What phrases are useful for starting small talk in French

Common phrases for starting small talk in French include simple greetings, questions about how someone is doing, and friendly comments about the weather or surroundings. These expressions help begin casual conversations and are easy to use in everyday interactions. ⁹

Examples of Small Talk Starters

• Bonjour, comment ça va ? (“Hello, how are you?”) ⁹
• Salut ! Quoi de neuf ? (“Hi! What’s new?”) ⁹
• Ça va bien ? (“Are you well?”) ⁹
• Il fait beau aujourd’hui, n’est-ce pas ? (“It’s nice weather today, isn’t it?”) ⁹
• Vous travaillez dans le quartier ? (“Do you work in the neighborhood?”) ⁹
• Vous attendez quelqu’un ? (“Are you waiting for someone?”) ⁹
• C’est votre première fois ici ? (“Is this your first time here?”) ⁹
• Vous venez souvent ici ? (“Do you come here often?”) ⁹

Tips for Using These Phrases

These phrases are appropriate for both formal and informal settings, though word choice (such as tu vs. vous) can signal the level of formality. Starting with a friendly greeting and a simple question makes it easier to continue the conversation naturally. ⁹

References

• Book Review: What is a Mathematical Concept? edited by Elizabeth de Freitas, Nathalie Sinclair, and Alf Coles

• Book Review : What is a Mathematical Concept ?

• The first BEC conference in Levico in 1993

• The Claire French Dialogue Dataset

• « Bon assez parlé » : les phrases préfabriquées de l’oral dans des productions écrites d’élèves de 11-12 ans

• Techniques d’abréviation dans les webchats francophones

• VII Index des verbes selon leur fréquence-type

• Multimodal Practice for Mobilizing Response: The Case of Turn-Final Tu Vois ‘You See’ in French Talk-in-Interaction

• A Descriptive Analysis of Expressive Conversational Formulas in French and their Arabic Equivalents

• V Index alphabétique des adjectifs-adverbes

• Prière, remerciement et politesse en ancien français : vostre merci, multes merciz, merci !