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Get to Know You Questions – 150 Questions to Ask to Get to Know Someone And To Keep Conversations Going

Questions to get to know each other – Ask that for better conversations

Looking for casual questions to get to know each other and keep a conversation going? Then you are absolutely right here! Everyone knows this moment in conversations where you run out of things to talk about. An extremely awkward silence is the result, where you stare bashfully at your water glass. Very few questions can be as awkward as this moment. Fortunately, there are rhetorical ways to help combat awkward silences and really keep any conversation going.

In this article I would like to introduce you to simple and useful questions for getting to know each other in various everyday situations. Ask them to your friends, your partner, your professional contacts, your parents or children, or simply on your next date. Have fun!

I have divided the questions into the following categories:

Why do you need questions that sustain and loosen up a conversation?

A few things in advance! Perhaps the topic in my blog may seem rather "off-topic" to you. Here I would like to show you briefly what it has to do with the topics of sustainability or health and how you can benefit from the questions to get to know each other.

The benefits of asking interesting questions of your counterpart:

  • Getting to know new facets of others: When you think you know everything about the other person, you quickly run out of steam. Promising questions suddenly reveal things that surprise you.
  • Variety: Always talking about the weather is terribly boring. By asking specific questions, you bring a breath of fresh air into every small and deep talk.
  • Maintain interest: You don't want to talk forever with boring people and about boring topics of conversation. Your questions enable exciting answers and can also help, for example, to make other people aware of environmental issues such as the Zero Waste Lifestyle or the vegan life to inspire.
  • Helping others: Everyone has their cross to bear. Your questions can, for example, reveal concerns and problems of your counterpart, which you can eliminate and solve together. That makes it easier, for example, Convince peopleto change something in one's own life in a positive way. Either way, they encourage you to question things that you would otherwise not have questioned.
  • Become more confident: Do you know the situation of thinking excitedly before a conversation about what you could talk about? This uncertainty no longer exists, because you know these conversation-stimulating questions and use them wisely.

There are certainly dozens of other reasons. For me, the most important thing is that getting-to-know-you questions liven up any conversation, make people happier, encourage questioning, and bring exciting things to light.

One more important note: Most of the questions do not fit into just one category. Even though I have assigned them to the topics "Partner", "Friends", "Smalltalk", "Business", "Date", "Funny", "Parents" and "Children", you can of course also mix up the questions and use them for other occasions.

150 questions to keep your conversations going

Now that it's clear why this article can be so useful for your everyday life, let's get started. Here are the best questions, to loosen up and keep your conversations going. Let's go!

Questions to get to know your partner

Questions to get to know each other and fluent conversations to partners

Over time, you think you know each other inside and out. But you can also learn a lot of new things about your partner. Simply use the following questions for new conversation material:

  • What would you change about this restaurant if you were the boss?
  • Which person - dead or alive - would you insanely like to invite to dinner at our place?
  • What was the craziest kid name you ever heard?
  • How old do you most want to be?
  • In what condition would you never want to see me?
  • If you have a specific Environmental problem could solve in one fell swoop - which one would it be?
  • What was the reason you used to skip school?
  • You can look into the future for one minute. What would you want to know?
  • Do you believe in destiny?
  • You can choose your name freely - what would your name be?
  • Is it important to you that others find you nice?
  • Have you ever been in contact with drugs?
  • What is the worst thing you have ever done to a person?
  • What word do you think I use too often?
  • Would you like to be with yourself?
  • Is there a person you never want to speak a word to again?
  • What was the worst gift you ever gave someone?
  • Which characteristic would you like me to have - and which not?
  • What are you grateful for?
  • What question do you never want to get an answer to?
  • Why do we eat cows, pigs and chickens - but pet dogs and cats?
  • When was the last time you did absolutely nothing for a day?

Questions for more conversation with friends

Get to know your friends better with these questions

Are you and your friends running out of things to talk about? Also in your Circle of Friends you can remedy this directly with the following questions to get to know each other:

  • What was your scariest vacation?
  • What was the most absurd trend you participated in - for whatever reason?
  • What things are really driving you up the wall at the moment?
  • What were your most embarrassing fashion sins?
  • Do you think that animals are here WITH us or FOR us on earth?
  • In which situation have you been really lucky?
  • What was the most criminal thing you ever did?
  • Do you believe in Conspiracy theory? If yes, to which?
  • What do you spend the most money on in your everyday life?
  • Sea or mountains?
  • You are planting a tree. What kind of tree do you choose?
  • What would you like to change about your life?
  • Rather honest or nice?
  • Where do you prefer to swim: lake, sea or outdoor pool?
  • What is the meaning of life?
  • Summer or winter?
  • Would you rather be called something else - if so, what?

