201 Actually Interesting Questions to Get to Know Someone

How to Ask Good “Get to Know You” Questions

1. Keep Questions Open-Ended

2. Follow the “Light → Deep” Progression

3. Listen More Than You Speak

4. Use Warm Body Language

• Look someone in the eye and be friendly.

• Give a nod every now and then.

• Smile as naturally as you can.

• Move your body forward a little.

5. Don't make these common mistakes

• The use of multiple questions in one interview (e.g. "Where are you from and what brought you here?")

• Change the conversation into an interview.

• Don't share too much too soon.

• Act like you understand, and ask more questions instead.

Now, here are the full 201 questions—numbered and categorized.

Questions to Ask Someone You Just Met (1–30)

1. Did you grow up around here or somewhere totally different?

2. What brought you to this city?

3. What has been the best part of your week so far?

4. What are you looking forward to the most?

5. What type of music do you like to listen to?

6. Do you like getting up early or staying up late?

7. Do you prefer to stay in or go out at the weekend?

8. What's your favourite comfort food?

9. Do you like trying new restaurants or sticking to the same ones?

10. What's the best show you've watched recently?

11. What's your favourite thing to do after work?

12. Do you have any small habits that make your day better?

13. What's your favourite season, and why?

14. Do you prefer to just go with the flow, or do you like to have everything planned out?

15. What's the current wallpaper on your phone, and why?

16. What app do you use the most?

17. Do you like podcasts?If so, what kind?

18. Do you enjoy meeting new people, or does it make you tired?

19. What do you like to do in the morning?

20. Do you like coffee, tea or neither?

21. Do you have a favourite local place that you always recommend?

22. Can you tell us about something you learned recently that you didn't expect?

23. What would your friends say about you?

24. Do you prefer texting or calling?

25. What makes you smile?

26. Do you usually make decisions quickly or take time to think?

27. What's your favourite type of weather?

28. Do you like going to events or prefer a more relaxed approach?

29. Do you find it easy to remember people's names?

30. You seem like you might enjoy ___.Am I close?

Personal Questions to Get to Know Someone Better (31–70)

1. What three words best describe you?

2. What was a nickname people used to call you?

3. What hobby have you kept up with for a long time?

4. What's something about you people usually don't expect?

5. What are you currently obsessed with?

6. Who makes you feel full of energy?

7. What kind of people drain you?

8. What small habit do you feel proud of?

9. What are some of your personal values that you always uphold?

10. What are you really good at, even if it's surprising?

11. What's something you're really bad at?

12. What are you most competitive about?

13. What's the best compliment you've ever received?

14. What makes you feel relaxed?

15. What makes you stressed?

16. What is a tradition from your childhood that you still love?

17. What things do you do differently from other people?

18. What is a scent that reminds you of something in the past?

19. What kind of home makes you feel comfortable?

20. What would your ideal Saturday look like?

21. What was the most meaningful gift you ever received?

22. Do you like to plan ahead or are you more of a spontaneous person?

23. What habit do you want to start?

24. What bad habit do you want to break?

25. What would you like people to ask you more about?

26. What's something you could talk about for ever?

27. What really frustrates you?

28. What advice did someone give you that has helped you a lot?

29. What are some of the things you used to believe that you no longer believe?

30. What's the most useful skill you've learned recently?

31. Which part of the day do you feel most productive?

32. If you could instantly become an expert in one skill, what would it be?

33. What are you working on to make better?

34. What made you laugh recently?

35. What inspires you?

36. What are some good things about the way other people behave?

37. What is your learning style? Is it hands-on, visual or auditory?

38. What little luxury do you enjoy?

39. Do you find it easier to get along with people who are similar to you or people who are very different?

40. Have you ever had a hobby that you've kept up for years?

Deep Questions to Ask Someone (71–130)

