Questions · Storytelling questions
Storytelling questions that get a real story out
Some questions get an answer. These get a story, with a beginning, a turn and an ending people remember. Here’s how to ask them, and how to help someone tell it.
- 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.
Recall a harmless mistake that became a good story later.
Anong pagkakamali ang nakakatawa nang balikan ngayon, na wala namang nasaktan?
What would the title of this story be?
Ano ang magiging pamagat ng kuwentong ito?
The questions
16 storytelling 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.
Two-minute funny stories
6 questions
Small mishaps that are funny now.
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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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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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Recall a harmless mistake that became a good story later.
Anong pagkakamali ang nakakatawa nang balikan ngayon, na wala namang nasaktan?
Back of the card
What would the title of this story be?
Ano ang magiging pamagat ng kuwentong ito?
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Tell a funny story about overreacting to a tiny problem.
Kailan ka napasobra ng reaction sa simpleng problema na natatawanan mo na ngayon?
Back of the card
How would you tell it if the tiny problem were the villain in the story?
Paano mo ito ikukuwento kung ang maliit na problema ang kontrabida sa kuwento?
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Describe a moment that stressed you out before but makes you laugh now.
I-describe yung moment na stressful dati pero natatawa ka na ngayon.
Back of the card
Some stressful moments lose their sharp edges with time. Once the panic fades, the story sometimes becomes surprisingly funny.
May stressful moments na lumalambot habang tumatagal. Kapag wala na yung panic, minsan funny story na siya.
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What failed plan with friends turned into a good memory?
Anong pumalpak na plano kasama ang friends ang naging masayang memory?
Back of the card
The failed plan can be the story's best plot twist.
Puwedeng ang pumalpak na plano ang pinakamagandang plot twist sa kuwento.
Stories with a turn in the middle
5 questions
Something changed, and you can say when.
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Tell us about something you used to avoid that feels less scary now.
Kuwento mo yung dati mong iniiwasan pero hindi na ganun ka-scary ngayon.
Back of the card
Less scary is still movement. You do not have to be fearless to know something has changed.
Movement pa rin ang less scary. Hindi mo kailangang maging fearless para malaman na may nagbago.
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What difficult situation are you proud of handling?
Anong mahirap na sitwasyon ang proud kang naharap mo?
Back of the card
You can pass or keep the situation private. What did handling it help you notice about your own abilities?
Puwedeng mag-pass o itago ang sitwasyon. Ano ang napansin mong kaya mo pala matapos mong harapin iyon?
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Recall the last time you tried something new just because you were curious.
Ikuwento ang huling beses na sumubok ka ng bago dahil curious ka lang.
Back of the card
Would you try it again, or was once enough?
Susubukan mo ba ulit, o sapat na ang minsan?
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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...”
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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.
Stories about the people around you
5 questions
Friends, family and strangers who did something memorable.
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Tell us the funny memory your friends or family still bring up.
Ikuwento yung funny memory na binabalikan pa rin ng friends o family mo.
Back of the card
Some stories become part of a group's archive. If people still bring it up, it probably earned its place.
May stories na parte na ng group archive. Kapag binabalikan pa rin, malamang deserve niya yung spot.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
How to use them
Before you ask
A storytelling question asks for a moment, not an opinion. “What’s your favorite food?” gets a word. Asking when a meal last became a good memory gets a scene: who was there, what went wrong, why it stuck. Stories are how people actually get to know each other, and the right question is the doorway.
The page has three kinds. Funny two-minute stories are the easiest, because everyone has a small mishap that’s funny now. Stories with a turn are about change: the thing you used to avoid, the first impression that flipped. Stories about other people are often the warmest, because the teller gets to be generous.
Listen like an audience. Ask “and then what?”, react, and don’t jump in with your own story until theirs is finished. The section below has a simple shape anyone can use to help a story along.
Good for
Tips
- Ask for a moment, not a summary.
- Use “and then what?” more than any other question.
- Don’t top their story. Let it land first.
- Give the teller time to warm up. The second telling is often better.
- Ask about other people’s kindness. Those stories are the warmest.
Decks for this
Helping someone tell a good story
Most people tell better stories than they think. A few questions from the listener help:
- “Where were you?” A place sets the scene, and the details come with it.
- “And then what happened?” The turn is the heart of a story, and this question finds it.
- “How do you see it now?” The ending is often how the teller feels about it today.
- Then tell one back. Only when theirs is finished, and on the same theme.
Storytelling questions
Frequently asked questions
What are good storytelling questions?
Questions that ask for a specific moment, like a harmless mistake that became a good story, something you used to avoid that feels less scary now, or a time someone was fair to you. Each has a beginning, a turn and an ending built in.
How do I get someone to tell a story?
Ask about one specific moment, then use follow-ups like where were you and what happened next. Interest from the listener is what turns an answer into a story.
Are storytelling questions good for groups?
Yes, especially the funny two-minute ones. In a group, keep each story short and let people tag on with their own.
Bring a better question to the table.
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