Learn 100 essential phrases for small talk in English. Small talk is a crucial skill for anyone learning English, helping you connect with people and navigate everyday conversations with ease.
Whether you’re aiming to speak like a native or improve your fluency, these phrases will allow you to engage in conversations with ease, avoid awkward silences, and sound more natural in English.
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Helpful Small Talk Phrases
Essential Phrases for Small Talk in English
Harry
In this lesson, we’re going to talk about small talk.
Small talk is very important, especially in everyday conversations. While the topics we’re covering might seem simple to native speakers, they’re not always easy if English isn’t your first language. You need to know not only how to start a conversation but also how to finish one. One good tip is to understand how to talk with people who love to chat—every company or group has at least one of these “talkers.”
All you need to do is ask the right questions and let them lead the conversation. Once you ask, you can sit back and let them do most of the talking. These questions are helpful because they allow you to join in without the pressure of having to talk for a long time.
By learning the right small talk phrases, you’ll feel more confident joining conversations, staying involved, and adding your thoughts without needing to talk all the time. Hopefully, the topics and tips in this post will help you handle small talk more easily and naturally.
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Get to know someone you’ve just met
Where are you from?
Asking someone about their place of origin or hometown.
Example replies:
I’m originally from Edinburgh, Scotland. How about you?
I’m from New York City. What about yourself?
I grew up in Manchester, UK. What’s your hometown?
What do you do for a living?
Inquiring about someone’s occupation or profession.
Example replies:
I’m a software engineer. How about you? What do you do?
I work as a teacher. What about you?
I run a small bakery. How about you? What’s your profession?
Do you have any hobbies or interests?
Asking about someone’s leisure activities or things they enjoy doing.
Example replies:
Yes, I love playing the guitar and going hiking. How about you? What do you like to do in your free time?
I love nothing more than hopping on my bike and heading for the hills.How about yourself? What do you do for fun?
Have you seen any good movies or TV shows lately?
Starting a conversation about entertainment.
Example replies:
Yes, I just watched ‘The Crown” on Netflix and it was really interesting. Have you seen anything good recently?
Yes, I recently saw ‘Dune’ in the cinema, and it was fantastic. How about you? Seen any good movies or shows?
I just went to a Coldplay concert recently. It was amazing! How about you? Been to any cool gigs lately?
Have you watched anything else recently? Is there something in the movies that you would recommend?
What’s your favourite type of food?
Asking someone about their culinary preferences.
Example replies:
I love Italian food, especially pizza and pasta. How about you? What’s your favourite type of cuisine?
I’m really into Mexican dishes. What kind of food do you enjoy?
I have a soft spot for Greek food. How about you? Any favourite cuisines?
Do you follow any sports teams?
This is a great question to ask sports fans.
Example reply:
Yes, I do follow a few sports teams. I’m a big fan of Manchester United in football and England’s cricket team. How about you? Do you have any favourite sports teams?
How long have you been supporting that team?
Example reply:
Since my father took me to my first game when I was about seven. How about you?
Have you any sports that you play?
Example reply:
Yes, I play tennis on weekends. How about you? Do you play any sports?
Have you any particular sports that you’re interested in?
Example reply:
I’m really into football, both playing and watching. What about you? Any sports you’re into?
Essential Phrases for Small Talk in English
Casual questions for small talk
Did you catch the latest episode of [TV show]?
Asking if someone has seen a recent episode of a popular television show.
Example reply:
Yes, I did! It was such a great episode. What did you think?
Any plans for the upcoming holiday?
Asking someone about their plans for a future holiday.
Example reply:
Yes, I’m going to visit my family in India. What about you? Do you have any plans?
Have you been on any holidays recently?
Asking someone if they have travelled or taken a holiday recently.
Example reply:
I went to Italy a few months ago. It was brilliant! Have you travelled anywhere lately?
When you’re getting a new phone, how do you decide which one to go for?
Use to start a conversation about how people make decisions when purchasing a new phone.
Example reply:
Well, when I’m buying a new phone, I usually consider things like the features it has…
Are there any restaurants that you would recommend?
Ask this question when you’re new to a city or area.
Example reply:
That’s no problem at all. I’m a real foodie. Give me your email details and I’ll send you the information.
Have you tried any good restaurants lately?
This is a good question to ask foodies or people who love trying new places to eat.
Example reply:
Yes, I actually went to this great Thai restaurant last week. The food was amazing!
Excuse me, may I join you?
This is a polite way to approach someone and start a conversation.
Example replies:
Help yourself. Be my guest.
Yeah, sure, go ahead.
Of course, feel free.
No problem at all, take a seat.
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Weather-related small talk
Isn’t the weather lovely today?
A positive remark about the current weather condition.
Example reply:
Yes, it’s such a beautiful day. I’m thinking of going for a walk when the conference is over. What are your plans?
Isn’t the weather terrible today?
Example reply:
Yeah, it’s awful, isn’t it? Perfect day to stay indoors with a cup of tea.
Can you believe this weather?
A comment or question about the current weather, often used as an icebreaker.
Example reply:
I know, it’s been so unpredictable lately! I hope it stays sunny this weekend.
Have you heard the forecast for this week?
Asking someone if they are aware of the weather prediction for the upcoming days.
Example reply:
No, I haven’t. Is it supposed to rain a lot this week? I hope not.
Isn’t it miserable outside today?
A negative remark about the current weather condition.
Example reply:
Yes, it’s really grey and damp out there. It’s not the best weather for going out. What do you like to do on a rainy day?
How’s the weather been treating you lately?