1. What makes you feel unstoppable?

2. Would you say you're brave?Why or why not?

3. What was a moment that changed your life?

4. What are you still learning about yourself?

5. What was the biggest fear you overcame?

6. What are you still afraid of?

7. What do you think people get wrong about you?

8. What memory do you often think back on?

9. What used to be important to you but is no longer?

10. What are you still really interested in?

11. What do you think is a sign of emotional maturity?

12. What makes a relationship meaningful to you?

13. What makes you feel safe?

14. What makes you feel appreciated?

15. What makes you feel close to someone?

16. Do you find it easy or hard to trust people?

17. What promise do you make to yourself that you always keep?

18. What are you proud of, but don't often talk about?

19. What mistakes have you made that taught you something important?

20. What advice would you give to your younger self?

21. Do you prefer stability or excitement?

22. What does success mean to you?

23. What makes you happy?

24. What makes you feel loved?

25. What's one thing you think everyone should learn?

26. What have you recently learned about yourself?

27. What do you think about friendships?

28. What do you think about love?

29. What would you like your future self to remember?

30. What are some things you strongly believe?

31. What are some things you are not sure about?

32. What are you still learning about life?

33. What are you best at in relationships?

34. What is your biggest weakness in relationships?

35. What do you wish more people knew about you?

36. What do you want to be remembered for?

37. What would you like to do at least once in your life?

38. What's a dream you haven't shared with many people?

39. What do you think your purpose is right now?

40. What was the most difficult lesson life taught you?

41. What are you addicted to?

42. What would you change about the world?

43. What are you hoping to change about yourself?

44. How important is it to be honest with people you're close to?

45. What do you think your biggest emotional need is?

46. How has your idea of love changed as you've got older?

47. What did you not do sooner that you wish you had done?

48. What are the things that you would never compromise on?

49. What are some of the things you believe about yourself that are changing?

50. How do you know when you've outgrown someone?

51. What makes you feel truly peaceful?

52. What are you really struggling with?

53. What do you think about failure?

54. What do you think is more important — being loyal or being honest?

55. What are you still dealing with from the past?

56. What do you think was the most important change in your life?

57. What memory shaped your personality?

58. What are you ready to forgive yourself for?

59. What's an emotion you feel strongly but rarely express?

60. How has your personality changed since you were a child?

Fun “Get to Know You” Questions (131–170)

1. Tell me what your perfect day would be like.

2. What's the best cereal?

3. What's your favourite karaoke song?

4. Which character from a book or film do you relate to most?

5. What's your favourite dessert?

6. What's a film you can quote by heart?

7. What trends do you love?

8. What trends do you think are ridiculous?

9. What's the best gift you've ever given someone?

10. What's the strangest food combination you like?

11. What hobby would you like to try?

12. What place would you really like to visit?

13. What's your favourite scent?

14. What's your favourite holiday tradition?

15. What's the funniest rumour you've heard?

16. What song do you think I like?

17. What's your favourite comfort movie?

18. What's a sport you enjoy watching?

19. What's a sport you enjoy playing?

20. What do you like to do at the weekend?

21. What's your favourite board game?

22. What's the most chaotic thing you've ever done without planning?

23. What makes you laugh?

24. What's your favourite TV show that you know you shouldn't watch?

25. What emoji do you use most often?

26. What food could you eat every day?

27. What makes you happy straight away?

28. What product do you think everyone should try?

29. What nostalgic object do you still keep?

30. What's your favourite fast-food order?

31. What's your most-worn outfit?

32. What sound do you love?

33. What sound do you hate?

34. Which made-up world would you like to visit?

35. What is something you wish people still did?

36. What would you do if you were in a really difficult situation?

37. What superpower would you not want?

38. What's the thing you're most afraid of without good reason?

39. What kind of holiday would you like?

40. What app do you use the most?

Funny Questions to Ask Just for Laughs (171–201)

1. If you could jump into a pool of anything, what would it be?

2. What's the best Wi-Fi name you've ever seen?

3. What fictional pet would you like to have?

4. What would you choose as your clown name?

5. What was the strangest thing that happened in your dreams?

6. If animals could talk, which would be the sassiest?

7. What was normal for you as a child but isn't now?

8. What food would make the worst smoothie?

9. If you were a ghost, which person or building would you haunt first?

10. What's the least harmful lie you tell?

11. What was the funniest thing that happened to you on a trip?

12. What talent do you wish you had?

13. If your life had background music, what genre would it be?

14. If you could choose new names for the days of the week, what would you call them?

15. What's the weirdest compliment you ever received?

16. If you had to pick a useless superpower, what would it be?

17. What's the craziest snack combo you've ever tried?

18. Which celebrity do you think would be good at looking after your plants?

19. Which fictional villain do you secretly support?

20. What's the funniest thing your brain has ever made you believe?

21. If you were a vegetable, which one would you be and why?

22. What's the most unlucky photo you've ever taken?

23. If rain had a flavour, what would you want it to be?

24. What's the funniest thing that always happens to you?

25. If you had to give yourself a dramatic stage name, what would it be?

26. What's the most chaotic good thing you've ever done?

27. What conspiracy theory do you find most funny?

28. What everyday object do you think is secretly judging you?

29. What's your most memorable "wrong person, wrong time" moment?

30. What was the silliest thing you believed as a child that wasn't based on logic?

31. If raindrops were not a thing, what else would you like to fall from the sky?

Sources & Expert References

• American Psychological Association — The science of conversation

• Harvard Health — Connecting with others and feeling good

• The Greater Good Science Center is all about building better relationships and understanding other people's feelings.

• UCLA Social Neuroscience Research — Talking and getting to know people

• The NYT Modern Love / Relationships columns

Final