{"id":179917,"date":"2021-06-09T03:18:11","date_gmt":"2021-06-09T07:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/greetings-and-small-talk-in-english\/"},"modified":"2025-01-30T04:20:51","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T09:20:51","slug":"greetings-and-small-talk-in-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/greetings-and-small-talk-in-english\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Greetings and Small Talk in English"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You\u2019re about to go home from work. There\u2019s a colleague standing next to you as both of you wait in front of the office elevator.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you choose to stay quiet, it can get awkward &#8211; almost as if you\u2019re ignoring each other.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Or maybe you log into a video call meeting, and it turns out that you\u2019re only the second person to arrive &#8211; after the host. The two of you stare at each other for a few seconds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There\u2019s no strict social rule that says you have to speak up, but situations like this are a chance to <\/span><b>engage in small talk<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Chatting with other people isn\u2019t limited to casual settings such as when you\u2019re around strangers at a party or you run into an acquaintance at the grocery store. Plenty of times at work, you\u2019ll have to reach out and get a conversation going with someone you barely know.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Read on to find out about how to <\/span><b>greet people and make small talk in English <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8211; <\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">all while staying professional. <\/span><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>Building Relationships with Small Talk\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You can think of small talk as <\/span><b>polite conversations about light topics<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, usually with people that you\u2019re not close to. It\u2019s meant to <\/span><b>break the ice<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> so you and the other person can get to know each other a little.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When you\u2019re making small talk, you might say:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How are you doing these days?<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s raining really hard outside right now.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This event is pretty fun, huh?<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It can be tempting to consider small talk as unimportant compared to, say, heart-to-heart conversations with close friends. However, to build a connection with anyone, you almost always have to start with small talk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There\u2019s a psychological study that says<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/heres-how-many-hours-it-takes-to-make-a-new-friend-as-an-adult-2018-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">people need to spend around 50<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">hours<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> with someone to consider them a casual friend rather than an acquaintance. Go for friend status, and that\u2019ll take 80-100 hours. That\u2019s a lot of time &#8211; and a huge number of those hours will consist of small talk at first as a way of making people comfortable with each other.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Small Talk in Business English\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Compared to more reserved cultures, English-speaking countries place a high value on greetings and small talk. In fact, knowing how to make small talk is <\/span><b>part of the soft skills <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">that many English-speaking employers and companies are looking for.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Small talk is usually expected in these situations &#8211; pretty much when there\u2019s silence between you and the other person and neither of you are busy:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Before and after a meeting<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Networking or industry events<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bumping into a colleague or client\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Waiting with someone\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Of course, <\/span><b>there\u2019s also a time to <\/b><b><i>not<\/i><\/b><b> make small talk<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. For example, in the middle of a meeting would be a bad time because it would be seen as a distraction from work. If you\u2019re not sure, check what other people around you are doing &#8211; if they\u2019re chit-chatting, then you can probably relax and strike up a conversation too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While this can be fun in itself, that\u2019s not your only incentive for getting comfortable with greeting people and making small talk in English. The more at ease your colleagues or clients are around you, <\/span><b>the better you\u2019ll be able to work together,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and the more your career will benefit.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Top Five English Greetings<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Before diving straight into small talk, you typically greet the other person first. While \u201cHello!\u201d or \u201cHey!\u201d can be a relaxed but effective way to talk to friends, you can opt for <\/span><b>more formal greetings in a professional environment.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We\u2019ve picked out five English greetings that you can adapt to different work situations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>1. Good morning \/ good afternoon \/ good evening.<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Native English speakers say \u201chello\u201d outside of work &#8211; but when it comes to business, this is the default greeting. It\u2019s probably the <\/span><b>most widely used out of all the greetings<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> listed here. You can use it when you\u2019re greeting one person, stepping in front of a group to present, or nodding along to a colleague as you pass by.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Naturally, the usual response to this is saying \u201cGood morning\u201d back, for example. As a greeting, it\u2019s convenient in that people can either choose to start a conversation afterwards or stay in comfortable silence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>2. Hi there! I\u2019m [name]. It\u2019s nice to meet you!<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When <\/span><b>you\u2019re meeting someone for the first time<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, this is the statement to say. Once you\u2019ve exchanged names, you can then move on to other topics, such as asking about each other\u2019s company or work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The important thing to remember is to use this only with people you\u2019ve never met before. If it turns out that it\u2019s your second time meeting, the other person might take this to mean that you\u2019ve completely forgotten them &#8211; which can be offensive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>3. Haven\u2019t seen you in a while!<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You can use this greeting for <\/span><b>people that you know but haven\u2019t met for a long time<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Another alternative would be: \u201cLong time no see!\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are no specific rules for when you can say that it\u2019s been a \u201cwhile\u201d since you\u2019ve seen someone. If you work with someone every day but they\u2019ve been away on a business trip for a week, that can count as \u201ca while.\u201d On the other hand, it also applies to business contacts that you haven\u2019t talked to in a few years.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>4. How are you?<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Similar to good morning \/ afternoon \/ evening, this is a <\/span><b>very common greeting<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that you\u2019ll hear all the time. One reason why it\u2019s so common is that you can use it with almost anyone &#8211; and your imagination\u2019s the limit when it comes to the response.