Small Talk in English: Easy Phrases to Make Friends (A2–B1) | How to Start Conversation in English

Added: 2026-05-19

[00:00:04]Hello everyone and welcome back to Emily English daily where learning English is easy and fun. I'm Emily.

[00:00:13]And I'm Tom. I'm so happy to be here with all of you today. How are you doing Emily? Hi Tom. I'm doing great. Thank you. I'm really excited about our topic today. It's super useful. Me, too.

[00:00:26]Before we start, a quick reminder.

[00:00:29]Please like this video, share it with your friends, and subscribe to Emily English daily if you haven't yet. Your support helps us make more fun lessons for you. Thank you. Okay Tom, let's talk about making friends and small talk in English. It's so important, right? Yes, it really is. It's how you connect with people even for a short time.

[00:00:52]What's a good way to start a conversation Emily? Hmm. If you see someone you know, but haven't seen in a while, you can say, "How have you been?"

[00:01:02]Oh, that's a good one. Or if it's been a long time, you can add, "Long time no see." It sounds very natural. Yes, exactly. And if it's a new person or someone you see often, you can just say, "Hi, how are you?" Or if you're feeling a bit more informal with a friend, you can simply say, "What's up?" It's very common. Yes, "What's up?" is very casual. So Emily, if someone asks you, "How are you?" what do you usually say?

[00:01:32]I often say, "I'm doing well, thanks.

[00:01:35]And you?" It's polite and keeps the conversation going. Yes, that's perfect.

[00:01:40]Or if you were okay, but not fantastic, you can say, "Not bad, thanks." It's also very common. Yes, and then you can ask them back, "How about you?" or "And you?" to return the question. So after "How are you?" what's another common thing people talk about for small talk, Emily? Oh, definitely their day or weekend. You can ask, "How was your day?" if it's the end of the day. Or if it's Monday morning, you can ask, "How was your weekend?" People love to share their weekend stories. Yes, and you can also phrase it as a question, "Did you have a good day?" or "Did you have a good weekend?" And what if someone asks you, Emily? How do you answer? I might say, "It was good, thanks. I went for a walk." Or "It was busy, but fun." Nice.

[00:02:30]You give a little detail, like, "My weekend was great. I watched a new movie." Yes, exactly. Just a short, simple sentence. No need for long explanations. Keep it light. So, Emily, what if someone tells you something interesting? How do you show you are listening and interested? That's a great point, Tom. You can say, "Oh, really?"

[00:02:51]It shows surprise and interest. Yes, or "That's interesting." It's a simple phrase, but very effective to show you are paying attention. And if you want them to tell you more, you can say, "Tell me more." Or "What happened next?"

[00:03:06]Yes, that encourages them to continue.

[00:03:09]Sometimes if something is very surprising, you can say, "No way." It's more informal, but common. "No way" is a fun one. Like, "No way you met a famous person." It's great for showing big surprise. Yes, it's very expressive.

[00:03:25]What about when someone tells you something nice, like good news? You can say, "That's great." Or "That's wonderful." Very positive and friendly.

[00:03:34]Or if they had a problem, you can say, "Oh, no." Or "I'm sorry to hear that."

[00:03:39]It shows empathy. Yes, showing you understand their feelings is part of good small talk. It builds connection.

[00:03:47]Emily, there's one classic small talk topic that people use everywhere. Do you know what it is? The weather, right?

[00:03:54]It's always a safe topic. Yes, always.

[00:03:57]It's universal. You can say, "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" Or if it's cloudy, "It looks like it's going to rain." Simple observations. And if the weather's changing a lot, like hot one day and cold the next, you can say, "The weather's crazy today." Yes, that's so true for many places. Or it's a bit chilly today if it's cold. And if it's very hot, "It's really warm today." Or "It's so hot." People love to agree about the weather. It's true. It's a simple way to start a conversation without talking about anything too personal. Okay, so you've had a nice small talk, but now you need to leave.

[00:04:37]How do you end the conversation politely, Tom? That's important. You don't want to just walk away. You can say, "It was nice talking to you." Yes, that's very friendly. And then you can say, "I should get going." Or "I need to go now." Exactly.

[00:04:54]Or I have to run if you're in a bit of a hurry. And then for the goodbye, what do you usually say, Tom? I often say, "See you later." Or "Bye-bye." Very simple.

[00:05:05]Yes, or if you might not see them again soon, you can say, "Have a good one."

