The short answer: the best fun questions to ask new friends are light, specific and easy to answer with a story: “What’s your go-to karaoke song?”, “What’s the most underrated place round here?”, “What would your perfect Sunday look like?” They work because they reveal personality without pressure, and they give you something to follow up on. Below are 80 fun questions organised by situation (first coffee, group dinner, walking, group chat, “would you rather” and local life), an example of how they play out, and tips for using them without sounding like a questionnaire.
Making friends as an adult often comes down to a few early conversations going well enough that someone suggests meeting again. Fun questions help with exactly that. They’re the friendly, low-stakes cousin of deep questions to get to know someone: save the big stuff for later and start here.
How to use fun questions with new friends
- Answer them yourself. A question followed by your own answer feels like chatting, not an interview.
- Follow the energy. If someone lights up about their allotment or their five-a-side team, stay there. The list can wait.
- Use the setting. On a walk, ask about what you can see. At dinner, start with food. In a group chat, keep it quick.
- Look for the second meetup. The best answers often contain your next plan: a café they love, a quiz they go to, a walk they’ve been meaning to try.
- Keep it inclusive in groups. Ask questions everyone can answer quickly, and let quieter people pass.
Questions for a first coffee with a new friend
One-to-one with someone you’ve just met: easy, warm and a little bit personal.
- What’s keeping you busy at the moment, outside of work?
- How did you end up living round here?
- What’s your go-to coffee order, and are you fussy about it?
- What’s something you’ve got really into lately?
- What’s the best thing you’ve watched in the last few months?
- Are you a morning person or a night owl?
- What’s a hobby you’d love to try if you had the time?
- What’s your idea of a perfect Sunday?
- What did you want to be when you were a kid?
- What’s the last thing that made you properly laugh?
- Do you have a holiday you’re looking forward to?
- What’s your hidden talent?
- Who’s the funniest person you know?
- What’s the best gig, match or show you’ve ever been to?
- What’s a small thing that always cheers you up?
Questions for a group dinner with new people
Around a table with several people you don’t know, choose questions that everyone can answer in a sentence and that spark comparisons.
- What’s the best meal you’ve ever had, and where?
- What’s the one dish you can actually cook well?
- Sweet or savoury breakfast?
- What’s your most controversial food opinion?
- What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?
- Takeaway night: what are you ordering?
- If this table opened a restaurant, what would it serve?
- What’s a food from home you miss most?
- What’s your signature dish for a dinner party?
- What’s the best thing on this menu, in your expert opinion?
- Roast dinner: which part is non-negotiable?
- What’s the worst dinner party disaster you’ve witnessed?
Questions for a walk
Walking side by side takes the pressure off eye contact, and you can always use what’s around you.
- What’s your favourite walk anywhere?
- Are you a planner or a “let’s see where we end up” walker?
- If you could live in any house on this street, which would it be?
- What’s the best view you’ve ever had at the end of a walk?
- Do you have a dog, or want one? What kind?
- What’s the most outdoorsy thing you’ve ever done?
- Rain or shine: do you still go out?
- Beach, hills or city?
- What’s a place near here you think everyone should visit?
- Have you ever done a parkrun, a charity walk or a big hike?
- What season suits you best?
Questions for a group chat
Quick questions that get a new group chat going before or after a meetup. Short answers, emoji-friendly, no pressure.
- What’s your current song on repeat?
- Best snack for a long train journey?
- What’s the last photo you took on your phone (that you’re willing to share)?
- Rate your weekend out of ten.
- What’s one thing you’re looking forward to this week?
- What’s your go-to comfort film?
- What should we do for the next meetup?
- What are you having for dinner?
- Recommend one thing: a series, a podcast, a café.
- What’s your karaoke song?
“Would you rather” questions for new friends
These are perfect for groups, because everyone answers and nobody has to share anything personal.
- Would you rather always be ten minutes early or always ten minutes late?
- Would you rather have a beach holiday or a city break?
- Would you rather give up coffee or chocolate for a year?
- Would you rather be the funniest or the smartest person in the room?
- Would you rather live in the countryside or the middle of a city?
- Would you rather only watch films or only read books for a year?
- Would you rather be able to speak every language or play every instrument?
- Would you rather have a festival weekend or a spa weekend?
- Would you rather win a pub quiz or a karaoke contest?
- Would you rather have a dog or a cat?
- Would you rather go back in time or into the future?
- Would you rather cook for eight people or wash up after them?
Local-life questions (UK, Ireland and Australia flavour)
Local questions are brilliant for new friends, especially if one of you is new to the area. They lead straight to plans.
- What’s the most underrated pub, café or bakery round here?
- Where would you take a visitor for the day?
- What’s the best chippy, curry house or kebab shop you know?
- Which local accent or phrase did you have to learn when you moved?
