Guide · Filipino conversation cards
Filipino conversation cards, written for our tables
Conversation cards are questions you take turns answering out loud. Filipino conversation cards are written for the way we actually talk: in English, Tagalog and everything in between, about merienda, barkada, family and faith.
Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.
Tell us about a small habit at home that you thought was normal for everyone.
Kuwento mo yung maliit na habit sa bahay na akala mo normal sa lahat.
Every home has its own normal. Sometimes you only notice it when another house does things differently.
Bawat bahay may sariling normal. Minsan doon mo lang napapansin kapag iba pala ang style sa ibang bahay.
In short
The idea
A translated deck asks Filipino questions in a foreign voice. A Filipino deck starts from Filipino life: the sawsawan argument, the tita who asks when you’re getting married, the ride home with the barkada, the lifegroup that prays for you, the cousin abroad on video call.
Language matters too. Most of us switch between English and Tagalog mid-sentence, and a good deck lets each person answer in whichever comes easier. Kumustahan puts both on every card, written to sound like conversation, not a textbook.
Whatever deck you use, the rules are the same. Draw a card, read it out, let one person answer while the others listen, and always allow a pass.
Good for
Tips
- Read the card in whichever language the person answering prefers.
- Start light. Food and home questions warm up any Filipino table.
- Let the oldest person answer a memory question first.
- Make “pass” a normal word at the table.
Decks for this
Physical decks or an app?
The Philippines has a lively scene of physical conversation decks, and many are lovely gifts. Comfort Cards by Bakás are Taglish decks focused on mental health and healing, with editions for couples, barkada and family. Toni Talks sells a deck of meaningful-conversation questions from Toni Gonzaga’s show. We compare them, honestly, in our guide to conversation card games in the Philippines.
An app trades the feel of paper for range. Kumustahan carries 1,200 cards in 7 decks on your phone, so the same app works for a first date, a family reunion and a youth camp. You choose how deep the questions go, mix decks, switch languages any time, and it works offline. 420 cards are free for good.
How to choose Filipino conversation cards
Whatever you buy or download, check these:
- Language: does it speak the way your table speaks? English, Tagalog, Taglish, or both side by side.
- Depth control: can you keep it light with titos and go deeper with your closest friends?
- Who it’s for: a couples deck at a family reunion is awkward. Pick for the people, not the topic.
- Passing: good decks make it easy to skip a card. Nobody should feel cornered.
- Range: if you host often, a deck you can finish in one night will run out fast.
The questions
23 Filipino conversation cards to try
Every question in English and Filipino/Tagalog, word for word from the Kumustahan decks. Open “Back of the card” for the reflection printed on the other side.
Kain muna
6 questions
Every Filipino conversation starts near food.
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Which sawsawan do you automatically look for, and what food is it best with?
Anong sawsawan ang automatic mong hinahanap, at anong pagkain ang pinakabagay doon?
Back of the card
A sawsawan choice can say a lot without becoming serious. Tiny food loyalties are part of the fun.
May sinasabi rin ang sawsawan choice, pero hindi kailangang maging serious. Masaya yung small food loyalties natin.
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Finish this: Childhood merienda feels extra special when...
Tapusin ito: Mas special ang childhood merienda kapag...
Back of the card
Merienda memories are small, but they can carry whole afternoons with them. One bite can bring back a place, a person, or a mood.
Maliit lang ang merienda memories, pero may dala silang buong hapon. Isang kagat lang, may bumabalik agad na lugar, tao, o feeling.
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Name one ulam you would be happy to eat every week.
Magbanggit ng isang ulam na happy kang kainin every week.
Back of the card
Some dishes earn a permanent place in the rotation. They do not need drama, just rice and a happy yes.
May ulam na deserve maging regular sa rotation. Hindi kailangan ng drama, kanin lang at happy yes.
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Name a food that tastes better when it's free.
Sabihin mo yung pagkain na mas masarap kapag libre.
