Looking for conversation starters that naturally liven up chats with friends? With social media everywhere, there should be plenty of shared topics.
Still, it’s not always easy to think of them, and figuring out how to ask the first question can be tricky.
So this time, we’re introducing a set of classic questions that can help deepen your conversations with friends or even spark them in the first place.
These are all questions that can reveal new sides of the other person, help you share values, and bring you closer.
Give them a try in your next conversation!
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Classic conversation topics that always excite friends (1–10)
What would you bring to a deserted island?
An uninhabited island is a situation where what you seek isn’t easily obtained—an environment where ingenuity is necessary to survive.
This question asks you to consider what you would need to survive on such an island and, if you could bring something with you, what would be best.
You might think in terms of survival essentials, or you might choose something precious you’d always want by your side.
It’s the kind of prompt that also reveals how each person faces hardship—shedding light on their individual character.
What’s a little skill you have?
How about sharing small, utterly useless little talents from everyday life? Being able to instantly think of things only you can do is important for keeping the conversation flowing.
Once someone shares a small talent, it often opens up the discussion—others may have similar skills to chime in with.
It’s also fun to have everyone present try the talent on the spot: if they can’t do it, it really highlights how impressive it is, and if they can, you’ve just added a new trick to your own repertoire.
It’s the kind of topic that also makes you curious about when and how each person discovered their talent.
What’s your favorite local specialty food?
Across Japan, there are all kinds of local specialties—from dishes that showcase regional products to foods used for town revitalization.
How about asking people to introduce a favorite local food they’d recommend to others? You could highlight a dish that left a strong impression on you while traveling, or make a lively presentation about your hometown’s cuisine.
Since it’s purely a talk theme, it really tests how well you can convey deliciousness using words alone.
What’s the thing that made you laugh the most recently?
A theme that reveals people’s personalities and everyday lives: the funniest thing you’ve experienced recently.
Little slip-ups at home, chats with friends, funny misspeaks—one memorable story after another that keeps you chuckling just thinking about them.
It’s a topic that makes both the speaker and the listener smile and instantly brightens the mood of the room.
It can also be a great spark to expand the conversation, even with friends you haven’t seen in a while.
By sharing fun memories, you get to understand each other better, making it perfect for times when you want to look back and enjoy a pleasant, laughter-filled moment together.
How do you like your fried eggs?
There’s an endless debate over whether to put soy sauce or Worcestershire-style sauce on fried eggs.
Why not take it further and ask about people’s preferences for how they eat them, not just the condiments? By bringing in new angles beyond seasonings—like preferred cooking methods or what foods to pair them with—the conversation might get even more heated than when talking about condiments alone.
Clearly sharing favorite ways to eat them and creative tweaks could inspire people to try new styles themselves.
What would you do if you won the lottery?
Lotteries, which see big excitement in summer and at the end of the year, are fun partly because you get to imagine what you’d do if you won.
How about sharing and debating your own fantasies for how you’d spend the winnings? If you won a large amount, would you use it on something big or spend it little by little? Your personality shows in that choice.
There are many kinds of lotteries in the world, and the payout varies depending on the type, so it could be interesting to focus on how spending plans change with the size of the prize.
What pet would you like to try keeping?
Pets are like family to humans, and the type of animal someone welcomes as a pet can reveal aspects of their personality.
This set of questions explores attitudes toward pets—what animals people currently have and what they’d like to have.
It’s also a good idea to ask about unexpected choices, not just classics like dogs and cats, since those picks can reveal deeper parts of someone’s character.
Let’s also check their imagination—how clearly they can picture life with a pet.
What should we order at the yakiniku place?
Let’s talk about the cuts you always order when you go out for yakiniku, as well as your favorite cuts.
Don’t just announce your favorite—explain why you like it, too, and aim to win over more supporters.
If you choose a classic cut that everyone knows, you can discuss its appeal from a deeper angle, which might make it easier to bring people from other “factions” on board.
If rarer cuts come up, it’ll likely deepen everyone’s understanding of yakiniku and make the conversation more fun.
If you expand the topic to something like “the best yakiniku you’ve ever had,” you might even discover new possibilities for enjoying yakiniku.
What is your favorite sport?NEW!
Sports aren’t just fun to play; they’re also enjoyable to watch, and what people enjoy about them varies from person to person.
How about thinking about your favorite sports and why you like them, to get a better sense of your hobbies? It could also be interesting to trace which sports you’ve played and which you’ve watched, and how that’s changed over time.
Talking about which aspects you find appealing and showing your passion might make it even more enjoyable.
What do you want right now?
The things people want differ—some may be practical items for everyday life, others might be hobby tools.
Given that, how about asking people to talk about the one thing they want most right now, explaining why they want it and what makes it appealing? Ask them to share what sparked their interest, whether it’s something they’d recommend to others, and to express their desire from various angles.
By having each person speak passionately, you might just inspire those around them to want it too.