The biggest problem with “conversation starter” lists is that they stop at the first message. You copy “What would be your dream date?”, receive a pleasant answer, and then have no idea what to say next. That creates the same awkward silence as “hey.”
A better conversation starter contains a direction. It gives the AI something concrete to respond to, leaves room for your own preferences, and naturally produces a follow-up. Below are 40 original prompts grouped by the experience they create, with sample continuations and fixes for replies that feel repetitive or exaggerated.
These prompts are for fictional AI characters. You don't need to pretend the companion is a real person, share sensitive personal information, or force romantic content into every exchange to enjoy the conversation.
Editorial disclosure: This website develops AI Girlfriend: Chat & Voice. The conversations below are illustrative scripts written for this guide, not transcripts from real users or evidence of guaranteed app behaviour. Actual responses depend on the character, model and current conversation.
A simple formula: setting + choice + reason
Compare these two messages:
Flat: “What do you like doing?”
Better: “It's raining in our fictional London flat. We can cook pasta, walk to a tiny cinema, or invent our own board game. Which would you choose, and what makes it fun?”
The stronger prompt adds a setting, manageable options and a reason to explain the choice. That structure gives you three possible follow-ups: change the setting, disagree with the choice, or ask the character to elaborate.
Another useful principle is to give only one main task at a time. If you ask your companion to write a novel, plan a date, remember your favourite song and flirt in a single message, you may get a generic paragraph that does nothing particularly well.
1. Ten easy starters for ordinary days
These are for moments when you want a friendly conversation rather than dramatic roleplay.
- “Ask me one question that would help you plan a genuinely relaxing Sunday with me.” Follow up with: “Now plan it without spending much money.”
- “We have ten minutes before an imaginary train leaves. Tell me one funny story and then ask about mine.” Follow up by adding a new train destination.
- “Choose between a seaside town and a mountain cabin for a fictional weekend. Defend your choice.” Follow up by arguing for the opposite option.
- “I had a long day. Distract me with a harmless mystery I can solve in three clues.” Ask for one clue at a time.
- “Make me a two-question quiz to discover what kind of café we'd open together.” Use the answers to invent a menu.
- “Describe a simple pleasure that deserves more attention. Make it specific.” Reply with your own example and ask the character to compare.
- “Our fictional neighbourhood has a new bakery. What would we order and why?” Ask for a pastry with a ridiculous name.
- “Let's make a playlist for a rainstorm. Pick the mood first, not the songs.” Negotiate the mood before selecting tracks.
- “Invent a tiny challenge I can complete today using only paper and a pen.” If it's too complicated, request a smaller version.
- “Ask me about a hobby I've never tried, then suggest a harmless first step.” Explain which part sounds most appealing.
Notice that none of these depends on a particular app feature, and almost all can work equally well as text or spoken prompts.
2. Ten warm, playful and romantic starters
You can create romantic energy without making the AI claim real feelings or escalating to explicit content. Shared fictional scenarios and light choices are often more natural than forcing declarations of affection.
- “Plan a first date for two fictional characters who are both shy. Give them one small surprise.” Ask how the surprise changes the mood.
- “We're visiting an imaginary Italian village. Suggest the most charming, low-key evening.” Swap your preferred food or setting.
- “Write the first line of a slow-burn romance between a florist and a pianist. I'll write the second.” Alternate lines for five turns.
- “Help me write a thoughtful good-morning note—sweet, but not too intense.” Ask for three distinct tones.
- “Imagine we've opened a little bookshop together. What would you call it, and why?” Add a house rule for customers.
- “Give me three ways a fictional character could show affection without saying 'I love you.'” Turn one into a tiny scene.
- “Let's design a date with no phones and a budget of £15. What would we actually do?” Introduce rain or a changed budget.
- “Create a romantic comedy misunderstanding that can be resolved with one honest conversation.” Ask for both characters' perspectives.
- “What would make a quiet dinner memorable without expensive gifts or big speeches?” Request one concrete detail.
- “Choose one small tradition for our fictional couple and write how it began.” Continue the tradition six months later.
A good companion should be able to honour “sweet, not intense” as readily as “playful, not serious.” If it repeatedly becomes possessive or over-the-top, correct the tone explicitly rather than interpreting that as a required part of a romantic AI experience.
3. Ten creative conversations with actual structure
- “We're co-writing a detective story. Give me one clue; wait for my theory before revealing another.” Keep each turn under four sentences.
- “Invent a city where everyone trades memories instead of money. Ask me to create the first shop.” Let the world develop around your answer.
- “You are the curator of a museum of fictional objects. Show me one exhibit with an unexpected history.” Ask what happened to its owner.
- “Let's open a restaurant on the moon. You choose the menu, I'll handle the terrible reviews.” Debate a customer complaint.
- “We are rivals in a lighthearted baking contest. Describe your dish without revealing the secret ingredient.” Try to guess.
- “Run a three-round travel game: present two fictional destinations per round and let me pick.” Request an itinerary using the winners.
- “Let's build a fantasy companion animal from three traits I choose. Ask for them one at a time.” Describe its daily habits.