Asking someone how they are coping with the current weather condition.
Example reply:
It’s not as nice as it is here. When I left home, it was 7°C and wet.
It’s been raining for most of the months, so I’m really glad to get here and enjoy some sunshine.
Essential Phrases for Small Talk in English
With someone you haven’t seen for a while
How have you been? It’s been ages since I last saw you
How are you getting on? It’s great to see you
Asking someone about their general well-being since you last saw them.
Example reply:
I’ve been doing well, thanks for asking. I’ve been keeping busy with work and some personal projects. How about you?
Things have been going well. Keeping busy, but I can’t complain. What about you?
What have you been up to lately?
Inquiring about someone’s recent activities.
Example reply:
I’ve been spending a lot of time travelling and exploring new places. I also started taking some dance classes recently. How about you? What have you been up to?
Did you manage to get away for a holiday last year?
An engaging way to catch up with someone.
Example reply:
Oh, yeah, we did actually! Even though I changed my job. The weather was a bit hit-and-miss, but we managed to catch some sun.
How’s your family doing? How are the kids? How is the missus?
How’s the family? I remember your sister was expecting.
Nice way to demonstrate concern and maintain a connection with someone.
Example reply:
Oh, yes! She had a beautiful baby girl a few months ago. Everyone is doing well, thank you.
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With work colleagues
Did you hear about [recent news event]?
Asking if someone is aware of a recent news story or event.
Example reply:
Yes, I did hear about it. It’s pretty shocking/upsetting/interesting, isn’t it?
How’s your day going so far?
This is a friendly greeting that shows that you are interested in the other person’s day.
Example reply:
Ah, don’t ask! I got up this morning and had a feeling it was going to be one of those days.
It’s going pretty well so far, thanks for asking. I had a productive morning.
Thank God it’s Friday. I can’t wait for the week to be over.
Did you catch the game last night?
This is a way to bond over sports and start a conversation about a recent game.
Example reply:
Yes, I did catch the game last night. It was a cracker.
Yeah, my team was playing last night, so I was glued to my seat.
No, I missed it unfortunately, but I’ve got it recorded. Don’t tell me the score.
What are your plans for the weekend?
This is a way to learn about someone’s weekend plans and start a conversation about activities.
Example reply:
Just the usual, really – doing a spot of shopping, and might catch a film on Saturday. How about you?
How was your weekend?
Asking someone about their weekend activities.
Example reply:
It was good, thanks. I spent some time with my family and caught up on some reading. How about you?
Essential Phrases for Small Talk in English
In a business environment
If you don’t mind my saying so, I really enjoyed your presentation
This is a polite way to give a compliment.
Example reply:
Thank you very much! I’m glad you found the presentation enjoyable. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to share.
Are you working on any interesting projects right now?
A question to inquire about someone’s current work or professional projects.
Example reply:
Yes, I’m currently collaborating on a marketing campaign on a new product.
Have you attended any conferences or workshops recently?
A question to learn if someone has recently participated in any professional development events.
Example reply:
I recently attended a leadership workshop, and it was very insightful. Have you been to any similar events?
What do you enjoy most about your job?
A question to learn more about someone’s professional interests and preferences.
Example reply:
I like working the people here. I like working on that project. I enjoy dealing with customers.
I love the creativity involved in designing new products. What aspect of your job do you enjoy the most?
How did you get started in [industry]?
A question to learn about someone’s career background and how they entered their current field.
Example reply:
My father was an accountant. It seems to run in the family.
I started as an intern in a marketing agency, and I’ve been passionate about the industry ever since.
How long have you been working in your current role?
When did you change?
Who are you reporting to?
Asking someone about their current position or career path.
Example reply:
I’ve been working in my current role for six months. Actually before that, I was in [unit], but I fancied a change.
Essential Phrases for Small Talk in English
Conversation closures
It’s time to go. It’s been a pleasure getting to know you.
It’s been a pleasure meeting you.
It’s been a pleasure talking with you.
This is a polite way to end a formal conversation.
Example reply:
I’ve really enjoyed our conversation too.
Likewise. Perhaps we’ll catch up again at one of these events in the future.
It was nice seeing you, let’s catch up again soon.
A friendly way to end a conversation and suggest meeting again in the future.
Example reply:
Yeah, it was great catching up with you too. Let’s make sure we arrange to meet up again soon.
Well, I better get going now. It was nice talking to you.
Signalling the end of a conversation and expressing appreciation for the chat.
Example:
Sure, no problem. It was really nice talking to you too. Take care and let’s keep in touch.
I’ll let you get back to your day. It was nice seeing you.
Acknowledging the other person’s schedule and ending the conversation on a positive note.
Example reply:
Okay, sounds good. It was great seeing you too.
Well, I’ll see you around. Take care.
A really casual way to end a conversation and wish someone well.
Example reply:
Yeah, see you later. Take care and have a good one!
Now, this wraps up our lesson about 100 essential phrases for small talk in English.
Very simple phrases, as you can hear, and very simple open questions. The focus is on asking open questions to get the conversation started, and someone else will likely take over. Then they’ll ask you similar questions, and you can join the conversation easily.
If you’ve struggled with small talk in the past or still feel nervous, feel free to visit www.englishlessonviaskype.com for more help. I’ll provide more examples where I can.
Don’t forget to join me for the next lesson. Thanks for watching!
more information
For more information on English grammar rules, English collocations and English idioms, check out the links below:
Intermediate English travel vocabulary
English vocabulary related to driving
You can always study English advanced level at Learning English with the BBC and British Council Learn English.
