×

We use cookies to help make LingQ better. By visiting the site, you agree to our cookie policy.

image

BBC - The English We Speak (YouTube), What does 'small talk' mean? - YouTube

What does 'small talk' mean? - YouTube

Feifei: Hello. This is The English

We Speak. This is Rob...

Rob: And this is Feifei. So, Feifei,

how did the blind date go?

Feifei: Not great - a disaster in fact.

Rob: Oh no. Why didn't you just

follow my advice?

Feifei: I did! Wear something nice,

turn up late and make small talk.

Rob: Yes, make small talk. Exactly.

Feifei: Well, when I started making small

talk, the guy looked at me in a strange

way and then walked off.

Rob: Oh no. What did you say?

Feifei: Things like 'hi', 'good', 'yes', 'no',

'great' - small words.

Rob: But no sentences? I think you've got

the wrong end of the stick here - I mean

you've misunderstood - making small talk

means making informal conversation

about unimportant things.

If you're meeting someone

for the first time, it's a good way

to make them feel relaxed

- you know, break the ice.

Feifei: Right! Make 'small' conversation.

Rob: I guess we should hear

some examples...

I didn't know anybody at my

cousin's wedding so I tried

to make small talk with the guests.

I'm shy and not very good at small talk.

That's why I hate going to parties.

At the office party, we all had to stand

around making small talk, but all I really

wanted to do was go home!

Feifei: This is The English We Speak from

BBC Learning English. And we're learning

about the expression 'small talk' - that's

informal conversation which is meant

to make people feel more relaxed

and stops any embarrassing silence.

Actually, Rob, I do know about

small talk. It's just that...

Rob: So, why didn't you say?

Feifei: Well, I was going to tell you that...

Rob: You'll never get a boyfriend

if you don't speak up, Feifei!

You really need to talk more.

Feifei: Rob.

Rob: Yes?

Feifei: What I was trying to say was, I did

not have time for small talk because my date

would not stop talking. He was rude,

arrogant and wouldn't let me

get a word in edgeways!

Now, who does that remind me of?!

Rob: Err... Nice weather for the

time of year, don't you think?

Feifei: It's a bit late for small talk now,

Rob. You've said far too much.

Rob: Oh.

Feifei: Bye bye!

Rob: Bye!

Learn languages from TV shows, movies, news, articles and more! Try LingQ for FREE

What does 'small talk' mean? - YouTube Was bedeutet "Small Talk"? - YouTube ¿Qué significa "conversación trivial"? - YouTube Qu'entend-on par "petite conversation" ? - YouTube Cosa significa "chiacchierare"? - YouTube スモールトーク」の意味とは?- ユーチューブ '잡담'이란 무슨 뜻인가요? - YouTube Ką reiškia "nedideli pokalbiai"? - "YouTube Wat betekent 'koetjes en kalfjes'? - YouTube Co oznacza słowo "small talk"? - YouTube O que significa "conversa fiada"? - YouTube Что означает "светская беседа"? - YouTube 'Küçük konuşma' ne anlama geliyor? - YouTube Що таке "світська бесіда"? - YouTube “闲聊”是什么意思? - YouTube 「閒聊」是什麼意思? - Youtube

Feifei: Hello. This is The English

We Speak. This is Rob...

Rob: And this is Feifei. So, Feifei,

how did the blind date go? |||cieco|| Comment s'est passé le rendez-vous à l'aveugle ?

Feifei: Not great - a disaster in fact.

Rob: Oh no. Why didn't you just Rob: Oh nein. Warum hast du nicht einfach Rob : Oh non. Pourquoi n'avez-vous pas

follow my advice?

Feifei: I did! Wear something nice, |||metti|| Feifei: Ich habe! Zieh was schönes an, Feifei: I did! Wear something nice, Feifei : Je l'ai fait ! Portez quelque chose de beau,

turn up late and make small talk. Erscheinen Sie spät und machen Sie Smalltalk. se mettre en retard et faire la causette. приходить поздно и вести светские беседы.

Rob: Yes, make small talk. Exactly.

Feifei: Well, when I started making small Feifei : Eh bien, lorsque j'ai commencé à faire de petites

talk, the guy looked at me in a strange Le gars m'a regardé d'un air étrange et m'a dit que je n'avais pas le droit de parler.

way and then walked off. |||camminò| et s'en est allé.

Rob: Oh no. What did you say?

Feifei: Things like 'hi', 'good', 'yes', 'no',

'great' - small words.

Rob: But no sentences? I think you've got ||||||du hast| Rob: Aber keine Sätze? Ich denke, du hast Rob : Mais pas de phrases ? Je pense que vous avez

the wrong end of the stick here - I mean dem|||||||| the||side||the|stick|here|| |||||bastone||| das falsche Ende der Stange hier - meine ich le mauvais côté du bâton ici - je veux dire つまり burada çubuğun yanlış ucu - yani

you've misunderstood - making small talk vous avez mal compris - faire la conversation

means making informal conversation

about unimportant things.

If you're meeting someone

for the first time, it's a good way

to make them feel relaxed para deixá-los relaxados

- you know, break the ice.

Feifei: Right! Make 'small' conversation.

Rob: I guess we should hear Rob : Je pense que nous devrions entendre

some examples...

I didn't know anybody at my

cousin's wedding so I tried Cousin|||| del cugino||||

to make small talk with the guests.

I'm shy and not very good at small talk. |schüchtern||||||| Je suis timide et je ne suis pas très doué pour les petites conversations.

That's why I hate going to parties.

At the office party, we all had to stand Lors de la fête du bureau, nous devions tous nous tenir debout

around making small talk, but all I really

wanted to do was go home!

Feifei: This is The English We Speak from

BBC Learning English. And we're learning

about the expression 'small talk' - that's |||brief||

informal conversation which is meant

to make people feel more relaxed

and stops any embarrassing silence. |||peinliche| et met fin à tout silence embarrassant.

Actually, Rob, I do know about

small talk. It's just that...

Rob: So, why didn't you say? ロブ:では、なぜ言わなかったんですか?

Feifei: Well, I was going to tell you that...

Rob: You'll never get a boyfriend Rob : Tu n'auras jamais de petit ami

if you don't speak up, Feifei! si tu ne parles pas, Feifei !

You really need to talk more.

Feifei: Rob.

Rob: Yes?

Feifei: What I was trying to say was, I did Feifei : Ce que j'essayais de dire, c'est que j'ai fait

not have time for small talk because my date

would not stop talking. He was rude,

arrogant and wouldn't let me full of oneself||||

get a word in edgeways! bekomme||||einbringen get|||edgeways|edgewise ||||inserire una parola って、ちょっと言ってみてよ!

Now, who does that remind me of?! ||||||of Qui cela me rappelle-t-il ?!

Rob: Err... Nice weather for the

time of year, don't you think?

Feifei: It's a bit late for small talk now,

Rob. You've said far too much. |||too much|| ロブあなたは言い過ぎた。

Rob: Oh.

Feifei: Bye bye!

Rob: Bye! Rob: Tschüss! Rob : Bye !