Questions · Open-ended questions

Open-ended questions that get more than a yes

An open-ended question can’t be answered in one word. It asks someone to describe, explain or tell a story, which is why it keeps a conversation going when a yes-or-no question would end it.

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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.

Getting to know№ 24

When you think of home, what small detail comes up first?

Kapag naiisip mo ang home, anong maliit na detail ang unang pumapasok?

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A note

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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The questions

16 open-ended questions

Sorted by how each one opens, so you can borrow the shape for your own questions.

Describe it

5 questions

A place, a moment, a feeling. Asks for detail, not a verdict.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. What small things make a room feel welcoming to you?

    Anong maliliit na bagay ang nagpaparamdam sa'yo na welcome ka sa isang room?

    Back of the card

    Welcome can come from tone, space, food, faces, or small signals that say you do not have to prove yourself.

    Puwedeng galing sa tono, space, pagkain, mukha ng tao, o maliliit na sign na hindi mo kailangang patunayan ang sarili mo.

  4. Describe one thing that feels different about you lately.

    I-describe ang isang bagay na parang nag-iba sa'yo lately.

    Back of the card

    Change often shows up quietly before anyone else notices. Giving it words helps you see it more clearly.

    Minsan tahimik lang dumadating ang pagbabago bago mapansin ng iba. Kapag nilagyan mo ng words, mas malinaw mo siyang nakikita.

  5. After the main plan ends, which part of the hangout do you enjoy most?

    After ng main plan, which part ng hangout ang pinaka-enjoy mo?

    Back of the card

    The after-plan part can become the real memory. Looser moments sometimes carry the easiest stories.

    Minsan yung after ng main plan ang nagiging totoong memory. Mas loose kasi, kaya mas madaling magka-kwento.

Tell the story

7 questions

A memory with a beginning, a middle and something that happened.

  1. Tell us about a small childhood memory you still remember clearly.

    Kuwento mo yung maliit na childhood memory na malinaw pa rin sa'yo.

    Back of the card

    The memories that stay are not always the biggest ones. Sometimes one small scene keeps its color for years.

    Hindi laging pinakamalaki ang memories na naiiwan. Minsan isang maliit na scene ang malinaw pa rin kahit ang tagal na.

  2. Tell us about a place that left a memory or feeling you still carry.

    Ikuwento yung lugar na may iniwang memory o feeling na dala mo pa rin.

    Back of the card

    Some places stay with us quietly. You may not notice it right away, but later you realize you carried something from there.

    May mga lugar na tahimik lang ang iniiwan sa atin. Hindi mo agad napapansin, pero may dala ka pala mula roon.

  3. When was the last time a meal became a good memory?

    Kailan huling naging magandang memory yung isang meal?

    Back of the card

    A good meal memory is rarely only about food. It can be the timing, the people, or the feeling around the table.

    Hindi lang pagkain ang laman ng good meal memory. Pwedeng timing, kasama, o yung feeling sa paligid ng table.

  4. What meal with a friend became memorable for something besides the food?

    Anong kainan ninyo ng friend ang tumatak dahil sa nangyari, hindi lang dahil sa pagkain?

    Back of the card

    If this meal's story had a title, what would it be?

    Kung may pamagat ang kuwento ng kainan na ito, ano iyon?

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. Recall a moment when talking to a new friend started to feel easy.

    Kailan ka nagsimulang maging komportable sa pakikipagkuwentuhan sa bago mong friend?

    Back of the card

    Remember the first thing you no longer felt shy about saying.

    Balikan ang unang bagay na hindi ka na nahiyang sabihin.

Walk me through how

4 questions

Routines and habits, step by step.

  1. Tell us about a small routine that helps you feel okay when your day feels off.

    Ikuwento yung small routine na tumutulong sa'yo maging okay kapag off ang araw mo.

    Back of the card

    A routine does not have to be impressive to help. Sometimes familiar steps are enough to help you find your footing again.

    Hindi kailangang impressive ang routine para makatulong. Minsan sapat na yung familiar na steps para makabalik ka sa okay.

  2. How do you usually unwind after a long day?

    Paano ka usually nagpapahinga pagkatapos ng mahabang araw?

    Back of the card

    Everyone has a different way of landing after a full day. It can be quiet, active, social, or very simple.

    Iba-iba tayo ng paraan mag-settle after a long day. Puwedeng tahimik, active, may kasama, o simple lang.

  3. When you meet a new friend or group, how do you usually get comfortable?

    Kapag may bago kang friend o group, paano ka usually nagiging comfortable?

    Back of the card

    People warm up at different speeds. Some start with jokes, some with listening, some by quietly showing up again.

    Iba-iba ang pace ng pag-warm up. May dumadaan sa jokes, may sa pakikinig, at may tahimik lang na bumabalik ulit.

  4. After finishing something hard, how do you usually celebrate or recover?

    Kapag natapos mo ang mahirap na bagay, paano ka usually nagse-celebrate o nagre-recover?

    Back of the card

    Finishing something hard deserves a landing. Some people mark it loudly; some just need a quiet exhale.

    Kapag may natapos kang mahirap, kailangan din ng landing. May nagse-celebrate nang malakas; may tahimik na hinga lang.

How to use them

Before you ask

An open-ended question is one that can’t be answered with yes, no or a single word. “Did you have a good weekend?” is closed. “What was the best part of your weekend?” is open. The difference sounds small, but one ends the conversation and the other starts it.

Open-ended questions usually begin with what, how, describe or tell me about, and they ask for a description, a process or a story. That’s how this page is sorted. Once you know the three shapes, you can turn almost any closed question into an open one on the spot.

The catch is that a very broad open question, like “tell me about yourself,” is hard to answer. The best ones are open and specific: they point at one moment or one habit and leave the rest to the person answering. For more on the difference, see follow-up questions and how to start a conversation.

Good for

  • Teachers and counselors talking with students
  • Parents who keep getting “fine”
  • Interviews, podcasts and oral history
  • Language practice and conversation clubs
  • Anyone whose conversations keep stalling

Tips

  1. Start with what, how, describe or tell me about.
  2. Make it specific: one moment, one place, one habit.
  3. Ask one question, then stop talking.
  4. Follow up on a detail from the answer, not with a new topic.
  5. Use a closed question only to confirm, never to open.

Decks for this

Closed questions, made open

A few everyday closed questions and an open version of each. Keep the topic; change the shape.

Turning closed questions into open-ended ones
Closed (one-word answer)Open-ended version
Did you have a good day?What was the best part of your day?
Do you like your new place?What do you notice first when you walk in?
Was the trip fun?Tell me about one moment from the trip you keep thinking about.
Are you busy at work?Walk me through what a normal Tuesday looks like right now.
Did you grow up here?What do you remember about the house you grew up in?

Open-ended questions

Frequently asked questions

What is an open-ended question?

A question that can’t be answered with yes, no or one word, so the person has to describe, explain or tell a story. “What was the best part of your weekend?” is open; “Did you have a good weekend?” is closed.

What are examples of open-ended questions?

Describe your favorite quiet moment at home; tell me about a small childhood memory you still remember; how do you usually unwind after a long day. Each asks for detail rather than a verdict.

Why use open-ended questions?

They give people room to share what matters to them, which keeps a conversation moving and shows you are interested. Teachers, counselors and interviewers rely on them for that reason.

Bring a better question to the table.

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