How do you make small talk at work in English?
Use one formula: respond, add one detail, then ask back. Pretty quiet, actually. I caught up on sleep and cooked on Saturday. How about you? When they tell you something, follow it up: Oh nice, how was it? When you need to go, give a reason: I'd better get going. I have a call at ten. You don't need to become more outgoing, and you don't need many topics. Answering How was your weekend? with just Good. gives the other person nothing to reply to.
What do you say in each situation?
Small talk at work is short and comes round in the same few places: Monday morning, the minutes before a meeting and lunch. A few phrases for each are enough. These come from the small talk phrase cards and practice packs made for Before You Speak.
| Say this | What it does |
|---|---|
| 01 Monday morningYou meet a colleague in the kitchen | |
| How was your weekend? | The usual opening |
| Not bad! Pretty relaxing. How about you? | Answers, then asks back, so it keeps going |
| Did you get up to anything fun? | More spoken than “What did you do?” |
| 02 Before a meetingTwo minutes, and only one other person has joined | |
| Busy week so far? | The safest topic before a meeting |
| Are you working from home today? | Uses what's in front of you |
| Looks like we're still waiting for a few people. | Fills the silence without any awkwardness |
| OK, I think everyone's here. Shall we get started? | Moves from the chat to the meeting |
| 03 LunchA colleague you rarely talk to sits down | |
| What did you get? That looks really good. | The most natural way to start at lunch |
| Have you tried the Thai place across the street? | Food is an easy topic |
| What do you usually do on weekends? | Moves from work to life |
| Back home, we usually have a big lunch and a short nap. | Something about where you're from; people are often interested |
| 04 Keep it goingThey said something: pick it up | |
| Oh nice, how was it? | Asks about what they just told you |
| That sounds like fun. | Shows you're interested |
| Oh, I didn't know that! | Shows interest, and a question can follow |
| Wait, really? Tell me more. | Lets them talk while you think |
| 05 CloseA reason makes it less sudden | |
| Anyway, I'd better get going. I have a call at ten. | Softer than “I must go”, with a reason |
| Good chatting with you! | Ends on a friendly note |
| Catch you later! | A casual goodbye |
What does “one detail” look like?
The detail doesn't need to be interesting. It only has to give the other person something to pick up. If your weekend was quiet, say that it was quiet and what you did.
| They ask | You can say |
|---|---|
| “So, how was your weekend?” | Pretty good, thanks! I went hiking with some friends. How about you? |
| “Did you have a good weekend?” | Yeah, it was nice and slow. I mostly caught up on sleep. |
| “How's your week going?” | Pretty busy, but good. We're wrapping up the upload feature. How about yours? |
| “Any plans for the week?” | Mostly the release on Thursday. Hopefully it goes smoothly! |
| “Where are you from originally?” | I'm from Chengdu, in southwest China. The food there is really spicy. |
| “Do you cook much?” | A bit. Mostly simple stuff, like noodles and stir-fry. |
| “Have you ever been camping?” | Not yet, but I'd love to try. Any good spots near here? |
| “Did you catch the game last night?” | I missed it, actually. Was it a good one? |
What does small talk sound like?
Example: Monday morning in the office kitchen, with a meeting at ten. Jake, an American colleague, took his parents to a market. Emma, a British colleague, made dumplings for the first time. They turn to you as you come in. The highlighted phrases are the ones worth keeping.
Honestly, the market was packed, but my parents loved it. My dad bought way too much fruit again.
Ha, typical dad! Oh, morning! Come, grab a coffee. How was your weekend?
Pretty quiet, actually. I caught up on sleep and cooked on Saturday, then went for a walk in the park on Sunday. How about you?
Respond · Detail · Ask backThat sounds lovely, honestly. I need a weekend like that. Mine was a bit of an adventure in the kitchen.
She made dumplings! Her very first time!
I did! They tasted great, but half of them broke open in the pan. Total mess.
Oh no! Well, at least they tasted great. What kind of filling did you go for? Did you make the wrappers yourself?
Follow upGood question. I followed a video, but I think I put in too much filling. Next time, smaller ones.
