In the realm of social interactions, few skills are as essential as the ability to engage in casual conversations.
The art of ‘small talk’ is a vital part of everyday communication in Spanish-speaking countries.
In this post, you’ll learn 85 questions and phrases for small talk in Spanish, from friendly greetings to commentary about the weather and more.
With this language, you’ll be able to strike up a conversation with anyone—and get some great practice speaking Spanish!
Contents
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Greetings in Spanish
The least complicated way to strike up some small talk is to say hello! Here are a few ways to greet someone in Spanish:
(Throughout the post, we’ll put the formal usted version first and then the informal tú version.)
Introductions in Spanish
If you’re meeting someone for the first time, you’ll need to know these basics:
Small Talk About the Weather
Chatting about the weather is a great ice-breaker! Here are some phrases to help you out:
Getting to Know Someone
Once you’ve covered the basics, you can start getting to know someone better with some questions about their life and family:
Small Talk About Hobbies and Interests
Most people love talking about the things that make us individuals—like hobbies, food and shopping!
Here are some phrases you can use to talk about hobbies and interests:
Small Talk About Sports
Sports are a universal topic that you can use to connect with others. Here are some questions and phrases to chat about your favorite sports and teams:
Small Talk About Food
Who doesn’t like talking about food? Here are some ways to make small talk about food, restaurants and eating:
Small Talk About Shopping
Shopping is always an adventure, and it’s a great bonding topic when you’re making small talk. Here are some phrases for chatting about your latest (or future) purchases:
Asking About Travels and Plans
If you’re traveling the world, you’re bound to meet a plethora of new people. It’s great to have some questions you can ask them about their travels and plans:
Saying Goodbye in Spanish
Close out the conversation with a wave and a smile—and revel in your small talk success!
How to Practice Your Small Talk Skills
Chatting is a fun part of any language program. And there are plenty of great ways you can practice while meeting new people:
- Look for local events where others who either speak or are studying Spanish hang out. Museums, foreign films and even Spanish cooking classes at a local college are good starting points for finding friends to chat with.
- Join a Spanish club—they’re prime spots for socializing! Most Spanish clubs rely heavily on social events to keep membership up. Search the web or ask at the nearest library for one near you, then join in the fun!
- Find a language partner to chat with in person or online. You can use Tandem to find a partner. Just sign up, log in and choose someone near or far to share your small talk with.
No Spanish learning program is complete without some language for engaging in casual small talk.
It’s a crucial part of achieving fluency because it allows you to meet new people and start chatting with them.
Once you feel comfortable using these questions and phrases, you’ll be able to approach and talk to anyone!
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
