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Phrasebook

English Small Talk Phrases for Everyday Conversations

Small talk is the light, friendly chat that opens almost every conversation in English. These phrases help you start it, keep it going and finish it without awkward silences.

35 phrases · By LearnLingo Team · Updated

Tap to hear a phrase. Levels follow the CEFR scale. American English is the default; British variants are noted.

Starting a conversation

EnglishTurkishYou might hear

How's it going?

A1

Casual. People expect a short answer, not your full news.

Nasıl gidiyor?
  • Pretty good, thanks. You?
  • Not bad. How about you?

How are you doing?

A1
Nasılsın?
  • I'm doing well, thanks.
  • Good! And you?

I don't think we've met. I'm Elif.

A2
Sanırım tanışmadık. Ben Elif.
  • Nice to meet you, Elif. I'm Tom.
  • Oh hi, I'm Sarah.

How do you know the host?

B1

A classic opener at parties and weddings.

Ev sahibini nereden tanıyorsun?
  • We went to college together.
  • We work together.

Is this seat taken?

A2
Bu koltuk dolu mu?
  • No, go ahead.
  • Sorry, I'm saving it for a friend.

Long time no see!

A2

Informal, for people you already know.

Görüşmeyeli uzun zaman oldu!
  • I know! How have you been?
  • Yeah, it's been ages!

Talking about the weather

EnglishTurkishYou might hear

Nice weather today, isn't it?

A2

Tag questions like 'isn't it?' invite the other person to agree.

Bugün hava güzel, değil mi?
  • Yes, it's lovely.
  • It really is.

It's freezing today!

A2
Bugün hava buz gibi!
  • I know, I can't feel my hands.
  • Winter is definitely here.

Can you believe this rain?

B1
Şu yağmura inanabiliyor musun?
  • It hasn't stopped all week.
  • I forgot my umbrella too.

It's supposed to get warmer this weekend.

B1

'Be supposed to' here means 'expected to'.

Bu hafta sonu havanın ısınması bekleniyor.
  • I hope so.
  • Great, I'm going to the beach.

Work and studies

EnglishTurkishYou might hear

What do you do?

A1

This means 'What is your job?', not 'What are you doing now?'.

Ne iş yapıyorsun?
  • I'm a nurse.
  • I work in marketing.

How long have you been working there?

B1
Ne zamandır orada çalışıyorsun?
  • About three years.
  • I just started last month.

Do you enjoy it?

A2
Seviyor musun?
  • Yes, most of the time.
  • It's okay, but it's busy.

What are you studying?

A1

You may hear 'What are you reading?' at some British universities, but 'studying' is normal everywhere.

Ne okuyorsun?
  • Engineering.
  • I'm doing a master's in economics.

Busy week?

A2
Yoğun bir hafta mı?
  • Crazy busy!
  • Not too bad, actually.

Weekends, free time and travel

EnglishTurkishYou might hear

Did you do anything fun this weekend?

A2
Bu hafta sonu eğlenceli bir şey yaptın mı?
  • I went hiking with friends.
  • Not really, I just relaxed.

Any plans for the weekend?

A2
Hafta sonu için bir planın var mı?
  • Nothing special.
  • I'm visiting my parents.

What do you like to do in your free time?

A2
Boş zamanlarında ne yapmayı seversin?
  • I love cooking.
  • I play football on Sundays.

Have you been on vacation recently?

B1

UK: 'holiday' instead of 'vacation'.

Son zamanlarda tatile gittin mi?
  • Yes, I went to Spain.
  • Not for a long time.

Have you seen any good movies lately?

B1

UK: 'films' is more common than 'movies'.

Son zamanlarda iyi bir film izledin mi?
  • Actually, yes, I loved the new thriller.
  • I haven't had time.

Where are you from originally?

A2
Aslen nerelisin?
  • I'm from Izmir, in Turkey.
  • I grew up near London.

Keeping the conversation going

EnglishTurkishYou might hear

Oh really? Tell me more.

A2
Gerçekten mi? Biraz daha anlat.
  • Well, it's a long story...
  • Sure! So basically...

That sounds great!

A1
Kulağa harika geliyor!
  • It was!
  • Yeah, I really enjoyed it.

How about you?

A1

Always return the question. One-sided answers can sound cold.

Ya sen?
  • Same here, actually.
  • Oh, I'm the opposite.

Me too!

A1

For negatives use 'Me neither': 'I don't like coffee.' 'Me neither.'

Ben de!
  • Really? What a coincidence.
  • Great minds think alike.

What was that like?

B1
Nasıldı peki?
  • It was amazing.
  • Honestly, a bit stressful.

I know what you mean.

A2
Ne demek istediğini anlıyorum.
  • Right? It's so annoying.
  • I'm glad it's not just me.

That reminds me...

B2

A natural way to change the topic.

Aklıma gelmişken...
  • Oh yeah?
  • Go on.

By the way, did you hear about the new cafe?

B1
Bu arada, yeni kafeyi duydun mu?
  • No, where is it?
  • Yes, I went yesterday!

