First dates can be challenging because it’s hard to keep the ball rolling with interesting conversation. If you don’t know the person you’re on a date with, it can be difficult to know what you should talk about.

Asking questions is always a good idea for two reasons. First, it shows them that you are interested in them and want to know about their life. Second, when they answer your question, it guides you in deciding what to talk about from your own life.

If you’re going on a first date, it helps to have some topics that are good to talk about. Here are some suggestions for things to talk about on a first date to keep it interesting.

#1 Place You’ve Lived

You might be surprised to know how much you can learn about a person by talking about the places they’ve lived. It can reveal what kind of life they like - slow or fast-paced - and what they hope to have from their life in the future.

Start by talking about where they live now. You can ask if they like their neighborhood/city and if not, what they don’t like about it. If they do like it, what’s their favorite thing about it? Where do they like to spend their time when they aren’t at home? What restaurants or cafes do they like? Are there interesting events they like to go to?

From there, you can ask them if they’ve lived anywhere else. Where was their favorite place that they have lived? Why did they leave there? Would they ever consider going back?

Finally, you can talk about places they’d like to live. Are they considering moving? Do they want to live somewhere else in the future?

#2 Jobs And Careers

A person’s job says a lot about them. It can tell you if they like working with people or if they prefer to work alone. You can learn if they prefer to keep busy or if they like a slower-paced lifestyle.

You can begin with the job they have and ask if they like it. What do they like about it? What don’t they like? Do they think they will keep this job for a long time or do they have other career aspirations?

By talking about jobs and careers you can also find out how motivated they are. Some people are happy to work at a job that pays the bills while other people are inspired by challenges and personal satisfaction. For some people, their job is just part of their life but for others, a job is a major factor in their life decisions.

#3 Hobbies and Interests

No one can work all the time, so find out what your date likes to do when they aren’t working. For some people, work is at the forefront and they don’t have a lot of interests outside of it. There’s nothing wrong with that but does that align with your own personal values?

Do they like to watch movies or television? If they do, what kinds of shows do they watch? Someone who watches a lot of rom-coms and reality shows might be focused on finding a life partner. If you’re not at the stage in your life where you want to settle down, this might be a good cue that they are not the right person for you.

What about activities outside the house? Do they like to run or play team sports? Are they into music concerts or live theatre? 

#4 Get Deeper

If you get bored with small talk (but don’t skip it altogether because those small talk conversations can reveal a lot about a person), you might want to have some deeper conversations.

Here are some ideas for talking points that will get you right into the deep:

• What do you like about yourself the most?
• What do you dislike about yourself the most?
• What is your pet peeve?
• What’s the best day you ever had?
• If you have a dinner party and invite any three people, dead or alive, who would you want to share a meal with?
• What’s your big red flag?
• What non-physical quality attracts you to a person the most (either romantically or for friendship)?
• If you could spend a week anywhere, all expenses paid, where would you go? Who would you bring with you - or would you go alone?
• If you could go back in time to any point in your life with the knowledge you have now, what would you do differently (if anything)?