Questions · Cousins

Questions for cousins who only see each other at holidays

Questions for cousins: the awkward first hour of the reunion, remember-when stories from the kids’ table, catching up as grown-ups, and keeping in touch until the next holiday.

  • 16 questions
  • EN + TL on every card
  • Free in the app
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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.

Barkada№ 53

If you and a friend talk less often, what would you want to ask them?

Kung bihira na kayong mag-usap ng friend, ano ang gusto mong itanong sa kanila?

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A note

Would you ask now or wait for a quieter time to talk?

Itatanong mo ba ngayon o hihintayin mong mas tahimik ang oras ng usapan?

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The questions

16 questions to ask your cousins

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.

The first hour of the reunion

4 questions

Break the “we used to be close” awkwardness quickly.

  1. Picture meeting an old friend after a few years. What would you want to do together first?

    Isipin na nagkita kayo ng dating friend makalipas ang ilang taon. Ano ang una mong gustong gawin ninyo?

    Back of the card

    You could begin with the most ordinary thing you used to do together.

    Puwedeng magsimula sa pinakasimpleng dati ninyong ginagawa nang magkasama.

  2. 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.

  3. In a group hangout, which role do you usually fall into: planner, joker, listener, snack person, or something else?

    Sa group hangout, anong role ang usually napupunta sa'yo: planner, joker, listener, snack person, o iba pa?

    Back of the card

    Group roles can be funny because they appear before anyone assigns them. Somehow every hangout finds its planner, joker, listener, or snack person.

    Minsan lumalabas yung role bago pa may mag-assign. Sa bawat hangout, may planner, joker, listener, o snack person talaga.

  4. How did your first impression of a friend change once you got to know them?

    Anong first impression mo sa isang friend ang nagbago nang makilala mo sila?

    Back of the card

    You can finish: “I thought they were..., then I noticed...”

    Puwedeng ituloy: “Akala ko..., tapos napansin ko...”

Remember when

5 questions

Kids’-table stories, inside jokes and rides home.

  1. 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.

  2. Name a place that reminds you of a funny story with friends.

    Magbanggit ng lugar na nagpapaalala ng funny story kasama ang friends.

    Back of the card

    That place gets a new name just for this story. What would it be?

    Kung papangalanan mo ang lugar ayon sa kuwentong ito, ano ang itatawag mo?

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. Finish this: I almost panicked when I accidentally sent...

    Tapusin ito: Halos nag-panic ako nung accidentally kong na-send...

    Back of the card

    Wrong sends create instant suspense. The few seconds after realizing it can feel longer than the whole day.

    Iba yung kaba ng wrong send. Yung ilang seconds after ma-realize, parang humahaba bigla yung buong araw.

Grown-up cousins

4 questions

For catching up on lives that went in different directions.

  1. If you and a friend talk less often, what would you want to ask them?

    Kung bihira na kayong mag-usap ng friend, ano ang gusto mong itanong sa kanila?

    Back of the card

    Would you ask now or wait for a quieter time to talk?

    Itatanong mo ba ngayon o hihintayin mong mas tahimik ang oras ng usapan?

  2. Plan a hangout that a friend could bring a new friend to.

    Kung magsasama ng bagong friend ang kaibigan mo, anong bonding ang ipa-plano mo?

    Back of the card

    Imagine the newcomer knows none of your old jokes. Your activity can still work.

    Isipin na hindi alam ng bagong kasama ang dating mga biro ninyo. Puwede pa ring maging masaya ang activity.

  3. Which small adulting skill are you proud you can do now?

    Anong small adulting skill ang proud kang kaya mo na ngayon?

    Back of the card

    Adulting skills can be funny and real at the same time. Paying, fixing, calling, cooking, asking: they all count.

    Nakakatawa pero real ang adulting skills. Magbayad, mag-ayos, tumawag, magluto, magtanong: counted lahat yan.

  4. What goal would you like to reach and celebrate with friends?

    Anong goal ang gusto mong maabot at i-celebrate kasama ang friends?

    Back of the card

    Pick the celebration's mood: quiet, silly, or a little of both.

    Piliin ang gusto mong celebration: tahimik, makulit, o kaunti ng pareho.

Until next time

3 questions

So it isn’t another year of only liking each other’s photos.

  1. What could you and a faraway friend enjoy doing together online?

    Kung nasa malayo ang friend mo, ano ang puwede ninyong gawin online na pareho ninyong mae-enjoy?

    Back of the card

    Choose a little ritual to start it: the same greeting, the same song, or your own idea.

    Puwedeng may nakasanayan kayong panimula: parehong bati, parehong kanta, o sarili ninyong ideya.

  2. If you and your friends had just one free hour, how would you spend it together?

    Kung isang oras lang kayong lahat libre, ano ang gagawin ninyo?

    Back of the card

    Save a few minutes at the end for one thing you would not want to rush.

    Puwede kang maglaan ng ilang minuto sa dulo para sa bagay na ayaw mong madaliin.

  3. Choose a nearby place you would like to explore with a friend.

    Pumili ng malapit na lugar na gusto mong puntahan kasama ang friend.

    Back of the card

    Imagine finding an unexpected favorite corner there.

    Isipin na may makikita kang sulok doon na magiging paborito mo.

How to use them

Before you ask

Cousins are a strange kind of close: you shared summers, holidays and a kids’ table, then grew up in different towns and now see each other once a year. The first hour of a reunion is often polite small talk with someone who once knew all your secrets.

These questions treat cousins like old friends, because that’s mostly what they are. Start with how you used to see each other and how that changed, then trade remember-when stories. The inside jokes come back fast once someone tells the origin story.

For grown-up cousins, the last two groups matter most. It’s easy to drift until the next wedding or funeral. Deciding together on one way to stay in touch, a game you play online or a short message every few months, is how cousins stay close as adults.

Good for

  • Family reunions and holiday gatherings
  • The kids’ table, at any age
  • Weddings where cousins share a table
  • Cousin group chats
  • Cousin trips and sleepovers

Tips

  1. Ask the first-impression question to the cousin you know least.
  2. Let younger cousins hear the older ones’ stories; they love it.
  3. Start a cousins’ group chat before everyone leaves.
  4. Skip comparisons about jobs or grades. The aunts already do that.
  5. Pick a date for the next get-together while you’re all together.

Decks for this

Cousins

Frequently asked questions

What can I talk about with my cousins?

Shared memories and what’s new: the origin of an old inside joke, a place that reminds you of a funny story together, what you’d want to do first if you met after years, and a goal you’d like to celebrate together.

How do I reconnect with cousins I haven’t seen in years?

Start with a memory you share, then ask about their life now. Before you part, agree on one easy way to stay in touch, like a group chat or a game you can play online.

Are these good for a family reunion?

Yes. They work at the kids’ table and with grown cousins, and they get people mixing beyond their own household.

Bring a better question to the table.

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