Friends first required before asking on a date?

[Ben7]

So I've never really dated much yet but I've always wondered - do people usually start as friends (as a stepping stone) before asking them on a date? Like do I have to be friends with a girl first? Do guys usually wait a longer time to become friends before eventually asking her on a date, or is it okay to ask a girl on a date even if you're technically not "friends" with her yet?

[Oscar-V3.0]

You dont have to be close friends, but i think you have to know her a little to know about her and tastes, what she likes to do and all

[mick01]

If you've decided you want to ask someone out on a date, it must mean that you know something about them that attracts you to them. Which means you must have spent time with or around her. You don't have to be friends but knowing each other some would help with the decision to go out or not.

[ska8er]

It would help a lot if u knew about
someone more to c if u share the
same things u like to do but then
there is the "blind date" where you
don't know really much about them.
I had one work for me and another
not.

[yeehaw]

As others have said, it isn't essential that you become best buddies before you go on a date - but it sure helps.

It probably matters more that you're friends with that person when you're younger as we're starting to form lifelong friendships with everyone we meet. As you get older, you see a lot more people who do blind dating or online dating, people generally get to know each other on these dates.

[Melodic]

Honestly, I agree with the person above.

Each couple has different stories of how they met. One of my best friends met their off/on boyfriend through work . One of my best friends met their fiance' when they were a child and they went to school together for several years & became close friends before dating. One of my best friends met their boyfriend through a dating site and stayed over night at his house on their first date and they've been together for 2 years since then.

Everyone has a different story of how they met.

[AshleighB]

Me and my boyfriend were really close friends before we started going out, we were friends for about 2 years before we started going out

[Oscar-V3.0]

If you've decided you want to ask someone out on a date, it must mean that you know something about them that attracts you to them. Which means you must have spent time with or around her. You don't have to be friends but knowing each other some would help with the decision to go out or not.

You said this so better than I did :lol:

That's exactly what I meant ;)

[Pultost]

Although it's not absolutely necessary, it's definitely a good idea to be friends first, so you know what you're gonna get. The downside though, is that the friendship won't be the same again if it goes south.

[Sevro au Barca]

While many might disagree, for me it is absolutely essential to be really good friends with someone before even thinking about asking them out. As I see it, going out with someone you don't know well is a bit like a blind date: sure, it might end up great, but it might also end up absolutely terribly. I don't date someone and then hope to get to know them, I get to know them and then hope to date them.

So far at least, this philosophy has worked quite well for me. This is how it was for my girlfriend and I; we're both naturally quite reserved, emotionally detached people, so all of our friends were surprised when we (very) slowly became perhaps the closest couple in the school. I credit this entirely to the fact that we were close friends before we started dating.

[Ben7]

Thank you all for your comments.

[BlackParadePixie]

For me, no. Like...I usually KNOW them beforehand, like I am acquainted with them through school at least...but rarely am I already friends with them.

[Caycedilla]

I don’t think you need to be really good friends to be asked on a date, but you should at least know who they are. I would find it really awkward to be asked out by someone I wouldn’t even consider an acquaintance

[Rachel_s03]

We don’t have to necessarily be friends but I definitely need to know them pretty well first.