- Best spot for a Sunday roast or a long brunch?
- Which beach, park or hill is worth the trip?
- What’s the local “you have to try this” food?
- Where’s the best place to watch the football, rugby, GAA or footy?
- What’s the best day trip from here by train or bus?
- What’s the most “only round here” thing you’ve seen?
- Do you do any local runs, clubs or quizzes?
- What’s one thing you’d change about living here?
Wildcard questions that always get a story
- What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done?
- What’s a weird fact you know that you love telling people?
- What’s the best advice your nan, grandad or a family member gave you?
- What would your autobiography be called?
- What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
- If you could master any skill overnight, what would it be?
- What’s the most “you” thing you own?
- What’s something you’re weirdly competitive about?
An example: how one fun question becomes a second plan
Aoife: What’s the most underrated café round here?
Ben: Honestly, the one by the station. It looks like nothing, but the cinnamon buns are unreal.
Aoife: I walk past it every day and never go in. Are they better than the bakery on the high street?
Ben: Different league. And they do a Saturday morning thing where they bake them fresh at ten.
Aoife: Right, I need to try this. Are you around next Saturday? I’ll get the first round of buns in.
Ben: Deal.
A light, local question turned into a specific recommendation, a bit of friendly back-and-forth, and a concrete second plan. That’s the whole aim.
How to follow up on any answer
The question is only the opening. What makes someone feel like they’ve met a potential friend is how you respond to the answer. Three simple moves cover most situations:
- Ask for the story. “Wait, how did that happen?” or “What made you pick that?” turns a one-word answer into a proper conversation.
- Share a matching detail. If they say their perfect Sunday is a long walk and a roast, tell them about yours. People bond over specifics, not generalities.
- Bookmark it for later. “I’m going to hold you to that bakery recommendation” signals you’d like to see them again, without any pressure.
It also helps to remember answers. Mentioning their five-a-side match or their sister’s visit the next time you meet is one of the clearest signs that you were listening, and it’s exactly how acquaintances turn into friends.
Using these questions the second and third time you meet
By the second hangout you’ll have used the obvious openers. That’s a good thing: you can move from “getting to know you” to “doing things together”. Swap general questions for ones about shared plans (“What should we try next: the quiz, the climbing wall or that new ramen place?”) and about what’s happened since you last met (“How did the interview go?”). Light questions still matter, but they work best now as the backdrop to an activity rather than the whole point of meeting.
If you find you’re running out of things to say on a third meetup, that’s usually a sign to change the format, not the person. Try a walk instead of a café, a games night instead of drinks, or invite one more person along.
Questions to avoid with brand-new friends
- “What do you earn?” or anything about money.
- “Are you seeing anyone?” (unless they bring it up).
- “Why don’t you have more friends here?” It can sting.
- Heavy politics or religion as a debate.
- Very personal health or family questions.
None of these are forbidden forever. They just go better once you know each other.
Tips for group settings
If you’re hosting a table of strangers or a walking group, fun questions double as icebreakers. Our list of icebreaker games for adults has games like a question jar and Pass the Question that use exactly these prompts, and our guide to organising a meetup covers the rest of the host’s job. If you’re meeting a date rather than a potential friend, the first date conversation starters list has a friend-to-date swap table too.
From a good chat to a real friendship
Friendships usually grow through repeated, low-key time together: the same quiz every month, a regular walk, a dinner club. If a fun question turns up a shared interest, suggest a plan around it, and then suggest the next one. MeetNow, our own app (see our disclosure), is built around posting exactly those kinds of plans at public places.
Want to turn this into an actual plan? MeetNow is a free app for meeting people in person: a host posts a plan at a public place, says who pays (host pays, split, pay your own or free) and picks who joins. It is live on the web now, starting in Malta, with the phone apps on the way: open MeetNow and see the plans near you.
FAQ
What are fun questions to ask new friends?
Light, specific questions that invite a story, such as “What’s the most underrated café round here?”, “What’s your karaoke song?” or “What’s your idea of a perfect Sunday?” Answer them yourself too, so it feels like a conversation.
What questions should I ask when meeting someone new?
Start with easy, open questions about their week, their interests and the area: “What’s keeping you busy at the moment?”, “How did you end up living here?” Follow up on what they say rather than moving down a list.
What are good questions for a group of new friends?
Quick ones everyone can answer, such as “would you rather” questions, food questions or “where would you take a visitor for the day?” They keep everyone involved without putting anyone on the spot.
How do you keep a conversation going with a new friend?
Pick up on details in their answers, share something of your own, and ask a follow-up. Local recommendations are especially useful, because they often lead straight to a plan to meet again.
What should you not ask a new friend?
Avoid money, relationship status, very personal health or family topics, and heated political debate early on. They can come later, once you know each other.
