Questions · Dinner table
Dinner table questions for an ordinary Tuesday
Not a holiday, not a party, just dinner with whoever is home. These questions are for the weeknight table, when everyone is a little tired and “How was your day?” has already been answered with “Fine.”
- 17 questions
- EN + TL on every card
- Free in the app
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.
What have you done recently that you are pleased about?
Anong nagawa mo kamakailan ang ikinatuwa mo?
If your win had a tiny trophy, what would be written on it?
Kung may maliit na trophy ang nagawa mo, ano ang nakasulat dito?
The questions
17 dinner table conversation starters
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.
Better than “How was your day?”
5 questions
Specific enough to get a real answer from a tired person.
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Name one small part of today that felt okay.
Magbanggit ng isang maliit na part ng araw mo na okay naman.
Back of the card
An okay moment still counts. It does not have to fix the whole day to be worth noticing.
Bilang pa rin ang okay na moment. Hindi niya kailangang ayusin ang buong araw para mapansin mo siya.
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What have you done recently that you are pleased about?
Anong nagawa mo kamakailan ang ikinatuwa mo?
Back of the card
If your win had a tiny trophy, what would be written on it?
Kung may maliit na trophy ang nagawa mo, ano ang nakasulat dito?
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What made you laugh when you least expected it?
Ano ang nagpatawa sa'yo noong hindi mo inaasahan?
Back of the card
Give the scene a caption if you like.
Kung gusto mo, bigyan ng caption ang eksenang iyon.
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Tell us about one simple thing that can make your day better.
Ikuwento mo yung simpleng bagay na nakakapagpaganda ng araw mo.
Back of the card
Small things count because real days are mostly made of small things. Even a tiny lift can matter.
May bigat din ang simpleng bagay, kasi karamihan ng araw natin puro maliliit na moments. Kahit konting gaan, may halaga.
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If you could remove one tiny daily inconvenience forever, what would you remove?
Kung kaya mong tanggalin forever ang isang tiny daily inconvenience, ano ang tatanggalin mo?
Back of the card
Tiny inconveniences can be louder than they deserve. Removing one forever would feel like a quiet luxury.
Minsan ang ingay ng tiny inconveniences. Kapag natanggal forever yung isa, quiet luxury na agad.
About what’s on the plate
5 questions
Food talk, because it’s right there.
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Choose one food that tastes better when it’s left over for the next day.
Pumili ng isang pagkain na mas masarap kapag tira siya hanggang kinabukasan.
Back of the card
Some food needs an overnight plot twist. Leftovers can be humble, practical, and somehow better than round one.
May pagkain talaga na mas gumaganda kinabukasan. Simple lang siya, practical, pero minsan mas panalo pa.
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Think of someone who makes simple meals more fun. What do they do?
Isipin yung taong nagpapasaya kahit simpleng kain lang. Ano yung ginagawa niya?
Back of the card
A meal does not need to be fancy to feel full of life. Sometimes one person's energy changes the whole mood.
Hindi kailangang fancy ang kain para maging masaya. Minsan energy lang ng isang tao, nag-iiba na yung mood.
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Who do you enjoy eating with, even if the food is simple?
Sino yung masarap kasamang kumain kahit simple lang ang pagkain?
Back of the card
The company can change the meal. Some people make even ordinary food feel warmer.
Iba ang pagkain kapag okay ang kasama. May mga taong kahit simpleng meal, gumagaan yung moment.
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Pick one snack you would still accept even when you're already full.
Pick one snack na tatanggapin mo pa rin kahit busog ka na.
Back of the card
Some cravings stay charmingly powerful. The snack you still make room for usually knows exactly how to find your soft spot.
May cravings talaga na malakas pa rin kahit busog. Yung snack na yan, alam kung saan ka mahina.
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Which would you want free for life: breakfast or dessert?
Pumili ng libreng pagkain habambuhay: breakfast o dessert.
Back of the card
Make your first order. You can choose something familiar or invent a dish.
Piliin ang unang oorderin mo. Puwedeng paborito mo na o pagkaing iimbentuhin mo.