Back of the card
Free food has its own seasoning. Sometimes the best flavor is the tiny thrill of not paying for it.
May sariling sarap ang libreng pagkain. Minsan yung best flavor, yung small joy na hindi ikaw ang nagbayad.
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Share one food rule your household still follows.
Mag-share ng isang food rule na sinusunod pa rin sa bahay niyo.
Back of the card
House rules around food can be funny, practical, or oddly sacred. They carry the flavor of how people grew up.
Yung food rules sa bahay, minsan funny, minsan practical, minsan oddly sacred. May flavor siya ng kinalakihan natin.
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What food is hard for you to say no to?
Anong pagkain ang hirap mong tanggihan?
Back of the card
Food answers can be light, but they usually carry a little story: comfort, habit, craving, or someone who introduced it.
Light lang ang food answer, pero madalas may kasamang kuwento: comfort, habit, craving, o taong nagpakilala nito sa'yo.
Bahay at pamilya
6 questions
Home, habits and the family gathering.
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Name one pambahay item you always reach for, like a shirt, shorts, slippers, blanket, or mug.
Magbanggit ng isang pambahay item na lagi mong ginagamit, like shirt, shorts, tsinelas, kumot, o mug.
Back of the card
The best pambahay items are not trying to impress anyone. They just show up, stay comfortable, and do their job.
Yung best pambahay items, hindi kailangan magpa-impress. Comfortable lang, reliable, at laging ready sa bahay.
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At family gatherings, where do you usually end up: helping, chatting, eating, or observing?
Kapag may family gathering, saan ka usually napupunta: tumutulong, nakikipagkwentuhan, kumakain, o nag-oobserve?
Back of the card
Gatherings bring out our natural moves. Some people serve, some talk, some watch, and some happily stay near the food.
Sa gatherings, lumalabas yung natural move natin. May tumutulong, may nagkukuwento, may nag-oobserve, at may masaya sa tabi ng pagkain.
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At home, who usually notices the chores, mess, or little things first?
Sa bahay ninyo, sino yung madalas unang nakakapansin ng chores, kalat, o maliliit na kailangan gawin?
Back of the card
Every home has someone who notices first. That kind of attention can be quiet, but it keeps many things moving.
Sa bawat bahay, may taong unang nakakapansin. Tahimik minsan yung ganung attention, pero marami siyang napapaandar.
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Name a topic your family or friends can discuss forever.
Sabihin yung topic na kayang pag-usapan forever ng family o friends mo.
Back of the card
Every group has a topic that refuses to end. It keeps coming back because everyone has one more detail to add.
May topic talaga na ayaw matapos. Paulit-ulit bumabalik kasi laging may dagdag na kwento ang bawat isa.
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Tell us about a small habit at home that you thought was normal for everyone.
Kuwento mo yung maliit na habit sa bahay na akala mo normal sa lahat.
Back of the card
Every home has its own normal. Sometimes you only notice it when another house does things differently.
Bawat bahay may sariling normal. Minsan doon mo lang napapansin kapag iba pala ang style sa ibang bahay.
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Which everyday sound reminds you of home right away?
Anong everyday sound ang nagpapaalala agad sa'yo ng home?
Back of the card
Home is not always a place first. Sometimes it is a sound you recognize before you even think about it.
Hindi laging lugar agad ang home. Minsan sound siya na kilala mo na bago mo pa isipin.
Barkada
6 questions
Group chats, rides home and inside jokes.
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What do you usually send in the group chat: updates, memes, reactions, or something else?
Ano ang madalas mong ipadala sa group chat: updates, memes, reactions, o iba pa?
Back of the card
If your messages had a signature, what would it be: an emoji, a phrase, or something else?
Kung may tatak ang messages mo, ano iyon: emoji, linya, o iba pa?
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Tell about a ride home with friends that you still remember.
Magkuwento ng pag-uwi kasama ang friends na naaalala mo pa.
Back of the card
You could remember just the last thing someone said before you parted.
