How to Talk to Girls as a Teen Boy

Co-authored by Connell Barrett and Eric McClure

Last Updated: December 2, 2024 Approved

Do you want to feel more comfortable talking to girls? Don't worry—talking to a teenage girl doesn't have to be so hard! Just be cool about starting the conversation and keep things laid back until you get to know her better. Remember, talking to a girl is just like talking to any other person. You don’t need to go out of your way to be anything other than a genuine, friendly person to chat a girl up.

Here are 11 tips that will make talking to girls feel like a breeze.

1

Treat it like a normal conversation.

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Talking to a girl is just like talking to anyone else. You don’t need to dramatically alter or change anything about yourself to make a good impression. In fact, you’re much less likely to make any progress if you treat her like she’s from another planet. Girls really aren’t all that different from boys; they have hopes, hobbies, and feelings just like you or anyone else, so just treat her like a regular person!^{[1]
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- This is especially true if you like her. If you’ve got a crush, you still need to treat her with respect and normalcy. That doesn’t mean you can’t flirt or express your feelings, but you do need to treat her like a regular person.

2

Fake confidence if you feel nervous.

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Ever heard "fake it till you make it?" It works! If you’re scared you’re coming off like a bit of a dork, just imagine yourself as the coolest kid on the planet. Confidence is all about appearances, and if you act like you’re confident, then that’s how you’ll come off. Just be the best version of yourself when you’re talking to her, and be honest, open, and genuine.^{[2]
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- Avoid any kind of self-deprecating humor. You want to laugh with her, not at yourself.
- Don’t downplay your skills or knowledge. At the same time, don’t go out of your way to lie or try to make yourself sound like the best thing since sliced bread. Just be yourself!
- Reader Poll: We asked 1328 wikiHow readers, and 67% agreed that the best way to show confidence when meeting a girl is making eye contact and smiling. [Take Poll]

3

Say hello.

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Start the conversation by being friendly and cordial. If you’ve never met before, introduce yourself by name and give her a big smile. If you’re striking up a conversation while you’re waiting for class to start or something, you can even start out with an observation or question about your shared environment to get things going.^{[3]
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- If you don't know her, then introduce yourself. Just say, "Hey, I'm Brian. What's your name?" This is simple but effective.
- If you do know the girl, just say, "Hi, How are you?" or "What have you been up to?" You don't have to be too elaborate here -- you just want to walk up to her like it's no big deal.
- You could also say, “You ready for the test today?” or, “That rain this morning was crazy.”

4

Look her in the eye and smile.

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Your body language says a lot, so face her directly and relax. Don’t fidget or stuff your hands in your pockets, which may be tempting if you’re nervous. Keep your shoulders relaxed, stand up straight, and face her with your feet so that you appear open and ready to engage. If you face away from her, look away, or don’t smile, she may assume that you’re not trying to talk with her.^{[4]
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- Don’t come out too strong by getting super close to her or touching her. Unless she “accidentally” grazes against you first or she goes out of her way to give you a hug, assume she doesn’t want anything physical to happen.^{[5]
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  Expert Source
  
  Connell Barrett
  Dating Coach
  
  Expert Interview. 24 September 2019.}

5

Make small talk.

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Start the conversation laid back and relaxed to take things slow. You could anchor the chat in something going on around you, like the teacher in your class, the weather, or a book she’s been carrying around with her. Alternatively, you could bring up a movie that just came out, or a popular TV show. By not jumping into some serious topic, you give her a little wiggle room to relax and guide the conversation.^{[6]
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Connell Barrett
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Expert Interview. 24 September 2019.}
- For example, you might say "Can you believe how hot it was this weekend? I was supposed to go out, but I just couldn’t bring myself to go outside. What did you do?"
- You might start, “You ever seen The Avengers? I just started watching it last night. It’s really good.”
- If you just come straight out and start asking her about her deepest dreams and desires, she may feel kind of overwhelmed and put-off.

6

Ask her questions.

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Build off of the small talk by throwing out some open-ended questions. Keep them light and don’t get super personal right off the bat. This gives her the opportunity to open up a bit and talk about herself. Everyone loves sharing what’s going on in their life, and this is a great way to steer the conversation into a more meaningful place.^{[7]
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- Remember, you have to actually listen to her! Don’t get super caught up thinking about your next move; just follow along and let the conversation develop organically.
- Build off of what she says. If she just mentioned the teacher in the class, you might ask, “What do you think of Mr. Dwyer?” or, “Did you have as much trouble as I did with last night’s homework?”

7

Mirror her tone and energy.

