinking. If it’s really warm, make a comment on the weather and go from there.
  • Have you got any plans for the weekend? Discussing future plans is a simple way to look for shared interests. Perhaps they plan to go hiking and you share that hobby. Exploring shared interests will provide many interesting conversation topics.
  • What brings you to this event/how do you know the host/hostess? If you’re at a hosted event, talking about people you both know is a great way to break the ice. You can tell a story about the host or comment on a personality trait.
  • What are you drinking? (If at a party). This can be followed up by asking what drinks they usually enjoy. Perhaps they are an avid wine drinker or enjoy craft beer. Best case, it avoids an awkward silence!
  • What kind of things are you interested in? This really open question gives someone the all-clear to talk about whatever they want. Encouraging people to talk about their passion is a great idea. You might even discover that you can contribute/help them in some way in achieving their goals. Perhaps you can suggest an awesome hiking route or a great book on the topic they choose to discuss.
  • Do you have any hobbies? Similar to the above question, this one focuses more on activities and free time.
  • Are there any travel destinations you’d really like to visit this year? This gives someone the opportunity to discuss something that likely excites them. You could of course share where you’d like to visit and the reasons why. Perhaps follow up by asking if they enjoy solo travel or going with friends.
  • Where is the most awesome place you’ve ever visited? Travel is a great topic to talk about. Sharing stories about experiences helps you relive them, which brings back the positive emotion associated with those memories.
  • What kind of music are you into? You could ask follow-up questions about live music or tell a story about a festival, event, or gig you’ve attended yourself.
  • What part of town do you get your coffee fix? Discussing simple things in life like your favorite coffee shops are a great way to build rapport. Light conversation helps to build a connection early in an interaction.
  • Have you watched any great movies recently? People can be really passionate about movies. Perhaps you’re talking to a Marvel fanatic. Sharing great movies is one of those random topics that’s great to talk about.
  • What was the last TV series you binge-watched? Perhaps there is a show you both love that you can discuss together.
  • Are you into reading? You could follow this up by asking what books they read when they were younger. Some people love reading and will enjoy sharing their passion with you.
  • Do you have any pets? People who have pets absolutely love talking about them. If they’re a dog lover, ask about their favorite walking spots. Share whether you’re a dog or cat person yourself.

You Might Enjoy the Table Topics Conversation Starters Game on Amazon

Good Topics to Talk About
  • What do you like to do to relax? In addition to finding out what someone likes to do in their spare time, this can give an insight into their lifestyle. Some people are very busy, don’t have much time to relax, or live a very active life.
  • Where’s your favorite walking spot around here? This is one of those simple subjects to talk about. Perhaps follow up with a comment on walking during rainy days or a hike you plan to do yourself in the future.
  • Did you grow up around here? Asking questions about someone’s hometown is a great way to find out more about their personal life and background. Perhaps follow up with questions about siblings or family members living nearby.
  • How do you spend your Sundays? This is an indirect way to ask about someone’s interests. Some people like to enjoy a lazy Sunday, while others use it to practice an active lifestyle!
  • Do you prefer home-cooked meals or heading out to a restaurant? If you’re planning to ask someone on a date, this can be a great way to direct the conversation in that direction.
  • Are you close to your family? For many people, family is really important. Giving them an opportunity to share their close relationships or recent visits is a great topic to talk about.
  • What did you want to be when you were growing up? A simple follow-up is to ask what changed (if they now do a different career).
  • What do you usually get up to when you meet up with your friends? This is an indirect way of finding out about someone’s social life. Again, it’s important to ask people about things that mean a lot to them. Friends certainly fall in that category.
  • Do you have any controversial opinions? This question can spark a random conversation about something unusual. Try to have your own controversial opinion prepared prior to asking!
  • Have you got any tattoos? Tattoos often have a story behind them, so can be a great conversation starter.
  • What kind of qualities do you look for in a partner? (If chatting to someone you’re interested in). If you’re talking to someone on a dating app, this can be a good way to direct the conversation toward relationships.
  • What’s the last thing that got you laughing? Laughing is a very positive emotion. Recalling a funny story is a great way to bring back those happy memories and create an enjoyable discussion.

These light-hearted subjects are perfect topics of conversation. For a wider variety of stuff to talk about, continue reading.

Next: Deep Conversation Starters

More Topics to Talk About

Here we have split everything into categories and given you several recommendations of questions to ask to initiate conversation. Remember to follow up with additional questions and comments to keep things flowing. Enjoy these good topics to talk about!