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">People can respond with \u201cI\u2019m doing well!\u201d, \u201cI\u2019m working on this project,\u201d \u201cI\u2019m on my way to a conference,\u201d or whatever else they feel like letting you know about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>5. It\u2019s great to see everyone here.<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This greeting works well for when you\u2019re facing a <\/span><b>group of people who are gathering together on purpose<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. It could be your opening line at a meeting, presentation, or after-work party.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Most of the time, you would say this greeting only when it\u2019s not that frequent for those people to meet up. For one, it sounds appropriate at a monthly company-wide meeting but not at a daily stand-up with your team.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Moving On to Small Talk\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now that you\u2019ve gotten people\u2019s attention with your greeting, you can <\/span><b>move on to small talk. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The trickiest part about making small talk is probably keeping the conversation going when you don\u2019t have that much information about the other person.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Doing these will also get you into the flow:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Ask questions that will get the other person talking<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Asking questions &#8211; and listening to the other person\u2019s answer &#8211; is the foundation of small talk. However, not all questions are equally engaging &#8211; some might lead you to a dead end.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Say that you\u2019re talking to a fellow participant at a workshop that\u2019s held every year. You might ask any of these two questions:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Did you attend the workshop last year too?<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How\u2019s the workshop for you so far?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The first question is great if the other person did attend the workshop &#8211; they can go into the details and maybe even recount their experiences. However, they\u2019re also just as likely to answer with, \u201cNo, I didn\u2019t\u201d &#8211; which would be a dead end in the conversation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In comparison, the second question will get the other person talking about their opinion of the current workshop. Since both of you share the experience, you can follow up with more questions or comment on their reply.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The difference between the two is that the first is a yes-or-no question, while the second is open-ended. <\/span><b>Asking open-ended questions broadens the conversation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and gives you more topics to talk about.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Give interesting information too<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Conversations are ultimately about give-and-take. You ask questions to the other person while also <\/span><b>revealing interesting information about yourself<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While it might be flattering to keep asking questions, it can make the other person feel like they\u2019re being interviewed when taken too far. Talking about yourself in the right amount is also helpful for the other person because both of you are coming up with ideas to keep the conversation interesting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You: Where would you recommend eating out around here?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Coworker: Oh, I like going to this coffee shop around the corner.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You: I love coffee shops! They\u2019re great to work in. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">[interesting information] <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What\u2019s it like?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In this example, by mentioning that you also love coffee shops, you\u2019re letting your coworker know that you have that in common. They can then describe the coffee shop to you in detail or ask you back about coffee shops that you like.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Avoid overly personal topics<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With small talk, you\u2019ll want to <\/span><b>stay away from topics that are too personal<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Health problems<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Emotional issues that you\u2019re going through<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Salary and finances<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gossip about mutual acquaintances<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whether you\u2019re talking about your own life or you\u2019re curious about the other person\u2019s, bringing up these topics can make others feel extremely uncomfortable. <\/span><b>Controversial topics such as politics and religion are also best avoided <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">since you might end up getting into heated debates.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">All of these are doubly true in professional settings. While you can chat about these topics freely with friends, you wouldn\u2019t bring these up with a client or a coworker out of the blue.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Best Topics for Small Talk at Work\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since not all topics would be appropriate for small talk in the workplace, what can you talk about then? These topics make for light conversation while still letting you get to know the other person:<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Your Surroundings<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The easiest conversation starter would be to point out <\/span><b>something that you can physically see in your surroundings<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Assuming that both you and the other person are talking to each other face-to-face, this would be instantly relatable. It takes a bit more creativity with video calls, but you can comment on the video app that you\u2019re using or make an observation on the other person\u2019s environment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Examples:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This place looks pretty huge! The organizers outdid themselves this time.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">That\u2019s a lot of books on your shelves! I\u2019m guessing you like reading?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s probably going to end up raining later. The weather has been unpredictable these days.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><b>Current Events<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As long as it\u2019s well-known enough, <\/span><b>bringing up current events<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is a fast way to get small talk started. You do have to be a little careful because some current events can be controversial or the other person might not be as aware of them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A good example of current events for small talk would be the<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/featured-insights\/future-of-work\/the-future-of-work-after-covid-19\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">COVID-19 pandemic<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Although it\u2019s brought up so often already, people still end up chatting about it and checking in with each other because it\u2019s a global experience that\u2019s still affecting everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I heard that [current events] might be coming up soon, it sounds exciting!<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How\u2019s the [current events] situation in your area?<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Did you hear about [current events]?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><b>Industry News<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you\u2019re in the same industry as someone, then you have an instant set of topics to make small talk about: <\/span><b>recent developments in your industry<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. This is almost always going to be interesting for both of you, and you might even end up learning something new (or exchanging business cards in the process). It\u2019s an ideal topic for networking events, conferences, and other professional gatherings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I was reading about [industry news]&#8230; What do you think of it?