92 English Party Conversation Phrases

What can you do to make sure you have the best time at parties, and get plenty of English practice, too? Well, by talking with the fun-having folks around you. 

It is time you learned to start a casual conversation at a party and to keep it going. This guide will give you ideas about safe and familiar topics for small talk as well as example phrases that you can use at your next party.

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1. Start the Conversation by Breaking the Ice

That moment when you arrive at a party and don’t recognize anyone is terrifying, but try not to worry. Think about the opportunities to make new friends, find out new things and, of course, practice your English.

Thus, take this chance to meet new people and break the ice (get the conversation started).

Introduce Yourself

Be proactive and friendly. Come to the nearest person and say something like:

• Hi, I’m Sarah, nice to meet you.
• Hello, I don’t think we’ve met. My name is Sarah.
• Hey, I’m Sarah. I’m [name]’s friend.
• It’s great to finally meet you! I’m Sarah.
• Hey, my name is Sarah. What’s your name?
• Hey, I saw you over here and just wanted to introduce myself. I’m Sarah, Tom’s friend from English class.

See someone you have already met? In that case, you can remind the other person of when and where you two last met, as a way to start the conversation. Here is an example for you:

• Hi, we met here the last time but I don’t think we’ve spoken. I’m Sarah.
• Hey, I think we’ve met before. I’m Sarah.
• I remember meeting you sometime last year! How are you?
• You’re Tom’s friend, Jack, right? I remember you from English class!
• I don’t think I introduced myself last time. I’m Sarah. What’s your name?

Introduce Your Companion

If you go to the party with a friend, you can also introduce him or her, saying something like this:

• Hi, this is my classmate/colleague/friend/boyfriend Tom.
• I’d like you to meet my classmate/colleague/friend/boyfriend.
• I’d like to introduce you to my classmate/colleague/friend/boyfriend.
• Do you remember Jack?
• Have you met my best friend, Will? It’s his first time in the U.S.
• Meet Tom! I thought I’d bring him along to the party to meet you all!

Ask Context-based Questions

After introducing yourself, you can start with some basic questions to establish common ground for the conversation to develop. The easiest way is to start with things you are most likely to have in common: knowing the host of the party and living in the same city.

Here are some questions you can use:

• How do you know [the host]?
• How long have you known [the host] for?
• Do you live/study/work here in [the city]?
• How long have you been here?
• What do you think of the city?
• Do you also know [name of another friend]?

If something stands out in the person you are talking with, like if he or she arrived with a companion, it could be appropriate to ask, “How do you know each other?” Similarly, if they have a name you don’t recognize, you could ask something like, “This is the first time I’ve met someone named [their name]. Where is that name originally from?”

Give a Compliment

People like compliments, especially if they are genuine. A positive comment followed by a question is a good way to break the ice.

Here are some examples to give you ideas:

• The food is delicious. Did you make it?
• That’s a lovely bracelet. Can I ask where you got it?
• I love your jacket! Where did you get it from?
• That painting over there looks incredible! Did you paint it?
• Could you share the playlist with me? You’ve got a great taste in music!

2. Discuss a Topic that Everyone Can Relate To

Once you get to know the other person a little bit, you can discuss a topic in more detail. It is best to start with something universal (something that almost anyone can relate to) and uncontroversial. Here is some safe ground.

Weather

You might find talking about the weather a bit boring. After all, we all know what the weather is like today, right? But the weather is one thing we can all relate to. Therefore, you can ask more questions and your new friend might have things to share.

If you decide it is a good enough starter, here are some sample sentences you can use:

• How do you find the weather here?
• Do you prefer hot or cold weather?
• It’s a lovely day today. Have you been doing anything outside?
• It’s freezing today, isn’t it?
• The snow is amazing! Do you like snow?
• Does it get this cold back in your hometown?
• What’s your favorite season? I’ve always loved the weather during the summer. Winter is too cold for me!

Here is an in-depth guide to vocabulary and phrases for talking about the weather in English.

News

Did you hear some exciting news today? Share it and ask for others’ opinions.

Of course, if you want to avoid arguments, it is best to stay away from political news. Try topics like technology, health, the environment, etc.

Here are examples of how you can bring up the news:

• Did you hear about the latest test of self-driving cars? When do you think we will see one in our city?
• I heard on the news today about the plastic-free pledge from some supermarkets. Do you think it will make a difference?
• Did you see the news report on … ?
• Do you prefer to read or watch the news?
• On the news this morning, they said that the snow and ice might cause long delays at the airport and some flights might even be canceled.

Movies or TV Shows

If you spent the last few evenings watching a new TV show, don’t hesitate to share it. Questions about the latest movies and shows are an easy win. It is likely that you will find something you both enjoy and can talk about it. So keep this topic in your pocket and practice questions like these:

• Have you seen “Stranger Things?”
• I watched the latest episode of “Black Mirror” last night. Did you see it?
• I heard Ryan Gosling was terrific in “La La Land.” What do you think?
• My friend recommended that I watch “Avatar: The Way of Water” this weekend. Have you seen it?
• Tom told me that you’ve watched it, too. Did you like it?
• I finally watched the final of “The Great British Bake Off.” What did you think of the ending?
• I love watching movies at the weekend! Can you recommend any movies?

Popular Games

Just like TV and movies, games can be a great topic to find common ground. Besides asking pointed questions, you can share your experiences with a game to see if the other person relates to it.