Travel

  1. What are the top places you want to visit?
  2. What’s the best place you’ve ever visited?
  3. If you could spend a month in any country, which one would it be?
  4. What’s one place you visited that didn’t live up to your expectations?
  5. What lessons from traveling are the most important you’ve learned during your various trips?

Hobbies

topic to talk about on what your hobbies are
  1. What are your hobbies?
  2. Is there anything you spend your time doing that you’re ashamed of or embarrassed about? Do you still watch a kids’ TV show from your childhood, collect teddy bears, or something similar?
  3. Do you feel your hobbies enrich your life, or can they be something that pulls your focus away from other, more important things? How do your hobbies affect the people around you?
  4. Are your hobbies something you do by yourself or along with others? Could it be a group activity but it’s something you keep to yourself for some reason?
  5. Are your hobbies something you do for the enjoyment of other people or for yourself? Is there an aspect of both?

Next: Personal questions

Music

  1. What kind of music do you like?
  2. If you could be in any band from the past or present, which one would you choose?
  3. What song is your guilty pleasure?
  4. What’s the best concert you’ve been to?
  5. What’s your favorite album?

Movies

  1. What’s your favorite film?
  2. Who’s your favorite actor/actress?
  3. What underrated film do you think deserves more credit?
  4. What was the last movie you saw?
  5. What film do you always enjoy watching again and again?

Books

  1. Do you like reading?
  2. If you had to recommend a book to someone you just met, which one would you choose?
  3. What’s the best book you’ve read this year?
  4. What book are you reading at the moment?
  5. Do you prefer buying books in a bookstore or over the internet?

Comedy/Humor

  1. What sense of humor do you have?
  2. What’s your favorite comedy film?
  3. If you could go and see one comedian live, who would it be?
  4. Do you think laughter is the best medicine?
  5. What’s your favorite comedy series?

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Family

  1. How many siblings do you have?
  2. Are you close to your family?
  3. What family traditions do you have?
  4. Do you keep in contact with your extended family?
  5. Do you live close to your family?

Pets

topic to talk about on whether you had a pet growing up
  1. Did you have a pet growing up?
  2. What exotic animal would you love to have as a pet?
  3. Are you a cat or a dog person?
  4. What do you think about _______ as a pet?
  5. Do you think it’s beneficial or not to have pets when you’re a child?

Exercise

  1. What’s your favorite form of exercise?
  2. What do you do to stay active?
  3. Do you think we need to prioritize exercise more in society?
  4. Do you prefer to do cardio or lift weights?
  5. What’s your favorite outdoor activity?

Cooking

  1. Do you consider yourself to be good at cooking?
  2. What’s your favorite meal to cook?
  3. Do you like it when someone cooks for you?
  4. What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in the kitchen?
  5. Who’s the best cook you know?

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History

  1. Do you think it’s important to study history?
  2. What’s the most interesting fact you know about your country?
  3. If you could live in one historical period, which would it be?
  4. What do you think has been the most consequential moment in recent history?
  5. What’s the most important lesson we can learn from history?

Food

  1. What would convince you to turn vegetarian or vegan? Does the pressure on the environment or the treatment of animals give you a reason to pause at all?
  2. We have enough food in the world to feed everyone and yet people still starve – how would you sort out the situation so food got to everyone?
  3. What makes something a soup? Is cereal, soup? What makes something a salad? Is a bowl of lettuce, salad, or just a bowl of lettuce?
  4. The Caesar salad actually originated from a Mexican city called Tijuana, when Chef Caesar Cardini was hosting 4th of July celebrations, he ran out of food, so put together anything he had in the kitchen to create an entirely new salad, that became a huge success – what strange food origins do you know about?
  5. The stickers on apples are actually edible, not to say they are necessarily good for you, but won’t do you any harm – if food packaging was actually edible, how many people do you think would just munch right through it?

Sports

  1. What’s your favorite sport to watch?
  2. If you were to be a professional athlete, which sport would you play? What do you think your life would look like?
  3. What do you think about transgender women athletes, as in biological males who identify as women, competing in women’s sports?
  4. Do you support any sports teams? How much support do you give them – just shouting at the TV when they play or do you buy season tickets and go and watch all their games? How much of a part of your life does supporting them take up?
  5. If you could add any sport to the Olympics, which would you add?

Entertainment

topic to talk about on what you think about the way we binge entertainment
  1. What do you think about the way our culture ‘binges’ entertainment?
  2. Do you think we’ve reached peak saturation when it comes to superhero movies?
  3. Do you think celebrities have a duty to use their platforms and influence to speak on issues of social justice and politics?
  4. Do you think it’s more worth your time watching a TV show where you get emersed in a story many people have created, playing a video game where you are imagining being another and working on your cognitive function, or reading a book where you further your imagination and enter a world created by a single author?
  5. Why do you think countries hold different entertainment in different lights?

