Questions to Ask Someone From Another Country

Start with the flag

On Omlet, every match shows the other person's country flag, which hands you a natural opening. Start broad and let them decide how much to share.

• "I see the [country] flag. Is that home for you, or just where you're connecting from?"
• "Is it morning or night for you right now?"
• "Have you lived there your whole life?"
• "What's the season like there at the moment?"

Opening with a greeting in their language is a lovely touch. Our guide to saying hello in 30 languages has pronunciation hints for the common ones.

Food questions (everyone has an opinion)

• "What do people usually eat for breakfast there?"
• "What's a dish your family makes for special occasions?"
• "Is there a food from your region that people elsewhere in the country argue about?"
• "What would you cook for a guest to impress them?"
• "What do people eat late at night?"
• "Which foreign food is popular there right now?"
• "What's a snack from home you'd miss if you moved abroad?"

Daily life questions

These get at what it's actually like to live somewhere, which is exactly what guidebooks can't tell you.

• "How do most people get around in your city?"
• "What time do people usually have dinner there?"
• "What's a holiday you look forward to all year?"
• "What's something completely normal there that surprises visitors?"
• "What would I notice first if I walked around your town?"
• "What's the best time of year where you live?"
• "What do people there do to relax after work?"

Cultural questions about language

• "Which languages do you speak, and which one do you think in?"
• "Is there a word in your language that English doesn't have?"
• "How do friends greet each other there?"
• "What's an expression your grandparents use that younger people don't?"
• "How would my name sound in your language?"
• "What's a phrase visitors always mispronounce?"
• "Do people in different regions of your country speak differently?"

Music, film and pop culture

• "What's a song from your country that everyone knows the words to?"
• "Who's a singer or band from there I should look up?"
• "What's a film or series from your country you'd recommend?"
• "Who's famous there but unknown everywhere else?"
• "Which sport gets people most excited?"
• "What music plays at weddings and big parties?"

Places and travel

• "If I visited for one day, where would you take me?"
• "Where do tourists go that locals avoid?"
• "What's a region of your country most outsiders have never heard of?"
• "What's the best trip you've taken inside your own country?"
• "Where in the world would you most like to go, and why?"
• "Have you been somewhere that felt completely different from home?"

Tailor them to the country

General questions are fine, but a little specific knowledge shows real interest. Two examples:

• India: India has many languages and very different regional cuisines, so "Which state are you from, and what language did you grow up speaking?" goes much further than questions about India as a whole.
• Mexico: Food is famously regional. Try "What dish is your state known for?" or "How do people eat tacos where you're from?"

If you know almost nothing about their country, say so: "I'll be honest, I know very little about [country]. Where should I start?" Honest curiosity is welcome almost everywhere.

Going deeper once you've clicked

• "What's something your country does better than anywhere else?"
• "What felt strangest the first time you traveled abroad?"
• "What's a common misunderstanding about where you're from?"
• "What tradition would you keep forever if you could only keep one?"

Omlet matches you Worldwide by default, so you never know which country comes next. If you'd like to meet people from one place in particular, the country filter lets you choose a country; international video chat explains how it works.

Questions to skip, and what to ask instead

Some questions come from genuine curiosity but land as assumptions. Swap them for versions that let the other person describe their own experience.

For a fuller look at sensitive subjects, read topics to avoid when talking to foreigners. Greetings, humor and directness are covered in our guide to video chat etiquette around the world.

One last habit: answer your own questions too. Sharing a little about where you live turns an interview into a conversation.