The Bridge Sentence

After a pleasantry, add a genuine follow-up: "What's been the most interesting part of your week?" This bridges surface chat to real conversation. When someone answers "Fine," try "Fine compared to last month, or fine compared to what you hoped for?"

Bridge sentences work because they are easy to answer and reveal something personal without cornering anyone. The other person reciprocates naturally — and real connection begins inside the first minute instead of the tenth.