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I\u2019m looking forward to [industry news].<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You know, it\u2019s interesting that [industry news]&#8230; What\u2019s your take on that?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><b>Work<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When you\u2019re in a business setting, <\/span><b>work is one of the most neutral conversation topics<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. You can ask the other person about their company, what they\u2019re currently focusing on, or what exactly they do in their job or business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">From there, you can delve into topics outside of work if they bring it up. For example, they might have chosen their current job because they enjoy traveling &#8211; you can then talk about which places were their favorite to travel to.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Examples:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What are you working on currently?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">How did you get into [role or job]?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What do you like the most about [role or job]?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><b>Media\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For a more lighthearted approach, consider kicking off small talk by asking about the other person\u2019s <\/span><b>favorite books, podcasts, shows, or other forms of entertainmen<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">t. You can even base your question on the other person\u2019s role or career. An artist would most likely visit galleries frequently, while journalists would have their own set of favorite books and publications.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When it\u2019s your turn to talk about your recommendations, just make sure that the other person would also be interested in it. For example, you can mention Netflix shows if the other person also watches Netflix &#8211; but if they don\u2019t, simply skip to another topic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What\u2019s your favorite book \/ podcast \/ show \/ movie?<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Do you have any [form of entertainment] that you\u2019ve seen recently?<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Which [form of entertainment] would you recommend?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Ending Small Talk<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You\u2019ll eventually have to end the conversation. This can happen on its own &#8211; say, when an event starts and all of the participants have to quiet down.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, you\u2019ll sometimes have to do it yourself. Instead of walking away all of a sudden, there\u2019s a way to end it politely.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>What to Say<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you start running out of conversation topics or you have to leave for some reason, try following these steps for a smooth exit.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">First, <\/span><b>express your appreciation for the chat.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You can make this even more personalized by thanking the other person for something that they specifically said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It\u2019s been great meeting you!<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I\u2019m glad I got to talk to you!<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I really appreciate how you told me about [topic].\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Second, <\/span><b>mention a reason why you\u2019re going<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or at least what you\u2019re going to do next after your chat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I\u2019ll be getting more drinks over at the next table.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I\u2019ll be heading to a meeting after this.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Oh, I saw my coworker over there, will say hello!\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Third, <\/span><b>hint at reconnecting with them in the future.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You can either be vague with this or specifically ask for their contact information, depending on your conversation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Examples:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">See you around!<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Looking forward to talking again sometime!<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Here\u2019s my email or [social media account] if you want to stay in touch.<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><b>Looking Out for Social Cues\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">So <\/span><b><i>when<\/i><\/b><b> exactly do you end small talk<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">? Assuming that you don\u2019t have a pressing reason to leave, you can look out for the following signs:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The conversation drops off into silence, and it\u2019s always you who\u2019s restarting it.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The other person is responding unenthusiastically or giving short answers without asking you questions even when you change the topic.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">They\u2019re getting fidgety, looking around, or constantly checking their phone.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Just as social cues will clue you in on the timing, <\/span><b>your own body language will also speak volumes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> to the other person. You might be saying \u201cHello,\u201d but are you smiling and giving off an approachable vibe, or is your body language shouting that you\u2019re a bit hesitant or unsure?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">After all, there\u2019s more to small talk than just vocabulary. When you master body language, intonation, and gestures on top of that, you can express your personality better and build rapport faster at work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Conclusion<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The more that you practice greetings and small talk in English, the more that you\u2019ll get used to it. Still, small talk in a business setting can be more limited because you can\u2019t ask as much about personal topics. Although there are plenty of English greetings around, some of them are more well-suited to work situations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hopefully, with the vocabulary, tips, and resources that we\u2019ve listed here, you can have fun with small talk and getting to know people through your work. You never know what a simple conversation could lead to!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You\u2019re about to go home from work. There\u2019s a colleague standing next to you as both of you wait in front of the office elevator. If you choose to stay&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":739,"featured_media":249356,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"description":"Here's how you can start a conversation\u2013and keep it going. Read all about the top vocabulary phrases and topics for making greetings and small talk in English.","title":"The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Greetings and Small Talk in English - FluentU"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[685,704],"tags":[],"coauthors":[208],"class_list":["post-179917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","category-parrot"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179917","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/739"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179917"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179917\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":249357,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179917\/revisions\/249357"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/249356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179917"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=179917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}