Social Media

  1. What social media platform do you use the most? Is it the one you’ve always used most, or have you given up on other ones for some reason?
  2. How would the world be different if there was no such thing as social media?
  3. Since the invention of smartphones, children have become more depressed and suicidal, and it’s been directly linked to them using social media – how would you combat this problem, if you had the power to enact change?
  4. How would social media be different if you were told everything about the person you’re speaking to – the joys and hardships of their life, their opinions, and their interests before you speak to them?
  5. What are your thoughts on social media platforms blocking certain opinions or viewpoints? Is it their right as an independent company or with the monopoly on virtual communication, are they more like a ‘public space’ now? Is it good for a social media company to decide what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, and what about the blocked ideas that are later seen to be more credible like the lab leak theory of Covid-19?

You might also like: Random Questions

Charity/Volunteering

  1. If you could volunteer for any charity, which one would it be?
  2. Which charity’s mission is close to your heart?
  3. Do you feel charities have a positive impact on the world?
  4. Do you donate to any charities?
  5. Do you think there are some charities that aren’t worth supporting?

Languages

  1. Do you speak any other languages apart from your native tongue?
  2. If you could speak any language perfectly, which would it be?
  3. Do you think it’s important to be able to speak multiple languages?
  4. What do you think is the most useful language to know?
  5. What do you think would be the hardest language for you to learn?

Philosophy

  1. Do you think free will exists?
  2. If freedom is being able to do what you want, are humans freer than animals?
  3. Does absolute power corrupt absolutely?
  4. Is there anything in life that can be truly classed as objective?
  5. Is nature or nurture more important when it comes to our character?

Next: Philosophical Questions

Jobs and Careers

topic to talk about on whether your current job is your dream job
  1. Is your current job your dream job?
  2. How long have you been working toward the job you are currently doing? Does this have any effect on your thoughts of changing to another?
  3. What keeps you at your place of work? What would cause you to leave?
  4. What job do you think it would be good for you to do for a day to have a greater appreciation for the work that goes into ‘it’?
  5. If you achieved employee of the month every month, but with it came a pay rise every time, would you work a little less hard to let others get ahead, or wouldn’t you care if everyone started hating you?

You might also like: Questions to Ask Friends

Apps

  1. What’s the most useful app you have on your phone?
  2. What app eats up most of your time?
  3. Do you think we need an ‘app for everything’?
  4. What app would you recommend to someone?
  5. Do apps make your life easier or not?

Politics

topic to talk about on whether liberal and conservative are good labels
  1. Do you think ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative’ are good labels anymore?
  2. Where do you lie on the political spectrum?
  3. Do you think democracy is in danger from populism?
  4. Is it important to follow politics or can you be too informed about what’s happening?
  5. Do you think it’s ever possible to have truly free speech?

Religion

  1. Are you religious? If so, which religion do you ascribe to? If not, what religion would you choose if you had to?
  2. Do you think religion is a net positive or negative for society?
  3. If people believe in some parts of a religion, but not all of it, is it really faith or commitment, or is it just picking and choosing nice ideas to believe in for comfort but not really believing in any of it?
  4. Will there come a point where religions die off or will they always have a place in society?
  5. Is there any difference between people identifying as a Jedi or believing in the Flying Spaghetti Monster and believing in Christianity or Islam?

Dating and Relationships

topic to talk about on the best and worst dates you've had
  1. What’s the best date you’ve ever been on? What was the worst date?
  2. Have you ever done online dating? How did it go/is it going? Who’s the strangest person you’ve met?
  3. Do you ever want to get married? If so, do all the marriages ending in divorce stop you from wanting to? If not, what (or who) would cause you to change your mind?
  4. What are your thoughts on keeping sex till marriage? Is that an outdated concept or something that has a lot of forgotten wisdom in it?
  5. If you could go on a date with anyone, who would you date and what would you do with them?

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Games

  1. What’s your favorite board game?
  2. What game consoles did you have when you were a child?
  3. Do you prefer playing board games or video games?
  4. What’s your favorite video game?
  5. What do you think is the best card game to play with friends?

Cars

  1. What was the first car you owned?
  2. What’s your dream car?
  3. Do you think self-driving cars will be commonplace in the future?
  4. Would you consider getting an electric car at some point?
  5. What do you think is the worst car you could drive?