Speaking of weekends, my parents are here one more week. Any tips? My dad can't walk far, though.
I'd recommend the park near my place. It's flat, there are benches everywhere, and there's a little café. I was there on Sunday, really quiet.
RecommendOh, that's really helpful. They'd love something like that. I'll tell them tonight.
Wait, it's almost ten! Don't you have the ten o'clock meeting?
Oh, right, I'd better get going. Let's catch up later. Good luck with the dumplings, Emma!
CloseSource: the Monday chat scene in Before You Speak; the lines are as in the scene, and you can read and hear all of it. The people are made up.
How do you say the same thing more naturally?
Clear is a short sentence that gets you understood, Natural is what a colleague would actually say, and Compact packs in more while still sounding spoken. In small talk, the clear version is plenty: nobody is grading you, and friendly beats clever.
Someone asks about your weekend
- ClearIt was quiet. On Saturday I caught up on sleep and cooked. On Sunday I walked in the park. How about you?
- NaturalPretty quiet, actually. I caught up on sleep and cooked on Saturday, then went for a walk in the park on Sunday. How about you?
- CompactNice and quiet, actually. I caught up on sleep and cooked a proper meal on Saturday, then went for a walk in the park nearby on Sunday. How was yours?
Following up on what they said
- ClearOh no! At least they tasted great. What did you put inside? Did you make the wrappers too?
- NaturalOh no! Well, at least they tasted great. What kind of filling did you go for? Did you make the wrappers yourself?
- CompactOh no, but at least they tasted great! What kind of filling did you go for? And don't tell me you made the wrappers from scratch too?
You have to leave
- ClearOh, right. I have to go now. Let's talk later. Good luck with the dumplings, Emma!
- NaturalOh, right, I'd better get going. Let's catch up later. Good luck with the dumplings, Emma!
- CompactOh, right, I'd better get going. Let's catch up later, and good luck with round two, Emma!
All three versions are the lines the scene prepares for that turn.
What about the other conversations in the kitchen?
Not all of it is about the weekend. These lines are from other Before You Speak scenes.
| When | Say |
|---|---|
| You want to know where they're from | That's true! So where are you two from originally? And what's the food like back home? |
| You're recommending somewhere | Oh, you should try Golden Bowl. It's just round the corner, and it's proper Chinese food, the way we eat it at home. |
| You're making plans | How about next Friday, around 12:30? I'll book a table, and I'm happy to order for everyone. |
| A colleague is having a hard time | Are you alright? Three weeks of nine o'clock nights is way too much, and missing your daughter's show would upset anyone. |
| Someone says you never speak in meetings | Ha, I'm more of a listen-first person. I like to hear everyone out before I jump in. |
| A joke about your English goes too far | Ryan, I know you don't mean any harm, but that joke went a bit too far. My English isn't the issue. |
| They apologise afterwards | No worries, Ryan. I appreciate you saying that. We're good. |
What do you say when you get stuck?
Fast speech, a name you don't catch, a sport you've never heard of: all normal. One short line keeps you in the conversation.
| When | Say |
|---|---|
| You didn't catch it | Sorry, what was that? |
| You missed the end | Sorry, I missed that last part. |
| You missed a name | Sorry, what was the name of the place? |
| You don't know the thing | Sorry, I'm not familiar with that. What is it? |
| You can't find the word | How do you say it in English… it's like a… |
| You need a second | Hmm, let me think. |
| You can't think what to say | Ha, that's a good point. |
Which slips end the conversation?