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If she’s in a good mood, try to keep things positive as well. If she seems preoccupied with something, don’t keep pushing the conversation and let it end organically. Meeting her on her terms is a great way to increase the odds that you develop a genuine friendship or relationship. People aren’t always looking for a super-deep conversation, so don’t force it if it isn’t happening naturally.^{[8]
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- Avoid short, one-word answers since they tend to put an end to conversations really quickly. If she asks you a question and you just say, “Yes” or “No,” you’re not really giving her anything to work off of.
- If she starts turning away from you and acting like she doesn’t want to keep talking, let it go. You can always try chatting her up in the future.
- For example, if she says, “I can’t stand this class,” you might say, “Yeah, it’s definitely a tough one sometimes. History is my worst subject.”
- If she starts talking about a movie you haven’t seen or something like that, you might say, “You know, I haven’t seen that one. Is it worth watching?”

8

Give her a compliment.

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If you want to flirt or make her feel good, say something nice. Try to comment on something related to her personality or behavior. If you’re trying to flirt a bit, comment on her clothing or hair style. If she feels good when your conversation is over, she’ll be more likely to want to talk to you in the future.^{[9]
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- For example, you might say, “I really liked your argument in history class,” or, “I heard you made the starting team in basketball. Congrats!”
- You could also say, “I really like your headband,” or, “Those shoes are really slick.”
- Don’t get too personal or physical with the compliment. If she feels like you’re objectifying her, she won’t want to keep talking.
- This is a particularly good idea if the conversation ever reaches an abrupt stop. Throwing a compliment out is a great way to redirect the conversation into a new, positive space.

9

Build on any mutual interests you share.

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Talking about things you have in common will make talking easier. It’s a lot harder to connect with someone if it feels like you don’t have any shared hobbies or beliefs. If she mentions a sports team, school subject, or pastime that both of you share an interest in, focus on that. This is a great way to keep the conversation going.^{[10]
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- The more you can guide the conversation towards topics that excite both of you, the more intimate and meaningful your conversation will get over time.

10

Be a little mysterious.

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Oversharing may make you come off the wrong way. Even if you’re talking about a musical group you both enjoy, you don’t need to tell her about the time you went to see them live with your ex-girlfriend.^{[11]
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Research source} It’s easy to overshare—especially if you’re nervous or you’re trying to make a good impression—but leaving a little bit up to the imagination will likely make you more interesting.^{[12]
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- You may also come off as a little self-centered if you keep throwing out personal anecdotes or talking about yourself without giving her an opportunity to share.
- For example, if she says something like, “Are you taking anyone to the homecoming dance?” you might say something like, “I’m still weighing my options,” and play it off with a flirty smile.
- If she asks you, “How are you doing in Mr. Booker’s geometry class?” you might say, “I’m doing alright. How are you doing over there? He’s kind of a tough teacher.”

11

Ask for her phone number or a future hang.

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If the conversation is going well, see if she’d like to keep talking later. If you’re comfortable asking for her phone number, go for it! Alternatively, you could ask for her Instagram or Facebook info. If you aren’t comfortable doing that just yet, simply mention that you’ve enjoyed talking to her and that you’d like to talk again in the future.^{[13]
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- For example, you could say, “I like talking to you. We should hang out sometime!”
- You could also come up with an excuse for asking for her number. If you were just talking about books, you could say, “Do you want to give me your number? I’ll text you the name of that author when I get home.”

Join the Discussion...

So how do you actually talk to girls?

15

WikiGiraffeHugger577

I’m (16 m) not very good at talking to girls. I just get all clammy and awkward whenever I talk to someone I like. Sometimes, I even get weird... Read More

Imad Jbara
Dating Coach

I'm a firm believer that the problem with talking to someone you like is that you know you have that intention in your heart. I think women can p... Read More

WikiBirdGlider597

I used to get nervous around girls too. But then I learned that listening more than you speak is a hack that makes people think you're a great co... Read More

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I want to talk her but she is always with her friends. What should I do?

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You have two really good options here. First, you can just approach her and her friends at the same time and try to befriend all of them. That would be a kind of long-term approach, since it may take some time to get to know her and her friends. The other thing you can do is try to talk to her on social media. That might be a really easy way to connect if you really can't find a way to talk one-on-one in person.

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How do I tell a girl I want to have sex with her?

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If you aren't dating her, this isn't something you should ever do. If you are in a committed relationship, just have an open conversation about it. If you aren't ready to talk about sex, it might be a sign that you aren't ready to have sex.

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How can I talk to a girl in order to make her my girlfriend?

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Having feelings for someone is exciting, but try not to get ahead of yourself. Just focus on getting to know her. Spend time together, hang out, and start talking regularly. Once you know her a little better, ask her if she wants to see a movie with you sometime! It's hard, but you can't rush this.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Remember to be yourself and keep it natural. The first step was completely right—girls are just normal people! We aren't aliens or anything, so there's really nothing to be intimidated by.
The best way to tell a girl you like her is to come right out and say it, but be serious about it. Don't tell someone you like them as a joke.
If a girl is always looking at you, you should go up to her and strike up a conversation.

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Warnings

Unless you have a reasonable suspicion that she likes you, forget the pick-up lines. They rarely work and she may get the wrong impression.^{[14]
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