One small story each
4 questions
Funny, quick and safe to tell with your mouth half full.
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Share a small mistake or awkward moment that feels funny now.
Mag-share ng small mistake o awkward moment na funny na ngayon.
Back of the card
A small fail gets lighter once it becomes a story. Sometimes the best part is realizing everyone survives awkward little moments.
Gumagaan yung small fail kapag naging kuwento na. Minsan best part yung ma-realize na nakakalusot naman tayo sa awkward moments.
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Share one time your timing was really off and it became funny later.
Mag-share ng time na sobrang sablay ng timing mo at naging funny later.
Back of the card
Bad timing can be annoying in the moment and hilarious later. It has a way of turning itself into comedy.
Yung bad timing, nakakainis sa moment pero funny later. Parang kusa siyang nagiging comedy pag binalikan.
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Rate your normal-day clumsiness from 1 to 5, then share one example.
I-rate from 1 to 5 kung gaano ka ka-clumsy on a normal day, tapos mag-share ng isang example.
Back of the card
Clumsiness has a range, and honesty makes the rating better. One good example can turn any score into evidence.
May range ang clumsiness, at mas funny kapag honest. Isang good example lang, kahit anong score may ebidensya.
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What funny experience made you late to meet a friend?
Anong nakakatawang nangyari kaya ka na-late sa pagkikita ninyo ng friend?
Back of the card
Retell the delay as a very dramatic excuse, if you like.
Kung gusto mo, ikuwento ang pagka-late na parang sobrang dramatic na palusot.
Plates pushed back
3 questions
For the last few minutes before someone gets up to wash dishes.
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Which small plan are you looking forward to?
Anong small plan ang nilu-look forward mo?
Back of the card
Looking forward to something simple can help a week feel kinder. Small plans are allowed to matter.
Nakakagaan ng week kapag may simpleng nilu-look forward. Puwedeng maging mahalaga kahit maliit na plan lang.
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What day from the past would you like to watch?
Anong araw sa nakaraan ang gusto mong mapanood?
Back of the card
Pause on one scene from that day. Which detail would you want to look at longer?
Huminto muna sa isang eksena ng araw na iyon. Anong detalye ang gusto mong tingnan nang mas matagal?
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What simple invitation could brighten a friend's ordinary day?
Anong simpleng yaya ang puwedeng magpasaya sa normal na araw ng friend?
Back of the card
Keep the invitation short enough to send as one message.
Puwedeng maikli lang ang yaya, kasya sa isang message.
How to use them
Before you ask
The best dinner table conversation starters are specific and small: one part of today that went okay, something you were pleased about, a moment that made you laugh. They ask for a sentence, not a report.
Weeknight dinners have their own problem. Nobody is in the mood for deep questions after work and school, and the default question gets the default answer. A specific question does better because it’s easier: “What made you laugh today?” takes less effort to answer than “How was your day?”, and it usually leads somewhere.
Keep one card by the salt and pepper and let a different person ask it each night. One good question per dinner is plenty. On nights when someone wants to keep going, the later groups are there.
Good for
Tips
- One question per dinner is enough. Make it a habit, not an event.
- Rotate who asks; kids love being the one holding the card.
- Answer first if nobody else will. Your answer sets the length.
- Phones face down until the question has gone all the way around.
- Skip grades, chores and schedules at the table. That talk can happen after.
Decks for this
Dinner table
Frequently asked questions
What are good dinner table conversation starters?
Small, specific questions: one part of the day that went okay, something you are pleased about, what made you laugh, the leftover that tastes better the next day. They are easy for tired people and lead to stories.
What can I ask instead of “How was your day?”
Ask about one specific moment: what made you laugh today, what went better than expected, what you are looking forward to. Specific questions get real answers.
How do we start a dinner conversation habit?
Keep one question card on the table and let a different person ask it each night. Kumustahan is a free conversation card app, so a phone at the table can deal one.
Bring a better question to the table.
Free on iPhone and Android. 420 cards free, no account, works offline.