18 easy conversation starters that actually work in real life
Redditor u/PerspectiveMore192 posed a simple question to the r/AskReddit community: "What are some of your easy conversation starters?"
Across the thread, certain themes appeared repeatedly.
Compliments came up often, showing how a little kindness always makes for easy conversation. At the same time, many users emphasized timing: for instance, choosing between asking about past weekends or upcoming plans. Others preferred quirky hypotheticals or nostalgic references.
Meanwhile, some Redditors rejected the idea of rehearsed openers altogether. Instead, they suggested that coming to conversations with others with curiosity and attentiveness were the best tools for keeping dialogue flowing.
Check out 18 of the easiest conversation starters according to Redditors below
1.
"Compliments. Everyone loves them." —u/Routine_Mine_3019
2.
"'Seen anything good lately?' or 'What’s your weekend looking like?' simple, no pressure, gets people talking." —u/[deleted]
3.
"Omg where did you get that bracelet? It’s so fetch." —u/BBoySlim
4.
"Compliment + follow-up question. Like 'I love your shoes, where’d you get them?' Easy way to get someone talking without it feeling forced." —u/Alternative-Gur-1200
5.
"Serious question: pancakes or waffles?" —u/Dangerous_Finger_679
6.
"If you could choose between reading lips and interpreting handwriting, which would you choose and why?" —u/Clarifyingthestuck
7.
"I do what I do in Oblivion to start conversations with strangers. 'Heard any rumors?' You'll be surprised by the response you get!" —u/kypgaming832
8.
"What was your favourite chocolate bar that they don’t make anymore?" —u/Eldavo69
9.
"My favorite is the Florida man day. Tell someone to look up their birthday followed by 'Florida man' or 'Florida woman' and read the resulting news headlines to each other lol.
I can’t remember the exact details, but essentially Florida can report very quickly on things but they don’t get any personal info, so all the headlines read as if it’s a string of crimes being committed by a super villain named Florida man/woman ???? gets people laughing, talking, can go all sorts of directions." —u/Live_From_Somewhere
10.
"You don't need conversation starters if you are genuinely interested in the person and curious about their life, their motivations, their goals, their perspective and so on." —u/Tiramitsunami
11.
"How was your summer? Go anywhere fancy?" —u/TheKidfromHotaru
12.
"'What’s your zodiac sign?' ☺️" —u/bisouthrowawayxoxo
13.
"'I need to poo, could you kindly point me towards the bathroom?' Then squeeze in a compliment, before you squeeze out a poo. Leave a positive impression. Building relationships is about finding things in common. And everyone poops.
Best to shake hands before you go though, as I find many people will decline after you return." —u/LittleOrphanAnavar
14.
"How do you want to die?" —u/vlvlv
15.
"Who’s your favourite Spice Girl?" —u/Eldavo69
16.
"'How was your weekend?' in the beginning of the week. 'Got any weekend plans?' at the end of the week. Neither of those are great on a Wednesday, though..." —u/Jefffahfffah
17.
"I sometimes ask: what kind of cakes do you like? Usually when eating sweets and everyone goes awkwardly silent!" —u/Consistent-smiles
18.
"What’s the difference between Jam and Marmalade?" —u/Eldavo69
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