How do you respond to how long have you been single?

Look at what came right before the question. If you were talking about your job or a trip, she is probably just filling a gap and this is a light question. If she mentioned an ex, a bad date, or said she's just out of something, she is asking whether you're on the same page about where you each are. If the question came out of nowhere on a dating app with a flat tone, she may be screening, and a clear short answer serves her best.

Pay attention to whether she answers her own version first. Many people will say how long they've been single before they ask. If she does, she has set the tone and your job is to match it, not to top it. The question is also sometimes a proxy for something else, like whether you're looking for something serious. A calm, specific answer covers that too without you having to say it.

Match her length. If she sent one line, answer in one line, with the fact and nothing wrapped around it. A short true answer reads as confident. A long one reads as something you need to explain. Use a plain figure such as about a year or since the spring, not a precise date, unless she has already been precise.

Leave out the reason you're single unless she asks for it. The reason is where most of the risk sits. If you blame an ex, you sound bitter. If you blame yourself, you sound unsettled. A neutral phrase such as things just didn't line up or I've been focused on other stuff covers it. Then give her something to pick up, a question about her side, or a light remark about the thing you were already discussing. That gives her an easy next move.

If she has already answered her own version and moved on, you do not need to return to it. Re-raising it later, or asking follow up questions about her last relationship in the same message, turns a light exchange into an interview. If she asks something back, answer it in the same easy tone and let the conversation drift.

If you notice she keeps circling back to it, or her replies get short after you answer, do not try to repair it with a long explanation. A short line that moves forward is enough. Plenty of people ask this question as a quick check and drop it once they have what they need. Trust that and move on to the next topic.