HOW TO START A CONVERSATION
Conversation Starters
General greetings and inquiries
How's it going?
How's everything?
How's life? (This means "How are you?" not "Where are you going?")
Asking about present activities
What's up?
What's happening? (What are you doing now?)
Asking and telling about recent events
What's new?
Guess what? (What interesting has happened since I last saw you?)(I want to tell you something. Ask me about it.)(The appropriate response to this is "What?")
A: Guess what? A: I just got a new job.
B: What? B: Congratulations!
Bringing up a serious topic
Can I talk to you for a minute?
Do you have a minute?
Conversations can open up a whole new universe of opportunities...for relationships, for business, for anything and everything. Unfortunately, for some people, starting a conversation is a little difficult, especially when the conversation should be in English and one is not a native speaker of the said language. Hopefully, the suggested expressions below will help them easily begin a conversation in English.
Anytime, anywhere with anyone:
Hi!/Hello!· Good morning/afternoon/night/day!
With strangers:
Nice weather we have today; don't you think so?·
So, do you come here often?· Excuse me. You look very familiar.
Have we met somewhere before?· Excuse me.
Can you tell me what time it is?
With acquaintances/friends:·
Hey! It's been quite some time.·
How are you? (or similar expressions)·
Looking good!/You look great!· What a pleasant surprise! I didn't expect to see you here.
Of course, the expressions mentioned are only the most commonly used. You may revise them depending on the situation you are in. Just add whatever details you think may be helpful.
