Home › Questions to Ask
Questions to Ask: The Master List
Curated by Ellie “The Player of Games” Lusk
The right question at the right moment beats an hour of small talk. This is the master list — great all-purpose questions to ask anyone, whether you’re filling a silence, starting a road trip conversation or actually trying to know someone.
Looking for someone specific? We keep dedicated, deeper lists for every situation: your boyfriend, girlfriend, crush, friends — plus deep questions and couple questions. They’re all linked below the list.
Ready? Tap the button and let the game begin. 🎉
👇 All 85 questions below — steal freely, no sign-up needed.
To Get to Know Someone
- What does a perfect ordinary day look like for you?
- What are you most likely to be doing at 9 p.m. on a Friday?
- What’s something you could talk about for an hour with zero preparation?
- What did you want to be when you were ten — and what happened to that plan?
- Who has shaped you the most, and do they know it?
- What’s the best decision you’ve made in the last five years?
- What’s your favorite place you’ve ever been — and what made it stick?
- What do people usually get wrong about you at first?
- What’s a small daily ritual you protect?
- What are you learning right now — on purpose or by accident?
- What’s the story behind your name or nickname?
- What job would you be terrible at, and why is it funny to imagine?
- What’s something you own that has zero value to anyone but you?
- What’s your favorite family tradition — or the one you’d start?
- In what setting are you instantly at ease?
- What’s the last thing that genuinely surprised you?
- What hobby would you pick up tomorrow if time and money didn’t matter?
- What’s the most out-of-character thing you’ve ever done?
- What kind of old person do you hope to become?
- What’s a compliment you received years ago and still think about?
- If your friends had to describe you in three words, which one would you argue with?
- What’s the best meal you’ve ever eaten — where and with whom?
- What do you wish more people asked you about?
- What’s something you believe now that you didn’t five years ago?
- What would you do with a completely free month?
Interesting Questions
- If you could sit in on any conversation in history, which one?
- What’s a “useless” skill you’d still love to master?
- Which fictional place would you actually want to live in?
- What technology do you think we’ll laugh at in twenty years?
- If your life had a narrator, what tone would they use for this week?
- What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever ignored?
- What would you put in a time capsule to confuse people in 100 years?
- If you could instantly speak one more language, which and why?
- What’s something everyone seems to love that you just don’t get?
- What tiny decision ended up changing your life?
- If animals could talk, which species would be the rudest?
- What’s a question you wish you knew the answer to?
- Which year of your life would you relive as an observer — no changes allowed?
- What’s the most beautiful place within an hour of where you grew up?
- If you had to teach a class tomorrow, what would it be on?
- What’s a rule you follow that you invented yourself?
- What would your 15-year-old self find coolest about your life now?
- If you could ask a stranger one question and get total honesty, what would it be?
- What’s the weirdest coincidence that’s ever happened to you?
- What’s one thing you’d change about how people use their phones?
- If someone gave you a billboard for a month, what would you put on it?
- What’s something you did once and will never do again — but don’t regret?
- Which historical era would you visit for exactly one week?
- What’s the most underrated pleasure in everyday life?
- If you wrote a book about your life so far, what would this chapter be called?
Funny Questions to Ask
- What’s the dumbest way you’ve ever injured yourself?
- What’s your most controversial food opinion — defend it.
- What would be the worst “buy one get one free” deal ever?
- What’s the weirdest thing you’ve googled this month?
- If your pet could review you online, what would the rating be?
- What’s the most embarrassing song you know every word to?
- What conspiracy theory would you start just for fun?
- What’s the strangest compliment you’ve ever given someone?
- If you had to replace your hands with objects, what are you picking?
- What’s a completely useless fact you’ll never forget?
- What would your villain name be, based on your worst habit?
- What’s the pettiest hill you’re willing to die on?
- If your life were a reality show, what would the fans complain about?
- What’s the worst haircut you’ve ever had — year and inspiration?
- What smell do you weirdly love that others find odd?
- What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve cried about?
- If you were a kitchen appliance, which one and why?
- What’s your go-to dance move, and does it have a name?
- What’s the longest you’ve kept leftovers “just in case”?
- What fictional character do you irrationally dislike?
Rapid-Fire Starters
- Coffee or tea — and how do you take it?
- What’s your most-used emoji?
- Long flight: sleep, movies or podcasts?
- What was your first concert?
- Dream weekend: beach, mountains or city?
- What’s your comfort show?
- What time do you naturally wake up with no alarm?
- What’s the last photo you took?
- Popcorn: sweet, salty or mixed?
- What song is stuck in your head right now?
- What animal would you be for a day?
- What song do you butcher confidently at karaoke?
- What’s your ideal breakfast, no compromises?
- What app do you open first in the morning?
- What’s one thing on your bucket list?
FAQ
What are good questions to ask someone you just met?
Open questions that invite a story without demanding intimacy: “what could you talk about for an hour?”, “what’s the story behind your name?”. Avoid résumé questions (“what do you do?”) as openers — they get autopilot answers.
How do I keep a conversation going after the first question?
Follow the thread, not the list. If their answer mentions a trip, a person or a feeling, ask about that instead of jumping to the next question. One good follow-up (“what made that so memorable?”) beats three new topics.
Which list should I use for a date?
For a crush or early dating, use the questions to ask your crush list, then graduate to deep questions when it’s going well. Long-term couples get the most from our couple questions page.