Questions · Hypothetical questions
Hypothetical questions that are really about you
A hypothetical is a safe way to say something true. These start with “imagine” and end up at what you’d actually do with a free afternoon, what a coworker would notice about you, and which memories you’d keep.
- 16 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.
Imagine your future self laughing at one thing you're doing now. What is it?
Imagine yung future self mo natatawa sa isang ginagawa mo ngayon. Ano yun?
Future you may have a softer sense of humor about today. Some things feel bigger before time makes them funny.
Baka mas soft na tumawa ang future self mo sa today. May bagay na malaki ngayon, pero funny later.
The questions
16 hypothetical questions
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 what-ifs about a normal day
6 questions
Easy to picture, because they’re one step away from real life.
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If someone were choosing a snack or drink for you, what’s one choice that would almost always work?
Kung may pipili ng snack o drink para sa'yo, ano yung halos laging okay sa'yo?
Back of the card
Tiny preferences can be an easy way to know someone better. It feels good when people remember the simple things.
Minsan sa small preferences tayo mas nakikilala. Nakakatuwa rin kapag may nakakaalala ng simple things about you.
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If you were too tired to think, what would you order?
Kapag pagod ka nang mag-isip, ano yung o-orderin mo?
Back of the card
The no-thinking order is its own kind of comfort. It is the choice that carries you when your brain is done.
May comfort din sa order na hindi mo na kailangang isipin. Siya yung choice kapag ubos na utak mo.
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If your afternoon suddenly became free, how would you spend it?
Kung biglang naging free ang hapon mo, paano mo ito gagamitin?
Back of the card
Free time shows what you reach for when nobody is asking for anything. It can be rest, fun, errands, or nothing at all.
Makikita sa free time kung saan ka kusang pupunta kapag walang kailangan sa'yo. Puwedeng pahinga, saya, errands, o wala lang.
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If money were no problem, how would you spend a Saturday with nothing you had to do?
Kung walang kailangang gawin at hindi problema ang pera, paano mo gagamitin ang isang Sabado?
Back of the card
Picture the end of your Saturday. What would make you wish it were still morning?
Isipin ang katapusan ng Sabado mo. Bakit mo gugustuhing umaga pa lang?
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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.
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You wake up on a peaceful island with food and shelter ready. What do you do first?
Nagising ka sa tahimik na isla na may pagkain at matutuluyan na. Ano ang una mong gagawin?
Back of the card
Imagine you find a path across the island. Would you follow it or stay where you are?
May nakita kang daan sa isla. Susundan mo ba ito o mananatili ka muna sa kinaroroonan mo?
If someone else were describing you
4 questions
Imagine another person’s view, then decide whether they’d be right.
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If someone worked or studied with you for one week, what would they notice about your style?
Kung may makakasama ka sa work o school for one week, ano kaya ang mapapansin nila sa style mo?
Back of the card
Your style may show in pace, focus, questions, breaks, or how you handle pressure. People notice more than we think.
Pwedeng lumabas ang style mo sa pace, focus, tanong, breaks, o paano ka humarap sa pressure. Marami palang napapansin ang tao.
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If a friend asked what matters to you lately, what is the first thing you would mention?
Kung tanungin ka ng friend kung ano ang importante sa'yo lately, ano yung una mong sasabihin?
Back of the card
You do not have to list everything. Starting with one honest thing is already enough for a real answer.
Hindi mo kailangang ilista lahat. Sapat na magsimula sa isang honest na bagay para maging totoong sagot.
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If a friend said you have changed in a good way, what change would you hope they noticed?
Kung sabihin ng friend mo na nagbago ka in a good way, anong change ang sana napansin nila?
Back of the card
The change you hope someone notices may point to what you have been quietly practicing.
Yung change na sana mapansin nila baka yun yung tahimik mong pinapractice nitong season.
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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.
Time, memory and the person you’ll be
6 questions
The classic thought experiments, kept gentle.
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Which button would you rather have: pause a busy hour or replay a favorite hour?
Kung may time button, alin ang pipiliin mo: i-pause ang isang abalang oras o ulitin ang paborito mong oras?
Back of the card
Your button needs a label. What would you write on it?
Kailangan ng label ang button mo. Ano ang isusulat mo rito?
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If your old phone could save only one, would you keep the photos or the messages?
Kung isa lang ang mase-save sa lumang phone mo, photos o messages ang ititira mo?
Back of the card
Imagine giving the saved memories a title. No need to show any photos or messages.
Isipin na bibigyan mo ng pamagat ang natirang mga alaala. Hindi kailangang magpakita ng photos o messages.
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Choose a memory power: remember every name or remember every route you have taken.
Pumili ng memory power: tandaan lahat ng pangalan o lahat ng daang nadaanan mo.
Back of the card
Give your memory power a name. It can sound heroic or completely ordinary.
Bigyan ng pangalan ang memory power mo. Puwedeng pang-hero o ordinaryo 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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Imagine your future self laughing at one thing you're doing now. What is it?
Imagine yung future self mo natatawa sa isang ginagawa mo ngayon. Ano yun?
Back of the card
Future you may have a softer sense of humor about today. Some things feel bigger before time makes them funny.
Baka mas soft na tumawa ang future self mo sa today. May bagay na malaki ngayon, pero funny later.
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What would you try if failure felt less embarrassing?
Ano ang susubukan mo kung hindi gaanong nakakahiya ang pumalya?
Back of the card
Embarrassment can make the room feel smaller than it is. The thing you would try may still be worth naming.
Kayang paliitin ng hiya ang mundo mo. Pero yung bagay na susubukan mo, baka worth pa ring pangalanan.
How to use them
Before you ask
Hypothetical questions work because they lower the stakes. Asking someone what they want from life is a lot; asking what they’d do if the afternoon suddenly cleared is easy, and the answer tells you nearly the same thing.
Most lists of hypotheticals drift into fantasy: superpowers, deserted islands, a million dollars. That can be fun, and there’s a little of it here, but the hypotheticals that start real conversations stay close to ordinary life. They ask what you’d order when you’re too tired to choose, what a friend would mention if asked about you, or whether you’d save the photos or the messages. People can picture those instantly, so they answer honestly.
Ask the follow-up every time: why that one? The choice is the setup and the reason is the answer. If the group wants pure imagination instead, try what if questions or if you could questions.
Good for
Tips
- Ask “why that one?” after every answer.
- Answer it yourself first if the table goes quiet.
- Push gently on vague answers: what would you actually do first?
- Don’t argue with the premise. If the scenario is odd, that’s the point.
- Mix one everyday hypothetical with one about time or memory.
Decks for this
Hypothetical questions
Frequently asked questions
What are good hypothetical questions to ask?
Ones that are easy to picture and close to real life, like how you’d spend a suddenly free afternoon or which old messages you’d keep. They are fun to imagine, and the reason behind each answer says a lot about the person.
Why do hypothetical questions work so well?
They let people say something true without it feeling like a confession. Choosing in an imaginary situation is low pressure, but the choice still reflects what someone values.
What is the difference between hypothetical and what if questions?
They overlap. On this site, what if questions lean toward imagination and play, while these hypotheticals stay close to everyday life, time and memory.
Bring a better question to the table.
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