Questions to Ask Someone to Get to Know Them

What are good questions to ask someone to get to know them?

The best questions to ask someone to get to know them are open, friendly and easy to answer, so the other person feels comfortable sharing. Our list holds 240 original questions in eight categories, written for meeting new people at work, at school and in your neighbourhood, and the picker above chooses one at random.

Meeting new people can feel awkward, and most first chats stall after "So, what do you do?". A few good questions move you past small talk quickly and leave a warm first impression. They show you are interested, give the other person room to talk and help you find something in common, which is where real connection starts. The lists below suit new coworkers, classmates and neighbours, and none of them ask anything too personal.

How do you use the question picker?

You use the question picker by setting how many questions you want, choosing a category or depth if you like, and pressing Generate.

1. Set the number. Type 1 to 20 in the How many box; the default is 3.
2. Pick filters. Choose a category such as Work or Neighbours and a depth of Easy, Light or Thoughtful, or leave both on "Any" to draw from all 240.
3. Generate. Press Generate and use the questions in your next chat.
4. Save or share. Copy one question or the whole list, download a CSV, or copy a share link with the same settings.

Easy questions are safe for a first meeting. Save the Thoughtful ones for the second or third conversation.

How do you get to know someone quickly?

You get to know someone quickly by asking about the things people enjoy talking about, then following their answers with genuine interest. A simple memory aid is FORD.

FORD stands for family, occupation, recreation and dreams. Family covers where someone grew up and who they live with. Occupation covers work or studies. Recreation covers hobbies, sport and weekends. Dreams covers goals, travel plans and things they want to learn. Moving through these four areas keeps a chat going without feeling like a quiz.

Use open-ended questions that start with what, how or which, since they invite stories rather than one-word answers. And remember their name: say it once or twice early on, which helps it stick and shows respect.

Which categories can you choose?

You can choose from eight categories, with 30 questions in each. The table shows where each set works best.

Basic get-to-know-you questions

These basic questions are safe, simple openers for any first meeting.

• Where did you grow up?
• How did you end up in your current job or school?
• How do you usually get to work or school?
• What made you choose this area to live in?
• What kind of food do you cook most at home?
• Do you have any pets?
• Which city have you lived in that you liked most?
• How do you take your tea or coffee?
• How do you usually celebrate your birthday?
• Which singer or band do you play most often?

Fun get-to-know-you questions

These fun questions add a smile and work well at social events.

• Which unusual animal would you happily keep at home?
• What is the most random fact you know?
• What is a talent you have that would surprise people?
• Which famous painting would you hang in your living room?
• What is the funniest thing that happened to you at school?
• Which fictional character would make a great neighbour?
• Which emoji sums up your week?
• What is the strangest thing in your fridge right now?
• What is the most useless thing you can do really well?
• What is your favourite way to waste five minutes?

Interesting questions to get to know someone

These interesting questions go a little deeper and suit a longer chat.

• What is something you learned recently that surprised you?
• Which period in history would you like to visit for a day?
• Which person from history would you invite to dinner?
• What is a place you would like to understand better?
• What would you teach a class on if you could?
• What is the most interesting place you have ever worked or studied?
• Which country's culture fascinates you?
• Which small daily habit makes a big difference for you?
• What is the most useful thing you learned from a grandparent?
• Which local event would you recommend to a newcomer?

Questions about someone's favourites

Questions about favourites are quick to answer and often reveal shared interests.

• What is your favourite season?
• Which film do you know almost by heart?
• What is your favourite type of weather?
• Which app do you use the most?
• What is your favourite way to spend a Sunday?
• Which park or outdoor place do you love?
• What is your favourite family dish?
• Which colour do you wear the most?
• What is your favourite type of puzzle?
• Which festival or celebration do you enjoy most?

Questions to get to know coworkers

These work questions help new team members connect without getting too personal.

• What first got you interested in your line of work?
• How do you like to receive feedback?
• Do you prefer working alone or with a team?
• What was your first ever job?
• Which tool or app makes your work easier?
• What is a work habit you are trying to build?
• What would your dream workspace look like?
• How do you prefer to communicate: chat, email or calls?
• Which work achievement are you proudest of this year?
• What tip would help someone in their first week here?

Get-to-know-you questions for students

These questions for students suit the first week of term, new clubs and study groups.

• What subject do you enjoy most this year?
• What is the best school trip you have been on?
• Do you prefer group projects or working alone?
• What do you like to do after school?
• What is the best place to study in this school?
• Which skill would you like to get better at this term?
• How do you stay organised with homework?
• What do you usually bring for lunch?
• Which famous scientist, writer or artist inspires you?
• Which language would you like to learn?

Questions to ask new neighbours

These questions for neighbours help you settle into a new area and meet the people nearby.

• How long have you lived on this street?
• Is there a good park nearby for walks?
• Which bus or train route do you use most?
• Do you know any good walking or cycling routes nearby?
• Where do you go for a quiet coffee around here?
• Which local tradition or festival should a newcomer see?
• What is the best view in this neighbourhood?
• Which nearby day trip would you recommend?
• Where is the best place for children to play nearby?
• Is there a good place nearby to volunteer?

Questions about values

These questions about values need more trust, so save them for a later conversation.

• What matters most to you in a friendship?
• Which quality do you admire most in other people?
• What makes you feel proud of yourself?
• How do you handle a disagreement?
• What makes a good leader in your eyes?
• How important is tradition to you?
• What makes you trust someone?
• Which goal would you work on if you had more time?
• What does a balanced life look like to you?
• How do you like people to support you on a hard day?

Where can you use these questions?

You can use these questions anywhere you meet new people. Here are some common situations.

• School: on the first day of a new term, pair students and give each pair three questions.
• New job: during onboarding, a manager can share a few questions with the new starter.
• Teams: open a team meeting with one quick question for everyone.
• Home: greet new neighbours with one or two easy questions about the area.
• Groups: start a club session with a round of fun questions.

The same questions work online too: post one in a group chat or start a video call with it.

How does the question picker choose questions?

The question picker chooses questions by filtering the 240 questions to those that match your settings and then drawing from that filtered pool with your browser's cryptographic random source, so every matching question has the same chance. Nothing is sent to a server.

The draw uses the Web Crypto API (crypto.getRandomValues, documented on MDN Web Docs) with rejection sampling, then a Fisher–Yates shuffle. Each press is independent, and one list never shows the same question twice unless you switch on "Allow repeats"; repeats across separate presses are normal.

Frequently asked questions

More tools in this category: Question Games.