Making Small Talk

Appearance

Bề ngoài

It isn't polite to talk about a person's appearance

Appropriate

Phù hợp, đúng đắn

Travel and hobbies are appropriate topics for small talk

Are you serious?

Bạn nghiêm túc chứ

You aren't coming to the party? Are you serious?

Argue

Tranh luận

My husband and I sometimes argue about money

Controversial

Gây tranh cãi

Don’t talk about controversial topics at work

Culture

Văn hóa

In some cultures, many women cover their hair

Everyday topic

Chủ đề thường ngày

Cooking is a good everyday topic for small talk

Gossip

Tin đồn, lời tám chuyện

I try not to listen to gossip about my friends

Hobby

Thói quen

Her newest hobby is painting

Illness

Bệnh tật

She missed a lot of work because of her illness

Inappropriate

Không phù hợp

It is inappropriate to discuss money with coworkers

Insulting

Sỉ nhục

Don’t make insulting remarks about other people

It sure is

Chắc chắn rồi

He agreed that the food was good and said, “It sure is.”

It's about time

Tới lúc rồi

I told her about my new job and she said, “It's about time.”

Make a remark

Để lại dấu ấn

He made a remark about her appearance

Made small talk

Nói chuyện phiếm

People at parties often make small talk

Master

Làm chủ, chủ nhân

After years of playing the guitar, he finally mastered it

Nothing special

K có gì đặc biệt

He asked what we did last weekend and I answered, “Nothing special.”

Offend

Xúc phạm

You’ll never offend people if you talk about the weather

Politics

Chính trị

Politics can be very controversial

Religion

Tôn giáo

Every religions has different beliefs and holidays

Sounds wonderful

Nghe thật tuyệt vời

You’re having a party for your birthday? Sounds wonderful

You're kidding, right?

Bạn đang đùa phải không

You went to high school with the president? You're kidding, right?