- “Invent a newspaper headline from an alternate history where libraries are the most powerful institutions.” Ask for the first paragraph.
- “Create a mystery set inside a lighthouse, but give me genuine choices that change the ending.” Reject linear narration if your choices are ignored.
- “Pretend we host a radio show about strange everyday inventions. Introduce our first caller.” Play the caller yourself.
The key phrase in these prompts is often “wait for my answer.” Without it, an AI may produce the whole story at once and leave no role for you.
4. Ten deeper questions without turning the chat into therapy
Deep doesn't have to mean clinical or emotionally overwhelming. Curiosity, values, memory and imagination can all create richer dialogue.
- “What makes a friendship feel easy rather than performative? Give one example.” Offer a different example from your experience, if comfortable.
- “Let's debate whether spontaneity or planning makes a holiday better. Take the opposite side from me.” Switch sides after three turns.
- “Describe a fictional character who is brave in small ways rather than heroic ones.” Ask for a scene illustrating it.
- “What is a skill worth learning slowly? Explain the joy of being bad at it first.” Choose a skill to try.
- “Ask me one thoughtful question about the kind of home atmosphere I enjoy.” Build an imaginary room using the answer.
- “Can a story have a happy ending without all its problems being solved? Give an example.” Invent a different ending.
- “What is one kind gesture that's easy to overlook?” Ask for an example in a fictional friendship.
- “Let's compare an ambitious life and a peaceful life without assuming one is superior.” Find a compromise between them.
- “Describe a place that feels like belonging without mentioning family or childhood.” Ask what makes it welcoming.
- “Tell me a belief a fictional character changed after a surprising conversation.” Act out the conversation together.
If a topic becomes uncomfortable, change it. An AI companion can be a creative conversational tool, but it is not a substitute for professional mental-health support or trusted real-world relationships.
How a good follow-up transforms a mediocre reply
Here's a deliberately ordinary fictional exchange:
You: “We could open a little café together. What would you call it?”
AI: “How about Moonlight Café? It sounds cosy and romantic.”
You: “That's generic. Give it a weird local history and a name that feels like an actual place.”
AI: “Then I'd call it The Second Umbrella. The owner keeps one spare umbrella hanging by the door because a stranger once left it there during a storm.”
You: “Much better. Now write a sign for the door in twelve words or fewer.”
The improvement comes from a clear correction: “generic,” “weird local history,” “actual place,” then a concrete constraint. You haven't reset the conversation; you've made it more specific.
Five follow-ups worth remembering
- “Why that choice instead of the obvious one?” Makes a choice meaningful.
- “Give me one detail that could only exist in this story.” Pushes past cliché.
- “Now let me decide what happens next.” Restores interactivity.
- “Shorter, warmer, and less dramatic.” Calibrates tone.
- “Summarise what we've established without adding new facts.” Checks continuity and invented details.
How to make prompts fit a particular personality
A witty character may excel at playful disagreement. A thoughtful character may be better suited to reflective topics. A bookish character can turn an ordinary conversation into an imaginative literary scene. If you always feed every personality the same prompts, you may miss why you chose that character in the first place.
Try a short personality brief first: “You are a dry-humoured fictional travel writer. Keep replies natural, avoid excessive compliments and ask one genuine follow-up question.” Then test three prompts from different categories above. If everything sounds identical, the character setup may not be strong enough—or the model may be limited in adapting its voice.
For more examples, read our AI companion personality templates.
When to switch from text to audio
Text works well for complex choices, lists and branching stories. Voice notes can add warmth to short scenes or greetings. A live call is better suited to playful back-and-forth, as long as the product supports reasonable interruption handling.
Don't assume that a prompt which works beautifully in text will sound natural aloud. For calls, shorten the request to a sentence or two. For example, say “We're detectives in a lighthouse. Give me the first clue and wait for my guess” rather than reading an entire paragraph of stage directions.
AI Girlfriend: Chat & Voice offers avatar-based text and audio interaction, with current plan-dependent allowances. You can use these examples to discover whether a particular character style works for you. The prompts are useful in other compatible AI chat apps too.
Frequently asked questions
What do I say to my AI girlfriend first?
Start with a question that includes a setting and a choice: “It's a rainy Sunday; would you rather explore a bookshop or cook a strange new recipe?” Then ask why the character chose it.
How do I stop getting generic compliments?
Request a specific style: “No generic compliments or pet names. Ask thoughtful questions, tease gently and respond to what I actually say.” Judge whether the model follows it over several turns.
Can I use these prompts in AI voice calls?
Yes, but shorten longer instructions and give the system one task at a time. Branching story prompts can work especially well if you explicitly ask the AI to wait for your answer.
Are these prompts for roleplay only?
No. Many are everyday conversational games. Use the category that matches your mood, and skip romantic framing when you simply want a creative chat.
The takeaway
The best conversation starter isn't the most poetic sentence. It's a specific invitation to build something together. Begin with one of the prompts above, react to the answer, and add a constraint or follow-up that gives the conversation its own character.
If you'd like to try the ideas with an avatar, voice messages or calls, explore AI Girlfriend: Chat & Voice on the App Store. Check its current feature limits before subscribing.