Ending politely

EnglishTurkishYou might hear

It was great talking to you.

A2
Seninle konuşmak çok güzeldi.
  • You too!
  • Likewise. See you around.

Well, I should let you go.

B1

A polite way to end without saying you are bored.

Neyse, seni daha fazla tutmayayım.
  • Okay, take care!
  • Yeah, I should get going too.

I'd better get going.

B1

UK: 'I'd better be off.'

Artık gitsem iyi olacak.
  • Sure, see you soon.
  • Okay, nice seeing you.

Let's catch up soon.

B1
Yakında yine görüşelim.
  • Definitely!
  • I'd love that.

Nice to meet you.

A1

When you leave, 'Nice meeting you' or 'It was nice to meet you' is common.

Tanıştığımıza memnun oldum.
  • Nice to meet you too.
  • You too.

Have a good one!

A2

Casual American English for 'have a good day'.

İyi günler!
  • You too!
  • Thanks, you too.

Sample dialogues

At a friend's party

Tom
Hi, I don't think we've met. I'm Tom.
Merhaba, sanırım tanışmadık. Ben Tom.
Elif
Hi Tom, I'm Elif. Nice to meet you.
Merhaba Tom, ben Elif. Memnun oldum.
Tom
Nice to meet you too. How do you know Sarah?
Ben de memnun oldum. Sarah'yı nereden tanıyorsun?
Elif
We work together. How about you?
Birlikte çalışıyoruz. Ya sen?
Tom
We went to college together. Where are you from originally?
Üniversitede birlikte okuduk. Aslen nerelisin?
Elif
I'm from Izmir, in Turkey.
İzmirliyim, Türkiye'den.
Tom
Oh really? I went there last summer. It was beautiful.
Gerçekten mi? Geçen yaz oraya gittim. Çok güzeldi.
Elif
That's great! What did you like most?
Ne güzel! En çok neyi sevdin?
Tom
The food, definitely.
Kesinlikle yemekleri.

Monday morning at the coffee machine

Mark
Morning! How's it going?
Günaydın! Nasıl gidiyor?
Deniz
Pretty good, thanks. You?
Gayet iyi, teşekkürler. Sen?
Mark
Not bad. Did you do anything fun this weekend?
Fena değil. Bu hafta sonu eğlenceli bir şey yaptın mı?
Deniz
I went hiking with some friends. How about you?
Birkaç arkadaşla yürüyüşe gittim. Ya sen?
Mark
Nothing special. Can you believe this rain, though?
Özel bir şey yok. Ama şu yağmura inanabiliyor musun?
Deniz
I know! It's supposed to get warmer this weekend.
Biliyorum! Bu hafta sonu havanın ısınması bekleniyor.
Mark
I hope so. Well, I'd better get going. Meeting at nine.
Umarım. Neyse, gitsem iyi olacak. Dokuzda toplantım var.
Deniz
Sure, see you later!
Tabii, sonra görüşürüz!

Common mistakes Turkish speakers make

How are you? I am fine, thank you, and you?

How's it going? Pretty good, thanks. You?

The textbook answer sounds stiff in casual chat. Native speakers use shorter, relaxed replies.

How much do you earn?

Do you enjoy your job?

Questions about salary, age, weight or religion are usually too personal for small talk in English-speaking cultures.

Why aren't you married?

Do you have any plans for the weekend?

Personal family questions that are normal in Turkey can feel intrusive. Stick to safe topics.

I don't like coffee. Me too.

I don't like coffee. Me neither.

After a negative sentence, agree with 'Me neither', not 'Me too'.

What is your job doing?

What do you do?

'What do you do?' is the natural way to ask about someone's job.

Quick quiz

Eight questions to check what you remember. Pick an answer to see if it is right.

  1. 1. Someone says 'How's it going?' The most natural reply is:

  2. 2. 'What do you do?' asks about your:

  3. 3. 'I don't eat meat.' 'Me ___.'

  4. 4. Which topic is safest for small talk?

  5. 5. Which phrase ends a conversation politely?

  6. 6. 'Nice weather today, ___?'

  7. 7. A British speaker says 'holiday'. An American usually says:

  8. 8. Which reply keeps the conversation going?

0 of 8 answered

Show all answers
  1. Pretty good, thanks. You?
  2. job
  3. neither
  4. The weather
  5. Well, I should let you go.
  6. isn't it
  7. vacation
  8. Oh really? What was that like?

See what the A2 English course covers, or test your level first.

People also ask

What are good topics for small talk in English?+

Safe topics include the weather, weekends, travel, food, movies and work in general. Avoid salary, politics, religion and very personal family questions with people you don't know well.

How do I keep small talk from ending too quickly?+

Answer with a little extra detail and then ask a question back, such as "How about you?" Follow-up questions like "What was that like?" show real interest.

Is 'How are you?' a real question?+

Usually not in small talk. It works more like a greeting, so a short answer like "Good, thanks. You?" is expected.

How do I end small talk without being rude?+

Use a soft closing like "Well, I should let you go" or "It was great talking to you." Adding "Let's catch up soon" keeps it friendly.

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