Having a deep conversation can be tricky if you don’t know the person well. But that’s when knowing some good questions to ask people will come in handy!
It is always smart to have good questions to ask people on hand. In a job interview? Meeting your boo’s parents? Or reconnecting with an old friend? All of these situations call for decent conversation starters.
Good questions don’t just fill awkward silences, but they connect us with each other. They are what take us from asking about the weather to discussing our hopes and dreams. And let’s be honest, talking about the weather isn’t much fun, is it? [Read: How to make small talk and talk to anyone without feeling awkward]
Why do you need good questions to ask people?
Are you always drawing a blank? Do you experience a lot of awkward silences? Or maybe you just want to get to know people a little better, but don’t know how to start.
Choosing the right question to ask requires you to feel out the situation and go with the most appropriate, but it’s something that practice will help you with.
Some questions are more surface-level and could be appropriate for anyone from your boss to your mail carrier while others are best suited for those you know already but want to get to know better.
Put simply, when you have a few good questions to ask people on hand, you’ll become the best conversationalist out there! [Read: 125 funny icebreaker questions to start talking and make anyone like you]
Good questions to ask people in different situations
From simple to deep to learning someone’s soul, here are several good questions to ask people. Memorize your favorite ones, write them down, or keep checking back to this list. However you go about it, you’ll soon have people thinking you’re a fantastic person to have a chat with!
1. How did you get into your job? [Read: 71 friendly funny questions to get to know someone in a happy way]
2. What is your favorite clothing store?
3. Do prefer texting or talking on the phone? [Read: 27 fun ways to make new friends and mistakes to avoid]
4. Do you miss how things were before the internet?
5. What movie would you recommend to anyone?
6. Have you been anywhere new lately?
7. What is the best comfort food?
8. What is the best thing you’ve ever done for yourself? [Read: 85 fun questions to ask a new friend and get to know them like a BFFs ASAP]
9. Where do you think is the best vacation spot?
10. What do you think is worth splurging on?
11. Do you like getting older?
12. What is the best show on TV right now? [Read: Netflix and chill – how to do it the right way]
13. What food would you miss the most if it were gone forever?
14. What is your favorite age?
15. What animal thinks the most like a person?
16. If you could ask the president one question, what would it be?
17. What are the best and worst things about social media? [Read: Social media and relationships – 47 rules, etiquette, and where couples go wrong]
18. What do you think everyone has in common?
19. What is your biggest pet peeve?
20. Do you think people are born inherently good?
21. Do you think universal healthcare is a good idea?
22. What do you think are my best and worst qualities? [Read: 57 simple life questions to get to know yourself and truths to visualize your future]
23. What is something about you that no one knows?
24. What do you think your retirement will be like?
25. Do you want to have kids? *If you’re talking to someone you’ve just started dating, this might be a question worth skipping!* [Read: 250 fun, deep relationship questions for couples to feel closer and more loved]
26. What do you think about the current state of our country?
27. What is your biggest dream you fear will never come true?
28. Do you have any regrets?
29. Is there anything about yourself you wish you could change? [Read: How to stop hating yourself – 20 steps to loving all of yourself]
30. Are you more afraid of failing health or running out of money?
31. If you could eliminate one person from Earth, who would it be?
32. If you could start your life over again, what age would you start it at?
33. If a bear and a tiger got into a fight, who do you think would win?
34. If you had a million dollars, what is the first thing you would do?
35. Are you a mountain climber or a sand comber?
36. If you were a dog breed, which would it be?
37. If you only had 24 hours left to live, what would you do? [Read: 78 cute signs of attraction to know if a guy is catching feelings and falling hard]
38. If someone offered you a job in the Arctic for ten years that would make you filthy rich, but you couldn’t talk to the people you love while there, would you take it?
39. What is the one thing that a friend can do that is grounds for a breakup? [Read: 50 very good conversation starters that’ll make anyone love talking to you]
40. Could you stay with someone if you found out they cheated on you? *Some good questions to ask people need to be approached with caution. If you’re dating someone and you ask this question, they might think you have something to hide!*
41. If I asked people to describe you in three words, what would they be?
42. Now that you are grown up, are you what you wanted to be when you were a child?
43. Have you ever had a recurring dream? What was the most terrifying dream you ever had?
44. If you had to lose either smartphone technology or the internet, which would you choose?
45. What name did you always wish your parents had named you?
46. Do you think that there is such a thing as ghosts? [Read: How to be funny – 28 must-know tips to make everyone love your humor]
47. If you had a time machine, what is the one pivotal moment you would go back to and change?
48. If you got stuck on a Ferris wheel for hours, who would you want to get stuck with?
49. What is the greatest band of all time?
50. If you could only have one season, which would it be?
51. If you could have a special talent or superpower, what would it be?
52. If you were a superhero, who would be your nemesis? [Read: Socially awkward? 16 little hacks to loosen up and live life]
53. Do you think that world peace is obtainable… if so, what would it take?
54. Would you rather be too cold without a blanket or too hot without any air conditioning?
55. What are three things on your bucket list? [Read: How to make small talk and talk to anyone without feeling awkward]
56. Do too many cooks really spoil the broth, or is it important that everyone give their best opinion and ideas?
57. Who has been the biggest influence on you and why?
58. What was the dumbest clothing trend of all time?
59. What do you like to do for fun? [Read: Social anxiety to social butterfly – how to be less awkward]
60. Are you very close to your family?
61. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
62. What are some cities or countries that you absolutely would never live in?
63. What are some of your favorite quotes from books, movies, or TV?
64. Are you a morning person or a night owl? [Read: Warning signs to look out for on the first few dates]
65. Are you a coffee person or a tea person?
66. What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to the opposite sex?
67. What is your biggest turn-on?
68. Can you cook, and if you can, what’s your specialty dish? [Read: 55 tips and things to do on a first date to leave your date smitten and in awe]
69. Do you enjoy reading and staying up-to-date with current events?
70. Do you believe in astrology, horoscopes, or destiny?
71. What is your favorite childhood memory?
72. What is the wildest thing you’ve ever done?
73. Have you ever gotten into any trouble with the law?
74. What sports are you into? [Read: Do couples always have to like the same things?]
75. What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?
76. What’s the worst advice that anyone has ever given you?
77. What’s the one drink you always order at the bar?
78. Do you believe in true love? [Read: What does love feel like? 33 signs what you’re feeling is true and real]
Being a good conversationalist is about more than talking
Remember, these good questions to ask people will get you started, but after that, the rest is on you. Being a good conversationalist means being able to listen to what people say and to understand what isn’t being said too.
Read their body language, show empathy, and remember that conversations are a two-way street.
[Read: How to be more empathetic and 16 steps to make anyone feel understood]
There are millions upon millions of good questions to ask people, but hopefully, these get you off on the right foot with someone new, an old friend, or anyone else you want to get to know better.