Here are some examples:

• Have you ever played Dungeons & Dragons?
• I love Monopoly. We used to play it on the weekend when I was a kid. Do you know the game?
• Do you like card games? Tom’s so good at them. He always wins!
• Do you have a favorite board game?
• Do you want to play Jenga with us later?
• What game do you usually play at parties?

3. Ask Personal Questions to Get to Know the Person Better

Polite and safe conversations about universal topics can only take you so far. As the party goes on, and when you have talked to one person for a while, it is appropriate to ask more personal questions and share your own stories.

Here are some topics you can touch on.

How Your Day Has Been

This is a somewhat personal topic, but it is still safe because it is so general. The person you are talking to can choose to tell you whatever they want about their day. Plus, it can make good conversation because your day is still fresh in your memory.

Here are a few ways you can approach this topic:

• How was your day?
• Did you have a good day at work?
• What did you learn today at school/class? Anything exciting?
• I had a hard time at work today. Do you have a problem with Mondays as well?
• Did you decide to go out for lunch today or stay in the office? I went to the new café with my colleagues!
• What was the traffic like during your commute home this afternoon?

Notice how you can choose to just ask questions, or share your experience and see if it resonates.

Work or Studies

You are likely to find out about the other person’s job or school within the first few minutes. However, you can move along by asking more questions about how they find it.

Here are some examples:

• How do you find your work/studies?
• What made you choose to study [subject]?
• Have you always wanted to be a/an [job]?
• What is a typical day like at your work/school?
• How are things going with your work/studies?
• What do you want to do after you graduate?
• How did you find your current job?
• I am looking for a job in marketing and I heard you work in marketing. Do you have any advice?

Hobbies and Interests

If you don’t find common ground in work and study topics, you can always ask about hobbies.

You have the option to ask directly:

• What do you like to do on the weekend?
• What do you do for fun?
• Would you ever try skydiving or another extreme sport?
• Do you have any plans for the holiday?
• Do you play any instruments?
• Do you like traveling?
• If you had more free time during the week, would you start a new hobby?

Alternatively, you can make it more appealing by giving it the context of your own experience, then ask about their opinion. Here are some examples:

• I saw this documentary about South Africa yesterday. It was amazing. I would love to go there. Have you been?
• My husband bought me this vegetarian cookbook for my birthday and I cannot wait to try it out. Do you like cooking?
• My friend wants me to go bungee jumping with him next year for his birthday but it terrifies me! Have you ever done a bungee jump?
• I want to learn how to play the guitar but I don’t know where to start. Do you know any guitar teachers around here?
• I really wanted to learn Spanish, so I moved to Barcelona. Have you ever lived abroad?
• Tom and I went to the new Italian restaurant last night. The food was incredible! You should check it out!

4. End the Conversation

Every party has to come to an end no matter how much fun you have. When it is time to leave, there are a few rules of politeness that you should follow.

Exchange Pleasantries

Americans are very polite and enthusiastic. You will find that people thank one another a lot and always want to leave one another on a pleasant note. Therefore, you should learn to do the same.

Here are a few things you can say when you are about to leave the party:

• It’s been nice talking to you.
• Thanks for telling me about your studies. It was fascinating.
• You have some real travel stories there. I cannot wait to hear more.
• I’ve had a great time tonight!
• What an amazing party! Thank you so much for inviting me!

Say Goodbye

Promising to speak again is a nice way to indicate that you enjoyed talking to someone. Even if you don’t know whether you will see them again, there are polite expressions that people use and you should too.

• It was great to finally meet you!
• Bye for now. See you next time/next week/soon.
• Have a safe trip home. I hope to see you again.
• Goodnight. Take care. We will talk more next time.

Tips for Smooth Party Conversations in English

Conversations at a party tend to be different from ones in formal settings. Here are the three tips to help you fit in and thrive when conversing with English-speaking partygoers.

Know Your Conversational English

When you’re at a party, you’ll be surrounded by fast, slang-filled English speech everywhere you turn. This can definitely make talking seem a little scary. But with a little preparation, you can be more confident in your skills.

There are many resources to learn common conversational English and slang. You can learn a lot from authentic English content like English books, TV shows, movies, videos and more.

You can also practice with language learning programs that show how to use and understand the kind of English you would hear in real conversations. For example, the FluentU program teaches by letting you “see” English conversation in action.

As you build up your knowledge of conversational English and learn about the culture, you’ll be more ready to mingle at English parties!

Keep It Light

Parties are the time to relax, unwind and let your hair down (be free and have fun). You don’t want to be that person who drags a party down with depressing conversation topics. Stay upbeat and stick with topics like your plans for the weekend or the weather.

As a party goes on and you get into more in-depth conversations, it is probably alright to discuss serious matters in a lighthearted manner. A joke always works better than a confrontational argument.

Balance Between Sharing and Asking

Don’t just talk about yourself for the whole evening. Make sure that you have a two-way conversation. Not only will this make you a better party guest, but it will also help you improve both your English speaking and listening skills.

Ask others about themselves. If you show that you genuinely care about the other person, they will be more likely to keep talking to you rather than moving to the next person.

 

Party conversations can be challenging, but they can also be a lot of fun!

With these topics and phrases, you don’t have to worry about what to say, but can focus on practicing your English.

Good luck!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)