Questions · Gratitude questions

Gratitude questions that feel real, not forced

Gratitude prompts for a dinner table, a team meeting, a classroom circle or Thanksgiving. Small and specific, so nobody has to give a speech.

  • 26 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.

Icebreakers№ 45

What is a recent act of kindness that caught you by surprise?

Anong magandang ginawa sa'yo lately ang hindi mo inaasahan?

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A note

Keep names private if you like. Picture the instant you realized what they had done for you.

Puwedeng itago ang mga pangalan. Balikan ang sandaling naisip mo kung ano ang ginawa nila para sa'yo.

Tap to returnkumustahan

The questions

26 gratitude questions and prompts

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.

Small good things

8 questions

Easy, everyday gratitude. Good for warming up a group.

  1. 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.

  2. Pick one small thing lately that helped you breathe easier.

    Pick one maliit na bagay lately na nakatulong sa'yo huminga nang mas maluwag.

    Back of the card

    Relief can be small and still be real. Notice what gave your body or mind a little more room.

    Puwedeng maliit ang ginhawa pero totoo pa rin. Pansinin kung ano ang nagbigay ng konting luwag sa katawan o isip mo.

  3. 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.

  4. Which part of your day do you look forward to?

    Anong part ng araw mo ang inaabangan mo?

    Back of the card

    The part you look forward to can be a clue. It shows where your day still gives you a little life.

    Clue din yung part na inaabangan mo. Ipinapakita niya kung saan may konting buhay pa sa araw mo.

  5. Describe your favorite quiet moment at home in one sentence.

    I-describe in one sentence yung favorite mong tahimik na moment sa bahay.

    Back of the card

    Quiet at home can be its own kind of treat. Sometimes the best part is that nothing needs to happen.

    Yung tahimik sa bahay, treat din minsan. Minsan best part na yung walang kailangang mangyari.

  6. Which part of the day usually feels easiest for you?

    Anong part ng araw usually pinaka-madali para sa'yo?

    Back of the card

    Some people come alive in the morning, some at night, and some during one quiet pocket in between.

    May taong buhay na buhay sa umaga, may gabi ang favorite, at may isang tahimik na part lang sa gitna na hinihintay.

  7. Pick one small mood upgrade, like a drink, song, scent, snack, or clean space.

    Pumili ng isang small mood upgrade, like drink, song, scent, snack, o malinis na space.

    Back of the card

    A mood upgrade does not need to be big. Sometimes one small detail is enough to change the angle of the day.

    Hindi kailangang malaki ang mood upgrade. Minsan isang small detail lang, nag-iiba na yung angle ng araw.

  8. Name one tiny habit that has been helping you lately.

    Magsabi ng isang tiny habit na nakakatulong sa'yo lately.

    Back of the card

    Small habits can hold more weight than they look like. Notice the quiet things that help you keep going.

    May bigat din ang maliit na habit. Pansinin yung tahimik na bagay na tumutulong sa'yo magpatuloy.

The people behind them

8 questions

Thanks with a name attached.

  1. Which small kindness from other people do you notice right away?

    Anong small kindness mula sa ibang tao ang napapansin mo agad?

    Back of the card

    It could be someone checking in, saving you a seat, helping quietly, or remembering a small detail. The kindness you notice may be the kind you needed before.

    Puwedeng may nag-check in, nagtira ng seat, tumulong quietly, o nakaalala ng small detail. Baka yung kindness na napapansin mo ang kind na kinailangan mo dati.

  2. 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.

  3. What is a recent act of kindness that caught you by surprise?

    Anong magandang ginawa sa'yo lately ang hindi mo inaasahan?

    Back of the card

    Keep names private if you like. Picture the instant you realized what they had done for you.

    Puwedeng itago ang mga pangalan. Balikan ang sandaling naisip mo kung ano ang ginawa nila para sa'yo.

  4. Tell us about a time someone was fair to you in a way you still remember.

    Ikuwento yung time na naging fair sa'yo ang isang tao, at natatandaan mo pa rin.

    Back of the card

    Fairness can be memorable because it gives people room to breathe. It says, I see the whole situation, not only the mistake.

    Natatandaan ang fairness kasi nakakahinga ang tao. Parang sinasabi nito, nakikita ko yung buong situation, hindi lang yung mali.

  5. Who taught you a useful skill or habit you still use in daily life?

    Sino yung nagturo sa'yo ng useful skill o habit na gamit mo pa rin sa daily life?

    Back of the card

    Practical lessons are easy to overlook, but they stay close. They show up in the small ways you move through a day.

    Madaling ma-overlook ang practical lessons, pero dala-dala mo pala. Lumalabas sila sa maliliit mong galaw araw-araw.

  6. Tell us about a friend who made you feel like you belonged.

    Ikuwento yung friend na nagparamdam sa'yo na belong ka.

    Back of the card

    Inclusion can happen through one seat saved, one question asked, or one person making room on purpose.

    Minsan isang upuang tinabi, isang tanong, o isang taong sinadyang magtabi ng space ang nagpaparamdam na kasama ka.

  7. Which compliment from a friend made you smile recently?

    Anong compliment mula sa friend ang nagpangiti sa'yo lately?

