Questions · Students and classrooms
Get to know you questions for students, from the first day
Questions for the first week of class, homeroom, a new college org or an NSTP group that just met. Safe to ask in a classroom, easy for shy students, in English and Filipino.
- 28 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.
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?
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.
The questions
28 get to know you questions for students
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.
First day, one-sentence answers
9 questions
Easy enough to go around a full classroom.
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If you could spend a day as any animal, which would you choose?
Kung puwede kang maging hayop nang isang araw, anong hayop ang pipiliin mo?
Back of the card
Imagine your first meal as that animal. Where would you look for it?
Isipin ang unang pagkain mo bilang hayop na iyon. Saan mo ito hahanapin?
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Which language would you learn instantly if you woke up fluent tomorrow?
Kung paggising mo bukas ay marunong ka na ng isang bagong language, ano ang pipiliin mo?
Back of the card
Choose the first person you would like to talk to in that language.
Piliin ang unang taong gusto mong makausap gamit ang wikang iyon.
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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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Name one ulam you would be happy to eat every week.
Magbanggit ng isang ulam na happy kang kainin every week.
Back of the card
Some dishes earn a permanent place in the rotation. They do not need drama, just rice and a happy yes.
May ulam na deserve maging regular sa rotation. Hindi kailangan ng drama, kanin lang at happy yes.
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Group photo starts. What is your automatic move?
May group photo na. Ano ang automatic move mo?
Back of the card
Group photos bring out instant instincts. Some people arrange everyone, some disappear behind others, and some are ready before the camera is.
May automatic instinct kapag group photo na. May taga-ayos, may nagtatago sa likod, may ready bago pa yung camera.
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Name one item you always seem to lose, like keys, earphones, a pen, a charger, or your wallet.
Magbanggit ng isang item na parang lagi mong nawawala, like susi, earphones, pen, charger, o wallet.
Back of the card
Some items have a talent for vanishing at the worst time. At some point, it starts to feel like a relationship issue.
May items na ang galing mawala sa worst time. Dumadating sa point na parang relationship issue na siya.
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Name one small, specific thing you enjoy more than people expect.
Magbanggit ng isang maliit at specific na bagay na mas enjoy mo kaysa ina-expect ng iba.
Back of the card
Specific joys can be tiny clues about a person. They do not need to make sense to everyone to be real.
Yung specific joys, maliit na clue tungkol sa tao. Hindi kailangan gets ng lahat para maging real.
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Name one harmless opinion you take seriously, like food, movies, habits, or small preferences.
Magbanggit ng isang harmless opinion na seryoso ka, like food, movies, habits, o small preferences.
Back of the card
Harmless opinions are a safe place to be dramatic. The stakes are low, but the conviction can still be strong.
Safe maging dramatic sa harmless opinions. Low stakes lang, pero pwedeng strong pa rin ang conviction.
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Pick your ideal weather: a warm rainy afternoon or a cool sunny morning.
Pumili ng gusto mong panahon: maulan pero mainit na hapon o maaraw pero malamig na umaga.
Back of the card
Choose a sound to go with your weather.
Pumili ng tunog na bagay sa pinili mong panahon.
How you learn and work
6 questions
Useful before group work starts.
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When you enter a classroom, meeting room, or café, where do you usually choose to sit?
Pagpasok mo sa classroom, meeting room, o café, saan ka usually pumipili umupo?
Back of the card
Seat choices can reveal comfort, strategy, or pure habit. Somehow we all have a spot our body chooses first.
May sinasabi rin yung seat choice: comfort, strategy, o habit lang talaga. Minsan katawan na ang pumipili.
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Which kind of task makes you lose track of time?
Anong klaseng task yung nakakalimutan mong oras kapag ginagawa mo?
Back of the card
The tasks that make time move fast can reveal what absorbs you, energizes you, or quietly fits how your mind works.
Yung tasks na nagpapabilis ng oras pwedeng clue kung ano ang kumukuha ng focus mo, nagpapagana sa'yo, o bagay sa utak mo.
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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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When learning something new, what help do you like from a friend?
Kapag may bago kang inaaral, anong tulong ang gusto mo mula sa friend?
Back of the card
Show me once, let me try, or stay beside me — which help would you choose?
Ipakita muna, hayaan akong sumubok, o samahan ako — alin ang pipiliin mong tulong?
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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.
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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?
For orgs, NSTP and new groups
7 questions
For the people you’ll spend a whole semester with.
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When joining friends for an activity, what helps you feel included?