Short breather... and on we go...

  • Village or city?
  • Do you think you are a good role model for others? If so, why?
  • Would you say it's wrong, Torture animals?
  • Would you rather cry or smash something?
  • Have you ever had a fight with someone?
  • How long does your cell phone battery last - and what does it spend the most time on?
  • What's your biggest secret?
  • Have you ever had a more serious injury or illness?
  • Do you have nice feet for flip flops?
  • How is your relationship with your parents?
  • When was the last time you cried?
  • What was the coolest experience of your life?
  • You are stranded on a desert island - what do you do?
  • Who was the dorkiest person you ever met?
  • Do we ever want to go on vacation - if so, where?
  • What role does money play in your life?
  • What was the last book you read?

Book Tips: Increased social skills, more charisma, and more exciting topics of conversation are pretty good reasons to regularly Books to read. If you like, you can check out my Book Sustainable living for beginners secure here*. Here are a few more book recommendations that might be interesting for you.

Questions to get to know each other through small talk

Do you sometimes have trouble keeping the conversation going when you're meet new people? Here are some questions that offer plenty of new, exciting conversation topics:

  • Who are you here with?
  • What are you currently working on and why?
  • Where do you live and what is your favorite place in the city?
  • Where did you get those shoes/sweater etc?
  • What kind of music can you really get down with?
  • What quote inspires you most? (Recommendation: Sustainability Quotes)
  • You have 4 hours more time in the day - what would you do?
  • What do you give up for the climate?
  • Are you a good cook? If so, what do you like to cook the most?
  • What is your secret talent?
  • You can't fall asleep at night - what do you watch?
  • When was the last time you laughed at yourself?
  • What are you burning for?
  • Which website do you spend the most time on?
  • Which sport do you enjoy the most?
  • What are your plans for today?
  • How do you end the day today?

Tip: Open-ended questions are most likely to get the most out of your interviewer. They have especially helped me helped to meet new people while traveling and win friends. But of course, closed questions can also be a real door opener.

Questions for casual conversations with professional contacts

Questions to get to know in the business environment

The next lunch break with the Colleague:inside or the next exciting Trade fair event is coming up. But what could you talk about? I've put together a few conversation-opening questions for you:

  • If you had to recommend one app, what would it be?
  • Suppose you had 100,000 euros and had to spend it in a week: what would you do?
  • What is your absolute favorite series?
  • Would you say you eat healthy?
  • You can choose a stage name - what would it be?
  • What movies and series do you celebrate?
  • You need to emigrate - which country is your first choice?
  • Which country do you really want to visit?
  • What was your worst bad investment?
  • Why do people live vegan?
  • You're going to be Chancellor - What's your first official act?
  • Which sound can you imitate particularly well?
  • What superstitious things do you do?
  • On a scale of 1 - 10 - how bad is German TV programming?
  • What was the most embarrassing situation in your life?
  • What was your last good deed?
  • Which three things are currently most important to you?
  • Are you usually early or late?
  • Your house is on fire - what item do you definitely save?
  • What's bugging you the most right now?

Tip: In a separate blog post, I also gave you my top tips for a sustainable company outing with your colleagues. Have a look!

Questions for the first date, meeting or getting to know each other

You may be on the verge of a first date or a first casual meeting and have some Fear of quickly running out of topics to talk about could. Don't worry. The following questions (please don't ask them all, it's too much!) are guaranteed to keep the conversation going:

  • Which star did you have a poster of in your nursery?
  • What has been your greatest adventure so far?
  • Do you tell your family you have a date?
  • What three things are you most concerned about right now?
  • What do you miss from your childhood?
  • Who else do you owe an apology to?
  • What would you like to change about yourself?
  • What was your nickname when you were growing up?
  • What has made you cry lately?
  • Do you get excited before dates?

Questions to get to know each other and laugh meanly

Nothing is more sympathetic and connectivethan laughing together. With the right questions, you can really elicit a funny story or two from anyone. Here are some inspiring questions you should try:

  • What was your dream job as a child?
  • What joke really makes you laugh?
  • What can't you do that's totally easy for others?
  • How good are you at losing at board games?
  • What was your very first job?
  • How would you sum up the Internet in one sentence?
  • If your pet could talk, what would it tell you about yourself?
  • Have you ever been to jail?
  • How do you envision your life as a retiree?
  • What was the biggest bad purchase in your life?
  • Which tick do you have?
  • What's the cheesiest thing you've ever done for yourself or others?
  • Which celebrity or dialect are you good at imitating?