Online dating

  1. Have you ever used a dating app?
  2. Do you think online dating has made it easier or harder to find a partner?
  3. What’s your favorite dating app to use?
  4. What do you think you could be done to make dating apps better?
  5. Have you been on a date with someone you’ve met on an app?

Nature

  1. What’s your favorite natural landscape?
  2. What’s your favorite outdoor setting to visit near where you live?
  3. What’s the most extreme landscape you’ve visited?
  4. What country do you think has the best landscapes?
  5. How often do you get into nature?

Art

  1. Do you prefer modern art or classical art?
  2. Who’s your favorite artist?
  3. Do you enjoy visiting art galleries?
  4. What’s the most interesting piece of art you’ve seen?
  5. Do you think every piece of art has a clear meaning or is it subjective?

Alcohol

  1. What’s your favorite alcoholic drink?
  2. Do you think alcohol would be legal if it was invented today?
  3. Do you prefer beer or wine?
  4. Do you think we drink too much as a society?
  5. Do you think you’ll ever consider giving up alcohol?

Aging

  1. Are you worried about getting old?
  2. What’s the thing you’re worried about the most when it comes to aging?
  3. If you could freeze your body and be reanimated 100 years from now, would you do it?
  4. Do you think humans will be able to live for 200 years at some point?
  5. Do you think younger or older people are happier?

You might also like: Deep Questions to Ask

Space

  1. Do you have the desire to travel into space?
  2. Do you think humans will live on Mars or the Moon in your lifetime?
  3. Are we alone in the universe or not?
  4. If you could travel anywhere in the solar system, where would you go?
  5. What do you think caused the Big Bang?

Weather

  1. What’s your favorite type of weather?
  2. What do you like to do on a rainy day?
  3. What’s the worst storm you’ve been in?
  4. What country could you not live in due to its weather?
  5. What’s the best thing to do on a warm, sunny day?

News

topic to talk about on where you get your news from
  1. Where do you get your news from?
  2. Do you trust the mainstream media?
  3. Do you think 24-hour news is helpful or does it overload us with too much information?
  4. What stories from around the world aren’t getting nearly enough coverage in the news?
  5. How much of what we hear as ‘news’, is actually hot takes and opinions? Do you think this is good or inevitable, or do you think that they should be split apart to make sure there’s a certain level of impartiality?

You might also like: Good Questions to Ask

Retirement

  1. Are you looking forward to retirement?
  2. Do you think the retirement age will increase in the next fifty years?
  3. How will you spend your time when you retire?
  4. Do you think you’ll be able to adapt to retirement?
  5. Do you think you should tick most of the items off your bucket list before you retire or after?

Celebrities

  1. Do you think celebrity culture is good or not?
  2. Who do you think is a celebrity we should look up to?
  3. What celebrity do you dislike the most?
  4. Do you follow celebrities on the news?
  5. Which celebrity would you like to have dinner with?

Marriage

  1. Do you want to get married at some point?
  2. Do you think the institution of marriage is still relevant in the modern-day?
  3. What does your dream wedding look like?
  4. Were marriages stronger 50 years ago or not?
  5. If you could marry any celebrity, who would it be?

You might also like: Marriage Counseling Questions

Friends

  1. Who’s your best friend?
  2. Are you still friends with the people you went to school with?
  3. Do you think it’s easier or harder to make friends the older you get?
  4. What do you normally do when you hang out with your friends?
  5. Do you think it’s better to have lots of friends or a few close ones?

Health

  1. Do you agree with the sentiment that if you don’t make your health a priority it becomes one?
  2. What do you think is the best way to stay healthy?
  3. What’s your favorite healthy meal to eat?
  4. What’s your best tip for staying healthy?
  5. Are you worried about your health declining as you get older?

Future

topic to talk about on what excites you for the future
  1. What excites you for the future? What makes you anxious about it?
  2. What tech or gadget from movies set in the future do you want the most?
  3. Do you think the future of the human race is on Earth or colonizing other planets like Mars?
  4. What do you think your country will look like in fifty years’ time? From looking at the past’s ideas of what the future will look like, how does that help to predict it better?
  5. What leaps forward in technology, society, medicine, etc. would be most beneficial to the world?

You might also like: Have You Ever Questions

Animals

  1. What’s your spirit animal?
  2. What’s your funniest experience with an animal?
  3. What’s your favorite animal?
  4. Do you think animals have a conscience?
  5. What extinct animal would you bring back from the dead?

Looking For More Questions?

Rapid Fire Questions – A quickfire set of questions that’s great fun with friends.

Dinner Conversation Starters – Some great talking points you can use around the dinner table!

Questions to Ask Potential Roommates – Find out the questions you should ask to find your next roommate.

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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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