Puwedeng balikan ang huling sinabi bago kayo naghiwa-hiwalay.
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Share the origin of an inside joke that is okay to explain.
Ikuwento ang simula ng inside joke na okay lang ipaliwanag.
Back of the card
Tell only the part you have permission to share. The rest can stay an inside joke.
Sabihin lang ang bahaging okay ibahagi. Puwedeng sa inyo na lang ang natitirang biro.
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What line do your friends often hear you say?
Anong linya ang madalas marinig ng friends mo sa'yo?
Back of the card
Imagine your usual line printed on a shirt.
Isipin na naka-print sa shirt ang madalas mong sabihin.
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Which song takes you back to a particular time with friends?
Anong kanta ang nagpapaalala sa'yo ng isang panahon ninyo ng friends mo?
Back of the card
Picture where everyone was when the song came on.
Isipin kung nasaan ang lahat noong tumugtog ang kanta.
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Choose a simple way friends could celebrate your birthday without spending much.
Pumili ng simpleng paraan para i-celebrate ng friends ang birthday mo nang hindi gumagastos nang malaki.
Back of the card
One detail can be just for you: the music, the timing, or something else you love.
Puwedeng may isang detalye para talaga sa'yo: music, oras, o iba pang gusto mo.
Medyo seryoso
5 questions
For when the table gets quiet.
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Tell us about a food that reminds you of someone taking care of you.
Ikuwento yung pagkain na nagpapaalala sa'yo ng alaga ng isang tao.
Back of the card
Food can carry care without needing big words. Sometimes the simple act of feeding someone well becomes a memory by itself.
Kayang magdala ng care ang pagkain kahit walang malaking salita. Minsan yung simpleng pag-alaga sa pagkain, nagiging memory na.
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When you think of home, what small detail comes up first?
Kapag naiisip mo ang home, anong maliit na detail ang unang pumapasok?
Back of the card
Home can be a smell, a sound, a person, a room, or one ordinary detail that stayed.
Pwedeng amoy, tunog, tao, kwarto, o isang ordinaryong detail ang home. Minsan yun ang unang bumabalik.
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What word would describe your week so far?
Anong word ang babagay sa week mo so far?
Back of the card
Sometimes one word is enough to begin. Naming the week can help you notice what your heart has been carrying.
Minsan sapat na ang isang word para makapagsimula. Kapag napangalanan mo ang week mo, mas nakikita mo kung ano ang bitbit mo.
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Name one small hope that helps you keep going.
Magbanggit ng isang maliit na hope na tumutulong sa'yo magpatuloy.
Back of the card
A small hope can still carry real strength. It may be quiet, but it is not nothing.
May totoong lakas din ang maliit na hope. Tahimik man siya, hindi ibig sabihin wala siyang bigat.
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Share one simple kindness someone showed you recently.
Mag-share ng simple kindness na pinakita sa'yo recently.
Back of the card
Small kindness can become a quiet picture of God's care. It does not need to be big to stay with you.
Yung simple kindness, puwedeng maging maliit na picture ng care ni Lord. Hindi kailangang grand para maalala mo.
Filipino conversation cards
Frequently asked questions
What are Filipino conversation cards?
Question cards written for Filipino life and language, taken in turns and answered out loud. They ask about things like food, family, barkada and faith, in English, Tagalog or both.
Are there conversation cards in Tagalog?
Yes. Several physical decks are written in Taglish, and the Kumustahan app puts English and Filipino/Tagalog on every one of its 1,200 cards.
Is there a conversation card app for Filipinos?
Yes. Kumustahan is a bilingual English and Filipino conversation card app for iPhone and Android, with 7 decks, 420 free cards, offline play and no account.
What is a good Filipino conversation card game for groups?
For mixed groups, start with light decks like icebreakers or fun questions, then move to barkada or getting-to-know-you questions once people are comfortable. Choose a deck that lets anyone pass a card.
Bring a better question to the table.
Free on iPhone and Android. 420 cards free, no account, works offline.