Learn What It Means When Someone Says: "What Are You Into?"

Download Article
Everything you need to know about the question: "What are you into?"
Download Article

“What are you into?” is a great question to start a conversation or get to know someone better. It's a good expression to learn, because English speakers use it all the time (especially when you meet someone new). In this article, we’ll break down the meaning of the phrase “What are you into?,” explain why people may ask it, and offer lots of ways you can reply.

Things You Should Know

  • “What are you into?” is another way of saying “What do you like?”
  • When someone asks you this question, they want to know about your interests and things you enjoy doing.
  • Respond to this question by explaining what you like or what you're interested in. You could say, "I like to go outdoors" or "I'm into video games."
Section 1 of 4:

"What Are You Into?” Meaning

Download Article
  1. “What are you into?” means “What do you like?” or "What are you interested in?"
    When someone asks you this, they’re wondering what you enjoy doing in your free time or what your preferences are for a particular subject.[1]
    • For example, if someone asks, “What music are you into?” they're saying, "What music do you like?" And you might respond with, "I like Bob Dylan."
    • They might ask you: "What food are you into?" This means, "What food do you like?" You can also respond using "into," in a similar way. So, "I'm into salads and healthy foods."
    • If someone asks “What are you into?” on its own, they’re asking what you like in general. So, you could say: "I'm into sports." Or, "I like TV and movies."
  2. Advertisement
Section 2 of 4:

How to Respond to “What Are You Into?”

Download Article
  1. How.com.vn English: Step 1 List some of your hobbies.
    This could be art, music, sports, books, friends, food, anything at all. The more specific you can make your answer, the more you'll let your personality show. So instead of just saying, "I'm into art," you could say, "I'm into painting and drawing." Here are a few more examples:[2]
    • “I'm into fashion. I love clothes."
    • “I’m into playing jazz music on my saxophone.”
    • “I’m into collecting Star Wars action figures.”
    • “I’m into racing motorcycles. I’m an adrenaline junkie.”
  2. How.com.vn English: Step 2 Talk about books, movies, songs, or shows you enjoy.
    If someone asks you what you're into, they might want to hear about things you like to watch or read. So in that case, think of you're favorite, and then, tell them. For example, you could say:[3]
    • “I’ve been really into reading lately. Have you read Little Women?”
    • “I’m really into Marvel movies. What’s your favorite?”
    • “I’m into rock music. Do you like rock?”
  3. How.com.vn English: Step 3 Talk about the people in your life.
    You probably care a lot about your friends and family, so let the other person know that. But usually, people won't use the phrase "into" to talk about another person unless it's romantic. So instead of saying "I'm into my friends," for example, you might respond with something like this:[4]
    • “My family is really important to me.”
    • “My daughter and I are very close.”
    • “My best friend is amazing.”
    • “My boyfriend and I like to surf together.”
  4. How.com.vn English: Step 4 Ask the same question back to them.
    Once you tell them what you like or what you're into, you can respond by asking them the same question: "What are you into?" This way, you keep the conversation going and show them that you're interested in them, too. [5]
    • “I'm really into coffee. What are you into?"
    • “I'm into science and math. What do you like?"
  5. How.com.vn English: Step 5 Make a joke if you're friends with the other person.
    If you want, you can take the opportunity to make the other person laugh instead. Say something sarcastic or silly, and you can show them how funny you are. For example, try out one of these jokes:[6]
    • “I really like my car. I might even try driving it someday.”
    • “Seeing the future has been a hobby of mine since next Thursday.”
  6. How.com.vn English: Step 6 If someone asks you this during a job interview, discuss your interests.
    List off the things you like to demonstrate that you’re well-rounded. Employers want to know that you’re an energetic, passionate person. You could say something like:[7]
    • “I like reading, I work out, and I’ll relax by playing my piano.”
    • “I love to try new recipes with my wife. We just made a great pasta dish.”
    • “Travel is my passion. I went on a surf trip to Bali and hiked Mount Agung.”
  7. Advertisement


Section 3 of 4:

Reasons People Ask “What Are You Into?”

Download Article
  1. How.com.vn English: Step 1 They want to get to know you.
    “What are you into?” is a question that people ask to get to know you better. “What are you into?” usually creates interesting conversation. That's because people love talking about the things that they like most, like sports or travel.[8]
    • Asking “What are you into?” is different from asking “What do you do?” "What do you do?" usually means that the other person wants to know what your job is.
  2. How.com.vn English: Step 2 They’re trying to see what your values are.
    “What are you into?” isn’t a question just limited to things you like. Sometimes, your answers illuminate your philosophies on life. For example, if you responded with “I go to church every Sunday,” they’d be able to tell that you’re religious. If you talked about volunteering, they’d know what causes are important to you.[9]
  3. How.com.vn English: Step 3 They're interviewing you for a job.
    Employers like to get a sense of what you like when they interview you, so they can get to know you better. But a lot of times during interviews, this might be asked in a different way, too. For example, the person interviewing you might say:[10]
    • "What are your hobbies?" or "What do you like to do outside of work?"
  4. Advertisement


Section 4 of 4:

Other Meanings for “What Are You Into?”

Download Article
  1. How.com.vn English: In certain contexts, “What are you into?” is meant sexually.
    Sometimes, people may ask “What are you into?” to mean “What are your sexual interests?” or “What are your kinks?” If you’re seeing someone romantically, this question is a polite way to discuss things you two like in the bedroom and see if you’re sexually compatible. Context is key here, though. Unless you’re physically intimate with the person asking, “what are you into?” usually relates to non-sensual activities.[11]


Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    What to tell my crush l like doing
    How.com.vn English: Rainy
    Rainy
    Top Answerer
    Tell your crush about what you like to do for fun! Being honest and presenting your true self is the best way to go here.
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      About This Article

      How.com.vn English: Tristen Bonacci
      Co-authored by:
      Licensed English Teacher
      This article was co-authored by Tristen Bonacci and by How.com.vn staff writer, Finn Kobler. Tristen Bonacci is a Licensed English Teacher with more than 20 years of experience. Tristen has taught in both the United States and overseas. She specializes in teaching in a secondary education environment and sharing wisdom with others, no matter the environment. Tristen holds a BA in English Literature from The University of Colorado and an MEd from The University of Phoenix. This article has been viewed 48,233 times.
      13 votes - 60%
      Co-authors: 2
      Updated: February 6, 2023
      Views: 48,233
      Categories: English Vocabulary
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 48,233 times.

      Did this article help you?

      ⚠️ Disclaimer:

      Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
      Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.

      Notices:
      • - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
      • - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
      • - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
      • - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.

      Advertisement