205 Questions to Ask a New Friend to Quickly Get to Know Them

In the vast landscape of social connections, finding the right “questions to ask a new friend” can be the golden key to unlocking a meaningful relationship.

Whether you're looking to deepen existing bonds or sow the seeds of new friendships, the art of conversation is your most reliable tool. But what exactly are the “questions to ask a new friend” to quickly transition from mere acquaintances to a deeper connection?

Making new friends is not just about expanding your social circle; it's about enriching your life with diverse perspectives and experiences. It's about finding those who resonate with your own values, interests, and aspirations.

In this post, we're going to explore 205 carefully curated questions designed to help you swiftly peel back the layers of a new acquaintance's personality, revealing the core of what makes them unique.

These questions are not just conversation starters; they are bridges to understanding, mutual respect, and potentially life-long friendships.

Table of Contents

The Benefits of Making New Friends

Making new friends always opens the door to new possibilities. You have mutually bonded over something you both either like, or dislike. As you get to know them, you look for more things about them that you can relate to.

Some experts believe that making new friends is also good for your health. We tend to migrate towards people with a healthier routine, encouraging us to put aside our unhealthy lifestyle choices.

Additionally, doing so gives you a greater sense of purpose and belonging. You’ll experience improved self-worth, confidence and overall happiness.

Furthermore, making new friends helps you cope with life’s challenges… such as losing a job, the death of a loved one, divorce or a critical illness.

How Can Questions Help You Get to Know Someone Better?

Asking questions to get to know a new friend better can strengthen your initial connection with them. Your questions can serve as detective and therapist. It’s a great way to uncover if the two of you share a passion for the same thing on a much deeper level.

Moreover, it will reveal if there is a mutual interest in strengthening your connection with each other.

Just beware… you don't want to ask questions that violate a person's privacy because you're being too personal. However, as you ask the questions, you can look for non-verbal cues like their tone of voice, gestures, facial expressions, and posture to tell you much about your new friend.

This will tell you if your friend really cares about what you're saying, if they are a good listener and if they are truthful with you.

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Finally, asking questions helps you stay true to your core values. By sharing with them what matters to you, their answers will tell you if it’s a match made in Heaven or want better left unpursued.

205 Questions to Ask a New Friend to Quickly Get to Know Them

Questions to Ask a New Friend About Things They Like

What type of music do you listen to?
What hobbies do you enjoy that others may find strange or weird?
What was one of the best trips you ever took? What made it so great?
What was the last book you read?
What was your favorite TV show as a kid?
Are you an indoor or outdoor person? And why?
What is your favorite holiday? Why is this your favorite holiday?
What is your favorite type of food to eat?
Are you a dog, cat, or pet person at all?
Are pineapples on a pizza really a thing? Would you eat them on your pizza?
Would you say you are an extrovert or more introverted?
Do you have a bucket list? If so, what is your next adventure?
What is your favorite kind of ice cream? What toppings do you enjoy with your frozen treat?
Are you an early bird, or do you prefer to sleep in?
What is your favorite meal of the day, breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Who was your first celebrity crush as a kid? How old were you then?
Who is your celebrity crush now?
What is the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?
Do you prefer eating out or getting takeout and eating at home?
What is your favorite season of the year? And why?
What is your favorite sport? Do you follow the sport on a professional level?
Would you prefer to go camping and fishing, or to the beach?
What are your pet peeves?
What is your favorite childhood memory?
What would you like to do on a typical birthday?
Which do you prefer to listen to on your way to work, music, talk radio, or audiobooks?
What is the #1 song that you cannot help but dance to?
Do you play any musical instruments? If so, what do you play? If not, what would you love to be able to play?
What is one thing that can make your day better in an instant?
What is your favorite way to unwind?
Which do you prefer, hot coffee or hot tea?
If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would buy with the money?
Out of all the things you own, what is your most prized possession?
When you are alone, how do you like to spend your time?
What is the best live concert that you have ever been to?
What is your all-time favorite board game to play?
Could you live a day without your cell phone?
What is the most essential part of your daily routine?
What causes are you the most passionate about?
Do you prefer live music or recorded music?
What type of chocolate do you prefer: milk, dark, or white, and why?
Do you like hardcover or softcover books?
What do you think about e-books?
Do you prefer interactive or passive entertainment?
Are there any specific activities that you really enjoy?
Do you like watching movies at home or in the theater?
If you could star in a movie, which one would it be and why?
Do you prefer to watch movies in their original language or with subtitles?
What type of TV shows do you enjoy?
Do you like playing video games or board games?
Which type of cuisine do you prefer?
What type of behavior do you think is rude?
What song or movie reminds you of your childhood?
What is your favorite TV moment of all time?
Is there one movie you could watch every day and not get tired of it? If so, why?
What is the best drink for a party, wine or beer?
Do you prefer hot weather or cold climates?
What is your favorite candy from childhood? Do you still like to eat it?
Are you a waffle or a pancake person?