From the notes in the Before You Speak practice packs and scenes. Nearly all of these are perfectly correct English; they just stop the conversation or sound stiff.
| Easy to say | Better | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ✗ Good. | ✓ Pretty good! We tried a new hiking trail. How about you? | One word gives them nothing to reply to. Add a detail and hand it back. |
| ✗ Fine. | ✓ Busy, but good! We're wrapping up a release. How's yours going? | The same again: “busy” and “a release” are both things they can ask about. |
| ✗ And you? | ✓ How was yours? | Sounds more natural, and it hands the conversation back. |
| ✗ What did you do this weekend? | ✓ Did you get up to anything fun this weekend? | More spoken, and it doesn't sound like a form. |
| ✗ How are you? (to start a chat) | ✓ Hey Priya, how's it going? | More spoken, and easier to answer in passing. |
| ✗ Only answering, never asking | ✓ How about you? | If you only answer, it starts to feel like an interview. |
| ✗ You should go to … | ✓ I'd recommend the park near my place. | More polite than “You should go”, and you can say why. |
| ✗ I must go. | ✓ I'd better get going. I have a call at ten. | Softer, and the reason makes it less sudden. |
| ✗ My English is not good… | ✓ Sorry, what was that? | Ask about what you missed. There's no need to apologise for your English first. |
How do these phrases sound in different accents?
Small talk is where you hear people speak fastest and most casually. Press a button to hear the same phrase in a US, UK, Australian or Indian accent.
| Phrase | Meaning | Listen: US / UK / AU / IN |
|---|---|---|
| How was your weekend? | the usual Monday opening | |
| Any plans for the weekend? | the usual Friday opening | |
| What do you do on weekends? | moves from work to life | |
| How are you settling in? | to someone new | |
| How long have you worked here? | to someone you don't know well | |
| Sounds good. | agrees, in two words | |
| Catch you later | a casual goodbye | |
| See you later! | a common goodbye |
The voices are AI-generated, for practice only.
How do you practise small talk?
A friendly colleague is the best practice there is, if you can start the conversation. For the rest, any partner who'll keep chatting helps: a friend, a language partner or an AI voice tool. The hard part is rarely knowing the phrase. It's saying something back in the second or two you have.
These Before You Speak scenes are kitchen and lunch conversations:
- Office kitchen: talking about the weekend: with an American and a British colleague. Practise it
- Team lunch: weekends, a Chinese restaurant and plans: with a British and an Italian colleague. Practise it
- Office kitchen: a colleague's promotion: congratulating them and arranging Friday drinks. Practise it
- Office kitchen: a colleague working late: showing you care and offering help. Practise it
- Office kitchen: a joke about your English: answering without making a scene. Practise it
- Factory canteen: lunch and a joke: with two colleagues from the Birmingham area. Practise it
- Industry meetup: introducing yourself: and keeping in touch afterwards. Practise it
The scene pages are in Chinese with the full English script alongside, and every line has a recording. You can read and listen without signing up. All characters, lines and voices are AI-generated, for practice only.
You can't plan small talk, but you can get used to answering quickly. In Before You Speak (开口前 kaikouqian), two AI colleagues with real accents talk and you can cut in at any time; when it's your turn, they stop and wait for you. Afterwards you get at most two corrections, they go into your review book, and in review a colleague says the original line again and you answer. You can also write your own situation in Chinese (what it's about, who it's with, what you want to say, the facts only you know) and get a practice scene in two or three minutes.
Free sign-up, no card. The free plan has two live AI conversation rounds and three scripted sessions a week; your own scenes come with a 7-day free trial, and nothing is charged when it ends. For people living outside mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. The app explains in Chinese; Chrome on a computer works best.
Which guides go with this one?
- Speaking up in meetings: How to get in when nobody leaves a gap, ask about what you missed, buy time and confirm the next step.
- Practising without a tutor: A 15-minute round built on one real situation, what each option gives you, and how to make a correction stick.
- Understanding Indian English accents: What to listen for, recordings to compare, words that differ, and what to say when you miss a number.
- All guides
How was this page written?
- Author
- The maker of Before You Speak, a Chinese engineer working in English in Abu Dhabi.
- Sources
- The small talk phrase cards on our social accounts and three small talk practice packs in Before You Speak, plus these scenes: Monday chat, Team lunch, Office kitchen (a colleague working late) and Office kitchen (a joke about your English). The people are made up.
- Use of AI
- The characters, lines and audio in the scenes are AI-generated. The explanations on this page were drafted with AI and put together by the author.
- Updates
- First published 2026-11-01. Found a mistake or want to add something? Write to hello@kaikouqian.com.