4/1/2019 English for Beginners: 45+ Helpful Phrases for Your Very First Conversations | FluentU English

Or you may use a more formal dialogue with a

colleague, a teacher, a stranger or a government
employee.

Informal greetings

Let’s start with informal greetings. Here is how you

can say hello:

40
Hello!
Shares (A universal greeting that works for every
conversation.)

39 Hi!
(A neutral and friendly greeting.)

1 Hey!
(An informal and relaxed greeting.)

Greetings!
(This is quite formal and rare these days, but
could be used humorously among friends.)

Formal greetings

For a more formal way to greet someone, use the

model “good + [time of day]”:
day]”

Good morning!
(Reserved for any time before noon.)

Good afternoon! 
(Typically used between noon and 5-6 p.m.)

Good evening!
(Any time after 6 p.m.)

Remember that “good night” normally means that

you are saying goodbye. It is also commonly used
right before going to bed.

Introductions

What if you have never met the person you are

talking to before? Then, after greeting them, it would
be polite to introduce yourself and ask for their name.
Here’s how:

My name is ~. What’s your name? 

(This is simple, neutral and always works well!)

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If you met somebody once before, but you do not

remember their name, you can say this:

I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name. You are…

?
(This is a bit more informal.)

If you want to introduce a person to someone else,

you can simply say:

40 Please meet + [name]

Shares
Please meet my friend Tom!
(Formal introduction)
39
This is + [name]
This is Tom!
1 (Common introduction)

Now that you have introduced yourself, here is how

to respond to someone’s introduction:

Nice to meet you!

(The most common)

Pleasure to meet you!

(Simple and polite)

It’s a pleasure!
(Informal, but nice)

Great job! You are already having a conversation!

Making Small Talk

After you have exchanged names and greeted each

other, you may go on to make some “small talk.”

Small talk is common in many English-speaking

countries, especially in the United States, Canada
and England. It is considered polite to add small talk
to the beginning of the conversation before talking
about the subject of the conversation, whether it is
personal or professional.

The most widespread (common) question is “How are

you?” In fact, it is so common, that it becomes
automatic for people to say, even when they hardly
know the person! “How are you” is often even
considered part of the greeting (i.e. “Hi, how are
you?”). That is how necessary it has become!

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There are several ways to ask someone how they are

doing:

How are you? / How are you doing?

(Neutral)

How’s it going?
(More informal)

How are things?

40 (Informal)
Shares
What’s up?
(Very informal)
39
An interesting thing about asking these questions is
that an answer is not really required. Unless you are
1
very close friends with someone, they are not
expecting you to tell them an honest answer about
your day.

Instead, a simple answer and a “how are you” in

return is usually enough:

I’m well. How are you?

It’s going well, thank you. How are you doing?

Fine, thanks. And yourself?

Note that you might often hear people say “I’m good”
when they mean that they are well and doing well.
“I’m good” is grammatically incorrect in this context,
but it is very common, just like a few other mistakes
English speakers make, so be careful!

Small talk can also be the primary goal of a

conversation, especially when you are talking to
people you don’t know and are unlikely to meet
again. There are many ways to use small talk
successfully.

Asking and Answering Questions

A conversation is an exchange of ideas, questions

and thoughts. The best way to keep a conversation
going is to ask questions!

There are two types of questions you may ask:

closed-ended and open-ended questions.

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Closed-ended questions are also called “yes/no”

questions, because their goal is to confirm or deny
certain information. For example:

Are you having a good day?

Did you just get to the office?

Have you seen my email?

40 Compare the examples above to the open-ended

Shares questions below. They will ask a person to elaborate
—that is, to give more information instead of simply
saying “yes” or “no.”
39

How is your day going?

1 (A perfect example of small talk!)

When did you arrive at the office?

What do you think about that email I sent?

Open-ended questions typically begin with “who,”

“what,” “where,” “when” and “why.” They are
important to make your English conversation
informative and productive. See more examples here.

When the person you are talking to is asking you a

question, listen for the keywords and pay attention to
the verb being used. This will help you construct your
answer using proper grammar.

Don’t worry about using difficult words—it is fine to

keep things simple! And if you don’t understand a
certain question or word, don’t be afraid to ask.

As a beginner, you may have trouble understanding

everything being said in English. This is okay! You are
still learning.

Asking for Clarification

You are getting good at conversing in English, but

suddenly you realize that you are lost. Maybe the
other person is speaking too fast. Maybe she has an
unfamiliar accent. Maybe you didn’t hear the last
thing she said.

It is perfectly normal to ask for clarification or to

repeat something. Just remember to be polite!

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If you don’t understand something, let’s say a word or

even some idea relating to your conversation, you
could say:

I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Could you please

repeat that?

I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Could you please

explain that?

40 or even…
Shares

Care to elaborate?
(This very informal question is the short version
39
of “Do you care to elaborate on this?”)

1 If you simply didn’t hear something, just say it like

this:

I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that. Could you please

repeat?

I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. Could you please

repeat?

or even…

Say it again, please?

Don’t be shy to ask for help. People are generally

very happy to explain or repeat something! Please
don’t forget to thank them after they do.

Bringing the Conversation to a Close

Say you have got all the information you need from
the person. It is time for you to go. Maybe you are
running late and want to keep the conversation brief.
No matter the reason, it is always nice to let the
person know you cannot continue talking to them for
much longer.

There are many ways to do it depending on the

situation. For example, if you are late, say:

I have to get going. / It’s time for me to go.

(This is polite and neutral.)

I have to run; can we continue later?

(This is more informal, but also polite.)

And if you have all the information you’d wanted:

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Thank you so much for your help!

(A very common and useful expression)

Got it, thanks!

(Very informal and friendly)

I think I have everything I need, thank you!

(This is formal and may come across as rude if
you don’t thank the person after, so use it with
caution.)
40
Shares Using Small Talk to End a
Conversation
39
Hey, guess what? Small talk can be used at the end
1
of the conversation too! Before saying goodbye, it is
polite to say something like…

Have a good day!

(This works in any situation.)

Enjoy your day!

(This one is a bit more formal.)

Good luck!
(If the person needs it; it will depend on the
situation.)

Talk to you soon!

(This is neutral and does not necessarily mean
that you will really talk to the person soon.)

Great seeing you / Great talking to you!

(This is informal yet common.)

Catch you later!

(This is very informal and fun.)

And after that, the only thing left to do is…

Saying Goodbye

This one is easy. You really cannot go wrong with just

a simple “goodbye” or “bye.” You can also use any
small talk expression to complement your goodbye.
For example:

Bye! Have a good day!

Catch you later! Bye-bye!

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And, as mentioned at the very beginning of this

guide…

Good night!

Simple, right?

You are now an English conversation master!

Having a conversation in English does not have to be

40
Shares complicated. You may feel a little awkward and a little
shy at first, but it is okay.

39 If you are scared of making a mistake, it is

understandable. But mistakes are going to happen; it
1
is absolutely normal. Making mistakes is a big part of
learning. This is how you get better.

Just go for it. Just start talking, because now you

know what to say!

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