Keep texting alive when she only sends one word replies

A one word reply is not a rejection. It's almost never rejection. It usually means she's busy and texting half-distracted, she finds texting awkward in general, she's not sure if you're worth the effort yet, or she liked something you said but doesn't know how to respond to it.

The key move is not to assume. If she's still replying at all, even with one word, the door is open. If she was done with you, you'd see no reply or a delayed response after days. One word back within minutes or hours means she saw it and thought about you enough to send something. That's the data point. Don't overcomplicate it.

Your reply needs to give her something specific and small to work with. Not another question with nowhere to land. Instead, make a quick observation, tease her about something harmless, share a small thought, or point to something concrete you both know about. Then stop.

The move is to lower the stakes. Drop the 'tell me about yourself' energy. Say something that makes her want to engage because it's interesting or funny, not because she feels obligated to keep a conversation alive. Make it short enough that matching your effort doesn't feel like homework, but specific enough that one word back feels incomplete.

Wait at least two to three days before sending a second message if she doesn't reply. If you send something the next morning after getting one word, you look like you're chasing. Give her actual time and actual space.

When you do send a second message, don't reference the first one or apologize. Just send something new that could start a different thread. If that also dies, stop. You've got your answer. Don't keep texting into silence. The move at that point is to wait for her to reach out to you, or to assume she's not in a place where she can meet you halfway right now. Both are fine reasons to step back.