There is no better response, they clearly don’t want to share with you at that moment in time. That could be due to not wanting to share in general, because they think you are prying, or because they are getting some kind of vibe from you that makes it seem like you are fishing for information that could be used against them later.

Like if someone I didn’t know out of the blue asked me what kind of languages I speak it would be weird unless there was something that lead up to the question. I’m saying that as a person with ADHD that has tons of random questions!

If it is someone you know, but don’t know very well like a coworker, offering something about yourself first tends to break the ice. Not going into a bunch of detail, but just introducing it as something you do. Like if I want to ask about someone’s hobbies I would lead with one of two of mine first: “I work to support my hobbies, which I tend to bounce between and are currently gaming on the PC and some easy woodworking.” That makes it sound like I want a conversation and not just wanting to make the conversation about them. If they ask about mine and don’t volunteer, I might ask when they have asked enough that it seems like looping around to theirs would be good so it isn’t all about me.

So if you want to know about someone else, showing interest but also sprinkling in the opportunity for them to ask about you makes for a more welcoming conversation with most people. Some people won’t want to talk about themselves at all, which is their choice and something you can’t force.