Kapag may activity ang friends, ano ang nagpaparamdam na kasama ka rin?
Back of the card
Being invited and being able to join are not always the same thing.
Hindi laging pareho ang niyayaya ka at ang kaya mong sumali.
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What helped you feel welcome in a new place?
Ano ang nakatulong para maramdaman mong welcome ka sa isang bagong lugar?
Back of the card
Would you do something similar for someone new? You can also leave it as a good memory.
Gagawin mo rin ba iyon para sa bagong dating? Puwede ring magandang alaala na lang muna ito.
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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.
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If someone funded one helpful idea for your neighborhood, what would you build or improve?
Kung may sasagot sa gastos, ano ang gagawin o aayusin mo para makatulong sa lugar ninyo?
Back of the card
Picture its first day in use. What would you be happy to see people doing?
Isipin ang unang araw na ginagamit na ito. Ano ang ikatutuwa mong ginagawa ng mga tao?
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In an adventure story, would you be the guide, cook, builder, storyteller, or someone else?
Sa adventure story, anong role ang pipiliin mo: guide, cook, builder, storyteller, o iba pa?
Back of the card
Your character has one familiar object in their bag. What is it?
May isang pamilyar na gamit sa bag ng tauhan mo. Ano iyon?
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What small thing do you naturally take care of during a hangout?
Anong maliit na bagay ang natural mong inaasikaso kapag may hangout?
Back of the card
Some small things find the same person every time. It can be funny how a group quietly learns who handles what.
May maliliit na bagay na laging may hinahanap na tao. Funny rin kung paano tahimik na natututo ang group kung sino ang umaasikaso ng ano.
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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.
Later in the term
6 questions
When the class is comfortable and there’s time to listen.
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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.
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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.
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Share the first time you did something on your own and felt more capable afterward.
Ikuwento ang unang beses mong gumawa ng isang bagay mag-isa at naisip mong, "Kaya ko pala."
Back of the card
Finish if you like: "That was when I realized I could..."
Kung gusto mo, ituloy: "Doon ko naisip na kaya ko palang..."
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Which compliment have you remembered long after someone said it?
Anong compliment ang tumatak sa'yo kahit matagal na itong sinabi?
Back of the card
The exact words are optional. Notice which part of the compliment stayed with you.
Hindi kailangan ang eksaktong salita. Balikan kung aling bahagi ng papuri ang tumatak sa'yo.
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When you were younger, what got you excited quickly?
Nung bata ka, ano yung madaling maka-excite sa'yo?
Back of the card
Early excitement can be fun to remember. It can also show what kind of wonder came naturally to you.
Nakakatuwang balikan yung madaling ika-excite mo dati. Minsan pinapakita rin nito kung anong klaseng wonder ang natural sa'yo.
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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..."
How to use them
Before you ask
The first week of class usually runs on the same introduction: name, course, hobby, why you took this subject. By the third student, nobody is listening. A better get to know you question has a quick, concrete answer that is a little different for everyone, so the room actually hears it.
Start with the one-sentence questions while seats and names are still new. Before group work, ask how people like to learn and where they sit. It saves a lot of guessing later. The questions for orgs and NSTP groups work well in circles of five or six, where everyone gets a turn and nobody performs for the whole hall.
Keep it classroom-safe. Nothing about family money, grades, crushes or anything a student might not want the whole section to know. Shy students answer more when the teacher or facilitator goes first.
Good for
Tips
- Go first yourself, with a short, slightly funny answer.
- In big classes, split into circles of five and let each circle pick one card.
- Students can always pass. A pass is an answer too.
- Let students answer in English or Filipino, whichever comes easier.
- Use one card at the start of class through the first month, not ten on day one.
Decks for this
Students and classrooms
Frequently asked questions
What are good get to know you questions for students?
Questions with a quick, concrete answer that differs from person to person: a snack, a favorite ulam, an animal for a day, where they like to sit. They work for every age and nobody has to share anything private.
How do teachers break the ice on the first day of class?
Pick one easy question, answer it yourself first, then go around the room. Keep answers to one sentence on day one and save the longer questions for small groups later in the week.
What questions should teachers avoid asking students?
Avoid family income, grades, religion, relationships and anything about home life a student might not want classmates to hear. Questions about preferences, habits and imagination are safer.
Are there Tagalog versions for Filipino classrooms?
Yes. Every question here has an English and a Filipino version, and the free Kumustahan app shows both, so students can read the one they understand better.
Bring a better question to the table.
Free on iPhone and Android. 420 cards free, no account, works offline.