Questions · Throwback questions
Throwback questions that bring the old stories back out
Nostalgic questions about growing up, the barkada days and the funny things people still bring up. For reunions, old friends and anyone who starts sentences with “dati…”.
- 27 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.
When you were younger, what got you excited quickly?
Nung bata ka, ano yung madaling maka-excite sa'yo?
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.
The questions
27 throwback questions to ask
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.
Growing up
9 questions
Childhood games, small firsts and the habits from home.
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Back when you were a kid, what game or activity could keep you busy for hours?
Nung bata ka, anong laro o activity ang kaya mong pagkaabalahan nang ilang oras?
Back of the card
Childhood focus has its own sweetness. It remembers a time when getting lost in play was enough.
May sariling saya yung focus nung bata tayo. Naalala nito yung panahon na sapat na ang maglaro nang maglaro.
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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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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.
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Finish this: Childhood merienda feels extra special when...
Tapusin ito: Mas special ang childhood merienda kapag...
Back of the card
Merienda memories are small, but they can carry whole afternoons with them. One bite can bring back a place, a person, or a mood.
Maliit lang ang merienda memories, pero may dala silang buong hapon. Isang kagat lang, may bumabalik agad na lugar, tao, o feeling.
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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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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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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.
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Tell us about a small habit at home that you thought was normal for everyone.
Kuwento mo yung maliit na habit sa bahay na akala mo normal sa lahat.
Back of the card
Every home has its own normal. Sometimes you only notice it when another house does things differently.
Bawat bahay may sariling normal. Minsan doon mo lang napapansin kapag iba pala ang style sa ibang bahay.
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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?
Barkada throwbacks
10 questions
Old songs, old rides, old photos and how you all met.
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Which song takes you back to a particular time with friends?
Anong kanta ang nagpapaalala sa'yo ng isang panahon ninyo ng friends mo?
Back of the card
Picture where everyone was when the song came on.
Isipin kung nasaan ang lahat noong tumugtog ang kanta.
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Tell about a ride home with friends that you still remember.
Magkuwento ng pag-uwi kasama ang friends na naaalala mo pa.
Back of the card
You could remember just the last thing someone said before you parted.
Puwedeng balikan ang huling sinabi bago kayo naghiwa-hiwalay.
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Name a place that reminds you of a funny story with friends.
Magbanggit ng lugar na nagpapaalala ng funny story kasama ang friends.
Back of the card
That place gets a new name just for this story. What would it be?
Kung papangalanan mo ang lugar ayon sa kuwentong ito, ano ang itatawag mo?
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What detail do you notice first in an old photo with a friend?
Anong detalye ang una mong napapansin sa lumang photo kasama ang friend?
Back of the card
No need to show it. Would you keep that detail in a photo taken today?
Hindi kailangang ipakita. Gusto mo bang makita pa rin ang detalyeng iyon sa photo ngayon?
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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.
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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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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.
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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?
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Which simple hangout with a friend would you happily repeat?
Anong simpleng bonding kasama ang friend ang gusto mong ulitin?
Back of the card
Same place, same activity, different weather. Would you still choose it?
Parehong lugar at gagawin, pero iba ang panahon. Pipiliin mo pa rin ba ito?
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Describe a funny photo of yourself that you would happily show your friends.
Ikuwento ang isang funny photo mo na okay lang sa'yong ipakita sa friends.
Back of the card
No need to show it. What caption would fit the photo?
Hindi kailangang ipakita. Anong caption ang babagay sa photo?
The stories that still get told
3 questions
Embarrassing then, funny now.
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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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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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Name a word or line you misheard that made the conversation funny.
Magbanggit ng word o line na mali mong narinig at naging funny yung usapan.
Back of the card
Mishearing one word can send a conversation somewhere else completely. Sometimes the mistake is funnier than the original point.
Isang maling dinig lang, ibang direction na yung usapan. Minsan mas funny pa yung mali kaysa original point.
Looking back from here
5 questions
A little more reflective, for later in the night.
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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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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.
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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.
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If you could tell your younger self one piece of good news, what would it be?
Kung may isang good news kang masasabi sa batang ikaw, ano yun?
Back of the card
This is a gentle way to name progress. Not everything is fixed, but maybe there is something younger you would smile about.
Gentle way ito para makita yung progress. Hindi man ayos lahat, baka may isang bagay na ikakangiti ng batang ikaw.
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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.
How to use them
Before you ask
Throwback questions are the easiest questions to answer, because you already have the story. Nobody has to think about who they are or where they’re going. They just have to remember the merienda after school, the song that played on every ride home, or the first time they did something on their own.
They work best with people who share some of the past: classmates at a reunion, old barkada, cousins at a handaan. One person’s memory pulls out another’s, and suddenly three people are correcting each other about who was there. Let that happen. The arguing is half the fun.
With newer friends, throwbacks are a gentle way to get to know someone without asking anything personal. A childhood game or an old inside joke tells you a lot. For more barkada-sized questions, the Barkada deck has a whole set built around memories.
Good for
Tips
- Bring out old photos. A picture on the table makes every answer longer.
- Ask the same card to two people who were both there and compare versions.
- Let stories run long. A throwback that wanders is doing its job.
- Not every childhood was easy, so keep it about small memories and let people pass.
- End with a “looking back” card so the night lands somewhere warm.
Decks for this
Throwback questions
Frequently asked questions
What are good throwback questions to ask friends?
Questions about how you met, a song that takes you back, an old ride home or a plan that failed but became a good memory. They work best with friends who were there.
What are good childhood memory questions?
Ask about games, snacks, small firsts and habits from home. Concrete details like a merienda or a game you played for hours bring back memories faster than “what was your childhood like?”.
Are nostalgic questions good for reunions?
Yes. Shared memories get everyone talking at once, and people who haven’t seen each other in years have something easy to start with.
Are these throwback questions in Tagalog too?
Yes. Every question on this page has an English and a Filipino/Tagalog version, so titos, titas and old classmates can each read their own.
Bring a better question to the table.
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