Tip: Openness is definitely one of the most important positive character traits of a human being. You can find out what other characteristics make a "good person" in the linked blog article!

Questions to get to know parents

With these questions you will also find out new things about your parents

If you have lived at home with your parents for a long time, you think you know everything about them. But there are still sooo many questions to learn more about them and make the common conversations more exciting.

Here are some questions you should definitely ask mom and dad:

  • What does friendship mean to you?
  • How was your first kiss?
  • What was the craziest thing you ever did?
  • You have 100 euros left - for what purpose do you donate it?
  • Do you sing when you drive?
  • Would you say that you love animals?
  • What do you like most about your life?
  • When was the last time you lied?
  • You have tomorrow off. What have you always wanted to do?
  • Was I more of a bully or a good kid?
  • Who came closest to making your life what it is today?
  • What did you wish for my life when I was born?
  • A movie about your life - what song would be the soundtrack?
  • What bothers you about digitization?
  • What do you like to spend money on?
  • What would you do differently if you were 18 again?
  • What was the worst thing that ever happened to you?
  • How many apartments have you lived in?
  • What do you miss the most compared to before?
  • What do you spend most of your time doing?
  • If you could change anything in the world right now, what would it be?

Questions for children to get to know

Questions for children to get to know each other and have good conversations

Conversations with children can also now and then difficult design. You want to get to know your daughter or son even better? Then ask the following questions, for example:

  • Which YouTube channel do you like to watch the most?
  • What are you most afraid of?
  • You can choose a superpower - which one is it and why?
  • What is your favorite joke?
  • What makes a good friend?
  • Which is your favorite Disney movie?
  • You can be a wild animal from now on - which one would you be?
  • Why did you have to laugh really loud last time?
  • On which internet site do you spend most of your time?
  • What word comes immediately to mind when you think of me?
  • What was the last thing you dreamed about?
  • You can choose a profession - what would it be?
  • What do you find particularly disgusting?
  • What have you done really well recently?
  • Who or what are you currently most angry about?

Can you think of other effective questions to ask about each topic? Then just write me a comment!

FAQ about questions around getting to know each other

What are profound questions?

This refers to more demanding questions that the person answering usually has to think about and reflect on a little longer before answering. They go beyond the usual small talk and are generally referred to as deep talk.

Here are some examples of in-depth questions:

  • What do you want in the partnership?
  • How are you really doing?
  • Is there life in other universes?
  • What does a perfect day look like for you?
What is meant by open questions?

An open question is a question that cannot be answered simply with "yes" or "no", but requires a longer answer. In contrast to the closed question, it allows the person answering more space in the answer. In turn, questioners can then expect to learn more about the person answering.

How do I entertain myself properly?

Those who adopt an open, stable posture, are friendly, curious and cordial, show serious interest in the other person, ask open and exciting questions and also answer openly and excitingly themselves, have the best chances for wonderful, connecting conversations.

Use questions to get to know each other in everyday life

If you answered all of these questions, the person you're talking to would definitely know a lot more about you. Whenever you feel like it, you can use them to get to know people better, to spark and maintain interest in a particular topic, and to get conversations going.

But don't forget to answer your interviewer's questions openly, honestly, excitingly, warmly and enthusiastically. Then you have a guarantee of great conversations.

Und falls deine Gespräche trotzdem Mal in ein peinliches Schweigen abdriften sollten? Ja dann kannst du immer noch selbstbewusst fragen, was dein Gegenüber irritiert oder ob er/sie es auch genießen kann, wenn einfach mal Stille ist. 😉

Can you think of any other questions to get to know? Then feel free to write me a comment with your suggestions under this collection.

Stay talkative,

Christoph from CareElite - Plastic-free living

PS.: In the Mental Health Blog I've put together lots of other everyday tips for you. For example, find out now how you can get a lot of Collect karma points can!

Coffee box Suggestions for improvement

* Links with asterisks are so-called affiliate links. If you click on it and buy something, you automatically and actively support my work with CareElite.de, because I get a small share of the sales revenue - and of course the product price does not change. Thank you for your support and best regards, Christoph!

Christoph Schulz

Christoph Schulz

I'm Christoph, an environmental scientist and author - and here at CareElite I'm campaigning against plastic waste in the environment, climate change and all the other major environmental problems of our time. Together with other environmentally conscious bloggers, I want to give you tips & tricks for a naturally healthy, sustainable life as well as your personal development.