60 Deep Questions for Couples

Most couples talk every day and still go months without a real conversation. These 60 deep questions for couples are for the nights you want more than logistics: questions about your past, your relationship, your future and the big stuff. Pick a few, put the phones away, and let the answers take as long as they need.

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How to ask deep questions well

  • Choose the setting. Side by side works better than face to face: a walk, a drive, the sofa late at night.
  • Go both ways. Whoever asks a question answers it too.
  • Follow the thread. One good answer is worth more than ten questions. Ask β€œtell me more” before moving on.
  • Allow a pass. Anyone can skip a question with no explanation needed.

Deep questions about the past

Where you came from shapes how you love. Start here.

  1. What is a memory from your childhood that still shapes you?
  2. Who made you feel most loved growing up, and how?
  3. What is something you believed as a kid that you had to unlearn?
  4. What was the hardest year of your life, and what got you through it?
  5. Which past relationship taught you the most about what you need?
  6. What is a decision you are glad you made, even though it was scary?
  7. When did you first feel like an adult?
  8. What is something you have never fully forgiven yourself for?
  9. What did your family never talk about?
  10. Who were you before we met that you miss a little?
  11. What is a compliment you received years ago that you still remember?
  12. What is a moment you wish you could go back and do differently?
  13. What did you want to be when you grew up, and what happened to that dream?
  14. When have you felt most alone?
  15. What is a lesson you learned the hard way?

Deep questions about us

Honest answers about the relationship you are in right now.

  1. When did you first know you loved me?
  2. What is something I do that makes you feel safe?
  3. What is one thing you wish I understood better about you?
  4. When do you feel closest to me?
  5. When do you feel furthest away from me?
  6. What is an argument we had that changed us for the better?
  7. What do you think we are best at as a couple?
  8. What is something we should do more often?
  9. Is there anything you have been wanting to tell me but have not found the moment?
  10. How do you most like to be comforted when you are upset?
  11. What is one small thing I could do this week that would mean a lot?
  12. What habit of mine do you secretly love?
  13. Do you feel like you can be completely yourself with me?
  14. What is your favourite memory of us so far?
  15. What does a perfect ordinary day with me look like?

Deep questions about the future

Dreams, fears and plans. None of these need a final answer tonight.

  1. Where do you see us in five years, honestly?
  2. What is a dream you have not said out loud yet?
  3. What scares you most about the future?
  4. What kind of home do you want us to have?
  5. What does a good life look like to you at eighty?
  6. Is there somewhere you have always wanted to live?
  7. What would you do if money were not a question?
  8. How do you want us to handle hard times when they come?
  9. What tradition would you like us to start?
  10. What is one thing you want to learn in the next year?
  11. What do you want people to say about us as a couple?
  12. What would you want to change about your work life?
  13. How do you imagine us spending a Sunday twenty years from now?
  14. What is a risk you want to take before it is too late?
  15. What are you most looking forward to with me?

Big-picture deep questions

The kind of questions that turn into a two-hour conversation.

  1. What do you think makes a life meaningful?
  2. What is something you believe that most people do not?
  3. What do you value more: freedom or security?
  4. What does love mean to you, in one sentence?
  5. What is the kindest thing a stranger has done for you?
  6. If you could know one truth about the universe, what would you ask?
  7. What is something you have changed your mind about in the last few years?
  8. What do you want to be remembered for?
  9. Is there anything you think is worth sacrificing everything for?
  10. What makes you feel most alive?
  11. What do you think happens after we die?
  12. What is one thing you are genuinely proud of?
  13. What part of yourself are you still working on?
  14. What would you tell your younger self if you had one minute?
  15. What are you grateful for today?

More ways to get to know each other

Try the couples quiz questions to test what you have learned, play the 21 questions game, or lighten the mood with this or that questions.

Frequently asked questions

What are deep questions to ask your partner?
Good deep questions are open-ended and personal: about childhood, past lessons, how you feel in the relationship, and what you hope for. They cannot be answered with a yes or no, and they invite a story rather than a fact.
How do you ask deep questions without it feeling like an interview?
Ask one or two, not twenty. Answer them yourself too, listen more than you talk, and follow up on what your partner says instead of moving to the next question. A walk, a long drive or dinner at home makes it feel natural.
What if a question brings up something hard?
Slow down. Thank your partner for telling you, ask if they want to keep talking about it, and don't rush to fix it. It is fine to skip a question or come back to it another day.