Questions to Ask a New Friend About Their Desires, Dreams, and Fantasies

If you were granted 3 wishes, what would they be?
Do you believe that all your dreams will come true?
What is the wildest dream that seems the most impossible to accomplish?
What would you do if you were rich and famous?
If you could go back in time to any historical event, where would you go?
If you could sit down and have a conversation with anyone past or present, who would it be?
What would it be if you could start a business day with unlimited financial resources?
If you could time travel, would you go back in time or into the future?
Would you explore the ocean or outer space?

When it comes to asking a new friend about their desires, dreams, and fantasies, it's important to approach the topic with sensitivity and respect.

Would you prefer to be poor and famous or rich and unpopular?
Would you prefer to start your dream company overnight or never work again?
If you hit the lottery, would you take one lump sum or spread out the payments over years and why?
Would you prefer to be a famous millionaire or a secret one?
Would you rather sail the entire Earth in a year or visit all the planets?
If you had wishes, would you use all of them on yourself and let certain people share them?
If you had to remain the same age the rest of your life, which age would you pick and why?
Would you rid the world of hunger or war if you had the power?
Would you prefer to never gain weight or never age?
If you had to live as an animal, would you choose a lion, bear, or elephant?
Would you rather win a Nobel Peace Prize or an Oscar?
Would you rather play all the instruments on the planet at a decent level or become a master of one?
If you had the power to stop time, what would you do?
Would you rather be able to fly or read people’s thoughts?
If you could be any superhero, who would you choose and why?
Would you rather have the power of teleportation or the power of invisibility?
If you could cure any disease with one wish, which would it be and why?

Questions to Ask a New Friend About Their Job/Career

What is one job you would never want to have?
What is your first priority after you get home from work?
Who or what inspired you to choose the career you chose?
What is the most fulfilling part of your occupation?
If you could be doing any other line of work, what would it be?
How long is your commute to work?
How do you spend your commute to work?
Does your job give you the option to work from home? If so, how do you enjoy it?
How would you rate your bosses on a scale from 1 to 10, ten being the best?
How well do you get along with your co-workers?
Do you think you will continue working at this job long-term? Why or why not?
What accomplishment are you most proud of in your current career?
Would you recommend the line of work that you do to others searching for a rewarding career?
What annoys you the most about your job?
Are you able to take vacations regularly?

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What is your work-life balance like? Are you able to get off work to take care of personal matters?
How old were you when you started working at your job?
Do you have a side hustle, or have you considered getting one?
Do you feel fulfilled in your current work situation? Does it give you a sense of accomplishment?
What has been the best decision you have made concerning your career?
What has been the worst decision you have made concerning your career?
What part of your workday that you look forward to the most?
What is the best compliment you have received about your work?
What are common misconceptions that outsiders have about the work that you do?
Are you open to advancement opportunities at your current employer?
Are you the type to leave ‘work at work,' or do you tend to ‘take work home' with you?
Where do you see yourself in your career in the next 5 or 10 years?
Would your younger self be pleased with the career choices you have made over the years?
What advice would you give to the younger version of yourself?
Have you ever been labeled a workaholic?
What qualities do you feel are most valuable in being a boss?
What psyches you up the most to go to work every day?
Do you think you will work as long as possible, or will you look to retire?
What are your thoughts on having a professional mentor? Do you or would you have one?
What is the best career advice you have ever received?
Have you made friends on your job?
What most surprised you when you started working at your current job?
How do you deal with the stress of your job?
Do you have any career accomplishments you wish to accomplish soon?
If you could start all over again, would you choose the same career path?
Was your family happy with your career choice?
What have you learned the most in your current role on your job?
Do you prefer working with a big team or a small one?
How do you handle work stress?
Do you think it's best to have several different jobs over the years or master one?
Do you prefer to start work early or work late?
Do you think some jobs can't be done remotely? If so, which ones?
What type of job do you think is the most satisfying?
What do you think are the most important qualities of a job?
Do you think people should limit their career options to jobs they already know?
Do you think there's an age when it's too late to make a career transition?
What is more important to you more money or more flexibility?