    Back of the card

    Did you believe it right away, or did it sink in later?

    Naniwala ka ba agad, o saka mo lang ito naramdaman?

  8. Who taught you a work or school habit you still use, and what was it?

    Sino yung nagturo sa'yo ng work o school habit na gamit mo pa rin, at ano yun?

    Back of the card

    Some habits come from people who modeled them first. Their way of doing things can quietly become part of yours.

    May habits na galing sa taong nauna lang magpakita. Tahimik mong nadadala yung style nila hanggang maging part na rin ng style mo.

What you can do now

6 questions

Grateful for how far you’ve come, in small ways.

  1. 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.

  2. Tell us about a small thing you can do now that would have amazed you as a kid.

    Kuwento mo yung maliit na bagay na kaya mo na ngayon na maa-amaze ka kung bata ka pa.

    Back of the card

    Progress can look ordinary from the outside. But younger you might know exactly how big that ordinary thing is.

    Mukhang ordinaryo minsan ang progress. Pero baka alam ng batang ikaw kung gaano kalaki yung ordinaryong bagay na yan.

  3. 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?

  4. What is something you can handle better now than before?

    Ano yung mas kaya mo nang i-handle ngayon kaysa dati?

    Back of the card

    Growth is often noticed in comparison. What used to shake you may now take less from you.

    Madalas napapansin ang growth kapag may comparison. Yung dati kang kinakabahan, baka ngayon mas kaya mo nang harapin.

  5. From when you were younger, what habit or interest do you still carry now?

    Mula nung bata ka, anong habit o hilig ang dala mo pa rin ngayon?

    Back of the card

    Some parts of us do not disappear; they just grow up with us. It can be nice to notice what stayed.

    May parts tayo na hindi naman nawawala; lumalaki lang kasama natin. Nakakatuwang mapansin kung ano yung naiwan.

  6. What useful skill did someone patiently teach you?

    Anong kasanayan ang matiyagang itinuro sa'yo ng isang tao?

    Back of the card

    Imagine you are teaching the skill now. What would you show a beginner first?

    Isipin na ikaw naman ang nagtuturo nito. Ano ang una mong ipapakita sa baguhan?

Looking forward

4 questions

Gratitude for what’s coming. A gentle place to end.

  1. 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.

  2. What are you looking forward to over the next few weeks?

    Ano ang inaabangan mo sa susunod na mga linggo?

    Back of the card

    Finish if you like: "The part I cannot wait for is..."

    Kung gusto mo, ituloy: "Ang pinaka-inaabangan ko ay..."

  3. 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.

  4. Name one good thing you are quietly hoping for.

    Magsabi ng isang good thing na tahimik mong hinihiling lately.

    Back of the card

    Quiet hopes still deserve room. Saying them gently can remind you that wanting good things is not foolish.

    May lugar din ang tahimik na hopes. Kapag nasabi mo sila nang gentle, naaalala mong hindi foolish ang umasa sa mabuti.

How to use them

Before you ask

“What are you thankful for?” is a lovely question that almost always gets the same answers: family, health, food. They are true, but they stop the conversation. Gratitude gets interesting when it’s specific. A small part of today that went okay, a kindness from a stranger, a skill someone patiently taught you. Specific thanks are easier to say and much nicer to hear.

For a group, go around once with an easy prompt so everyone has spoken, then move to the people questions. Thanking someone by name, even someone who isn’t in the room, changes the mood of a table. End on something to look forward to, so the round finishes facing the next few weeks.

These prompts suit Thanksgiving dinner, a classroom circle, a team retro or the end of a long year. They also make a good weekly habit for families. If you want gratitude woven into a fuller check-in, try the check-in questions or the Reflect deck.

Good for

  • Thanksgiving and holiday dinners
  • Classroom circles and youth groups
  • Team meetings and end-of-project retros
  • Family dinners once a week
  • Year-end and birthday reflections

Tips

  1. Ask for one specific thing, not a list.
  2. Encourage names: thanking a person beats thanking a category.
  3. Go around once quickly before any longer answers.
  4. Let “a good cup of coffee” count. Small gratitude is still gratitude.
  5. Never make it a test. Someone having a hard week can pass.
  6. If someone thanks a person at the table, give it a moment before moving on.

Decks for this

Gratitude questions

Frequently asked questions

What are good gratitude questions?

Specific ones, like a small part of today that went okay, a kindness that surprised you, or a person who taught you something you still use. Specific questions get warmer, more honest answers than “what are you thankful for?”.

How do you do a gratitude activity with a group?

Pick one easy prompt and go around the circle once, then ask a second prompt about a person who helped. Keep answers short, let people pass, and end with something everyone is looking forward to.

What gratitude questions work at Thanksgiving dinner?

Ask about a person who made this year better, a small kindness someone noticed, or a skill someone can do now that they couldn’t before. Going around the table once with one of these takes ten minutes and changes the mood.

Are there gratitude prompts for kids?

Yes. Kids answer best with concrete prompts, like a small thing that made today okay or something they can do now that once seemed impossible. Every prompt here has an English and a Filipino/Tagalog version.

Bring a better question to the table.

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