[00:05:10]"Have a good one" is very versatile. It means "Have a good day" or "Have a good evening." I love that one. Me, too. It's super common. So, remember these phrases, everyone. They really help you sound natural. Emily, what if you don't hear what someone said or you don't understand a word? Ah, good point. Don't be afraid to ask. You can say, "I'm sorry, I didn't catch that." Yes, or "Could you repeat that, please?" It's perfectly okay to ask for help. And if you need to get someone's attention in a polite way, like a waiter, or if you need to pass by someone, you say, "Excuse me." "Excuse me" is so important for politeness. It has many uses like, "Excuse me, is this seat free?" or "Excuse me, can you help me?" Yes, exactly. So useful. And what if you make a little mistake or bump into someone accidentally? Just say, "Oh, sorry." or "I'm so sorry." It's simple and shows you're polite. Yes, being polite goes a long way in any language. These small phrases make a big difference. So Emily, let's imagine a short conversation using some of these phrases. Are you ready?

[00:06:25]I'm ready, Tom. Let's do it. Okay.

[00:06:28]Hey [snorts] Emily, long time no see.

[00:06:30]How have you been? Hi Tom, I'm doing well, thanks. How about you? How was your weekend? Not bad, not bad. I went hiking in the mountains. It was beautiful. Oh, really? That's interesting. Tell me more. Was it cold?

[00:06:45]A little bit. The weather was crazy, but it cleared up later. It's a beautiful day today, isn't it? It really is, much better than yesterday. Anyway, it was nice talking to you, Tom, but I should get going. You too, Emily. Have a good one. You too. Bye-bye.

[00:07:01]>> [laughter] >> That was fun. See how easy it is to have a short, friendly chat. Yes, that felt very natural. It's all about starting small and using these common phrases.

[00:07:12]Emily, why do you think small talk is so important for English learners? Well, Tom, it's not just about grammar or vocabulary, it's about confidence. When you can have these little chats, you feel more comfortable speaking English.

[00:07:27]Yes, it builds confidence and it helps you make connections with people, even if they are just quick connections.

[00:07:34]Exactly. It opens doors to longer conversations later. It's like a warm-up for bigger talks.

[00:07:40]And it helps you understand real English, not just textbook English.

[00:07:45]People use these phrases every day. Yes, you hear them in movies, on TV shows, in songs. They're everywhere. So, practicing these simple phrases makes your English sound more natural, more like a native speaker. And it's not scary. Small talk is usually about light topics, the weather, the weekend, simple things.

[00:08:07]Some of our listeners might feel shy about trying these phrases. What would you say to them, Emily? That's totally normal. Everyone feels a little shy sometimes. My advice is start small.

[00:08:20]Yes, maybe just try one new phrase today. Like, "How was your day?" to a co-worker or a friend. Or if you're at a store, just say, "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" to the cashier. Keep it simple. And don't worry about making mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. It's part of learning. Yes, people will appreciate that you are trying. They usually want to help you. They do. And the more you practice, the easier it becomes. It's like riding a bike. That's a great analogy. At first, it's wobbly, but soon you're riding smoothly. So true. Just keep trying little by little.

[00:09:03]These phrases will become second nature.

[00:09:05]Hmm. Tom, do you have a favorite small talk moment or a funny story related to it? Oh, I do. Once, I was waiting for a bus and it started to rain really suddenly. I turned to the person next to me and just said, "Wow, the weather is crazy today, isn't it?"

[00:09:26]A perfect small talk opener. Yes, and they laughed and said, "Tell me about it." We ended up chatting about the bus and then our favorite rainy day activities until the bus came. It was a nice short conversation that started with just one phrase about the weather.

[00:09:43]That's a great example of how simple small talk can lead to a nice connection. My favorite memory, I was at a coffee shop and the barista made a little drawing on my coffee cup. I just said, "Oh, that's beautiful." Nice compliment. Yes, and she smiled and said, "Thanks. I try to make everyone's day a little brighter." We had a super short but very sweet conversation. It started with just one little compliment.

[00:10:11]It made my day. That's so lovely. It really shows that small talk isn't just about language, it's about making little human connections. Exactly, and it makes the world feel a little friendlier. So, don't underestimate the power of these simple phrases. Wow, Emily, we've covered so many useful phrases for making friends and small talk today. I feel more ready for conversations now.

[00:10:38]Me, too, Tom. It's amazing how much you can say with just a few simple phrases.

[00:10:44]Remember, everyone, practice makes perfect. Yes, try to use one or two of these phrases today or this week. You'll be surprised how much confidence you gain. Well, that's all for today's episode of Emily English Daily. We hope you enjoyed learning about socializing in English. We really hope this helps you feel more confident when you meet new people or just want to chat. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel, give this video a big thumbs up, and share it with anyone who is learning English. And please leave a comment below. Tell us, what is your favorite phrase for small talk? Or what was your best experience trying to make friends in English? We love hearing from you. We'll see you next time for more fun English lessons.

[00:11:32]Bye-bye, everyone. Bye. Keep practicing your English.