Questions to Ask a New Friend About Their Family

Who is the best cook in your family?
What family members do you most enjoy spending time with?
If you could, would you have a larger family or keep it the same size?
On average, how often are you able to visit with your family?
Which member of your family has had the most significant impact on your life?
What is your family’s origin?
Is it hard living so far away from your family? If so, what do you miss the most about them?
What is the most challenging part of living so close to your family?
What is your favorite childhood story you can tell me about your parents or grandparents?

Approaching the topic of family with sensitivity and respect can help build trust and deepen your connection with a new friend.

Who always gives the best gifts for Birthdays, Christmases, etc.?
Did you have a tight-knit family growing up?
Would you like to have a family of your own one day?
Does your family have family reunions regularly? If so, do you attend them?
What is the greatest part of taking family trips?
What is your least favorite part of taking family trips?
What would you change about your upbringing, if anything?
Does your family have any family traditions? If so, which is your favorite one?
In what ways do you show love to your family?
If you have children, in what way did you raise them differently than the way you were raised?
Who is the glue person in your family that brings everyone together?
Who in your family is your personality most like? How would you describe that personality?
Do you prefer to hang out with family or friends?
Do you think family relationships get easier or harder as you get older?
Do you think it's important to stay in touch with family members who live far away?
How important are extended family relationships to you? Who are your favorite extended family members?
Do you consider your in-laws to be “real” family?
Do you think it's important for parents to stay together for their children even if the marriage is essentially over?
Do you think it's important to keep traditions alive in your family?
Do you think parents should be friends with their children or maintain more of a parental relationship?
Do you think family members should be on each other's social media accounts?
How do you think technology has changed the way families interact?
How would you plan an ideal family reunion?
Do you prefer to call family or do in-person visits?

Questions to Ask a New Friend About Things They Value The Most

Who do you most admire? What is it that you admire the most about them?
What type of volunteer work do you do?
What makes you fill the most fulfilled in life?
What bothers you the most when you look at the world today?
How would you fix things at work that you find to be bothersome?
What gives you the most peace in life?
What gives you the most joy in life?
What brings you the most happiness out in your life?
How has your perspective of life changed in the past 10 years?
What does someone have to do to earn your respect?
What does a person have to do to gain your trust?
What would you change if you could change anything in the world with the snap of a finger?
What would it take to lose your respect?
What would it take for someone to lose your trust?
Have you ever given someone a second chance? Do you still believe in giving second chances after that experience?
If you had 24-hours to live, how would you spend your final day on earth?
Do you prefer others to respect you or like you?
What do you think is the most important thing in life?

If you're interested in learning about a new friend's values, it's important to approach the topic in a respectful and open-minded manner.

Do you think it's better to have a few close friends than many acquaintances?
Do you think it's better to have money or happiness?
Do you think it's more important to make a difference or live comfortably?
What do you think is the most important quality in a friend?
Do you prefer inner peace or fame and recognition?
How do you think people can achieve balance in their lives?
Do you value knowledge or experience more?
What do you think is more important to support, education or healthcare and why?
Would you be willing to pay more taxes if it meant universal healthcare for everyone?
Do you prioritize spending money on experiences or material items?
What do you think is more important in life: security or adventure?
Do you think having a strong moral compass is more important than success?
Is it better to live by a code of values or make decisions based on the situation?
Do you think it's important to give back and help others in need? If so, what's the best way to do so?
Do you think children should study art and/or music in school? If so, how do you think it can help them?
Should countries help other nations that are in need?
Is it better to have an optimistic or pessimistic outlook on life? Why?

Final Thoughts on Questions to Ask a New Friend

You can get to know a lot about your friends by asking open ended questions. Just be careful not to be overly intrusive into your friend’s finances or romantic history.

For instance, asking questions about how much money they make, or how much certain things cost, may be going too far with a new friend.

Similarly, asking questions about past romantic partners, failed marriages, or why they do not have children could shut down a good friendship before it gets started.

Keep your questions light-hearted and be willing to share your answers with them too. Institute and open book policy, but be sure to keep an eye on body language while doing so.

Follow these tips, and before long, these questions will turn into meaningful and fruitful conversation with a new friend! Like any relationship, friendships take work… but a true friend is worth the effort.

And if you want more interesting questions to ask, be sure to check out these blog posts:

Finally, if you want to ask better questions, then watch this short, 20-minute course to learn how to have a great conversation with virtually anyone.