Lorivo
Menu

Small talk before a meeting: easy English phrases

You join a call or walk into the room early, and there's one colleague there and a few minutes of silence. In your own language you'd fill it without thinking, but in English many people answer in one word and the conversation dies. Small talk is less about what you say and more about handing the turn back.

You talk to Tom, colleague

Level
B1
Length
about 5 minutes

Included in Pro

The situation

Five awkward minutes before a meeting starts. Keep it light, find common ground, and hand the conversation back.

Your goals

  1. Open with something easy
  2. Find one thing in common
  3. Ask two follow-up questions

Words to use

Words you probably know but rarely say. In the app they tick off as you use them.

hectic
very busy
catch up
talk after time apart
by the way
to change topic casually
sounds like
you seem to mean
I can relate
I've felt that too
wind down
relax after effort

Phrases that work here

  • Just us for now. I think the others are still in another call.

    Answers the opener and adds a small detail, which gives the other person something to reply to.

  • How's your week been so far?

    The safest opener at work. It's open enough for a real answer but not personal.

  • Sounds like a hectic week.

    Reacts to what they said, so they feel heard before you add anything.

  • Oh nice, how did that go?

    The easiest follow-up question. Use it after any plan or event they mention.

  • Same here, actually.

    Marks common ground in three words. Follow it with one short detail of your own.

  • Any plans for the weekend?

    Works from Thursday onwards and almost always gets more than a one-word answer.

  • Looks like everyone's here. Shall we get started?

    A natural way to close the small talk when the meeting is ready to begin.

How the conversation can go

Tom opens the call. One way to answer:

  1. Tom

    Morning! Are we waiting on anyone else, or is it just us?

  2. You

    Morning! Just us for now. I think the others are still in another call. How's your week been so far?

  3. Tom

    Honestly? Pretty busy. We had a release on Tuesday, so I've barely slept.

  4. You

    Sounds like a hectic week. Did the release go okay in the end?

  5. Tom

    Mostly, yeah. A couple of small bugs, but nothing dramatic. What about you?

  6. You

    Busy too, but nothing like yours. Mine was mostly emails. Are you doing anything to wind down this weekend?

  7. Tom

    Probably just a long bike ride on Sunday. Do you cycle at all?

  8. You

    Not really, but I've been meaning to start. Where do you usually go? I'd love a route that isn't too hard.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Fine.

    Pretty good, thanks. A bit busy. How about yours?

    A one-word answer closes the conversation. Add one detail and a question back.

  • How old are you? Are you married?

    Have you been with the company long?

    Questions that are normal in Indonesian small talk can feel too personal at work in English. Stay with work, weekends and plans.

  • I'm very busy until now.

    It's been really busy so far.

    "Until now" comes from "sampai sekarang". In English, use "has been" with "so far" for a period that is still going.

Before you start

  1. Use the situation for your first line: the delay, the weather, the coffee, the week. Nobody expects small talk to be clever.
  2. Follow a simple pattern: answer, add one detail, then ask a question back.
  3. Remember one small thing they mention (a trip, a release, a bike ride) and ask about it next time. It shows you were listening.

Practise it out loud with Tom

In Lorivo, Tom answers you on a live voice call for about 5 minutes, then you get feedback on your own sentences.

Get it on Google Play

More role plays