10 Safe Questions You Can Ask on a First Date

You finally have the chance to take the conversation offline and meet your online match in person. Or, perhaps you've recently matched online and you're not sure how to spark a conversation. No worries, this is your cheat sheet to safe, fun topics of discussion in the early stages of your relationship.

At the beginning of the relationship, the conversation should be kept lighthearted. Feel free to ask questions to get to know your special someone, but don't delve into deep, political or risqué topics. This may send the message that you're trying to get too deep too soon. These are 10 "safe" questions that would be totally fine to ask on a first date.

1. When is your birthday?
2. What is your zodiac sign?
3. Do you believe in zodiac signs/astrology?
4. If so, do you think what's said about your sign holds true?
5. What do you do for a living? Is that something you always wanted to do?
6. Where did you grow up?
7. What are your favorites (colors, books, movies, songs, vacation destinations, food, ice cream)?
8. What's your biggest fear?
9. What's your biggest accomplishment or the thing you're most proud of?
10. Where can you see yourself in the next 5 years? 10 years?

These are all fun questions that reveal major insights about your new person of interest. This conversation will help to break the ice and open the doorway to more serious and in-depth conversation as your date's progress. Notice, these questions are all centered on the date as an individual. No delving into family history or past relationships. For some, these topics can be a sore subject. If your date doesn't bring them up organically, stick to the safe topics for now.

These topics are open-ended enough to lead to hours of giggling and light-hearted banter. Turn over the floor to your date to expand upon any of these topics and watch the nervous tension just melt away. Be open to answering these questions thoroughly when it's your turn. These questions set the baseline for assessing your compatibility. You'll walk away with an understanding of similarities, differences, life goals, and alignment or misalignment. Happy chatting!