Small Talk in Spanish: How to Keep Conversations Going

January 15, 2025

Do you want to speak Spanish soon but don't feel comfortable starting conversations yet? Then this blog post might guide you on how to take the next step. Making small talk is a great way to connect with others. Do you often bump into someone but struggle to find the right sentence to start with? Or do you just want to have a short conversation with that friendly lady working at the local coffee shop? Making small talk frequently will tremendously help your Spanish learning, as you engage in active conversation for a short time on a regular basis.

In this blog post, we will explore some of the best ways to get the conversation flowing. We will cover common Spanish small talk phrases to start with, usual topics, and how to politely end a conversation without being rude.
If you’re not comfortable speaking yet, you can still benefit from this article. But now, get yourself ready for your first small talk in Spanish!

Why is Making Small Talk Important?

Small talk helps us find common ground with others. It also serves as a transition to longer and deeper conversations. Over time, small talk strengthens our brief interactions into deeper relationships. For example, if you continue having those one-minute chats with another mom outside your kid's school every day, your relationship can evolve into a friendship.

The Non-Verbal Part:

Is small talk only about the words? If you observe two people having small talk on the street, you’ll notice how much non-verbal language is used as well. Body language, showing interest, and emotions all contribute to making small talk more interesting and engaging.

Small Talk for Language Learning:

When learning Spanish, small talk is a great way to start using what you’ve learned. It’s short, simple, and fun. People don’t talk about politics or other topics from lesson 245 in your grammar book. They talk about the weather, kids, weekends—simple things that a beginner in Spanish can easily understand.

Would you skip small talk in your own language? Probably not, right? It’s beneficial for your language learning.

Keep reading— the manual starts right here.

What Are the Expressions to Start With?

There are tons of ways to start small talk in Spanish. However, when you’re trying to speak to relatively unfamiliar people in their native language, things can get a bit complicated. Have you ever ended up going home feeling demotivated after a failed conversation? Yep, me too.

Here are some expressions to initiate small talk:

¿Cómo estás?
Hace buen tiempo.
Hoy hace mucho frío, ¿no?
¿Cómo estuvo tu fin de semana?
¿Cómo va todo?

These are the most obvious ones. But don’t worry about starting with something as simple as the weather topic.

If you already know someone a bit better, try starting with a compliment or asking a more specific question, like:

Me gusta tu chaqueta, ¿dónde la compraste?
¿Cómo fue tu partido?

So you’ve managed to initiate small talk on the street. What’s next?

Follow Up the Conversation

Always say something while the other person talks. You can’t just wait until the end to say goodbye. There are a few short expressions to use, and they’ll make you sound fluent and local. Here they are:

Oh, ¿sí? (Oh yeah?)
¿Es verdad? (Really?)
¿Cómo lo sabes? (How do you know that?)
Vale. (Alright.)
¿En serio? (Really?)
Vaya! (Wow!)
¡Madre mía! (Oh my God!)
Es increíble. (That’s incredible.)

If you watch a few series in Spanish, you’ll pick up the right pronunciation quickly. This way, while the other person tells you something, you can show that you’re following along and are interested in the topic—even if you’re not. Use these phrases anyway!

How to Show Interest?

Showing interest during small talk isn’t just about following up and responding verbally. Use non-verbal cues like gestures, touching a shoulder (when the pandemic is over, of course), and most importantly—smile.

What Are the Usual and Simple Topics to Introduce in Small Talk?

We’ve already covered the weather and weekends. These are great conversation starters when you meet someone you’ve just seen for five minutes the other day. But if you meet someone regularly, your small talk topics can get more specific. This will help expand your vocabulary and improve your listening skills, so go for topics like:

Películas:

¿Has visto la película llamada Abre los ojos?

Pasatiempos:

A mí me gusta leer libros. ¿Me puedes recomendar un libro en español?

Familia: (Kids of the same age? Your small talk is already a deep conversation.)

Mi hija tiene muchos deberes todos los días.

Gramática española:

¿Puedes ayudarme un poco con la gramática? ¿Puedo usar esta palabra cuando hablo de viajar?

What If I Ask But Don’t Understand the Answer?

How do you handle the awkward moment when you get lost in a conversation? Here are some tips:

Lo siento, no entendí al cien por cien. ¿Puedes hablar más despacio?
Pero, ¿qué significa la palabra…?
No sé cómo se dice esto en español. ¿Puedes explicármelo?

I honestly use these sentences all the time, and people are more than willing to slow down a bit or explain with more gestures. Don’t be ashamed— you’re making progress.

How to Politely End the Small Talk and Walk Away?

You’ll never sound rude by saying:

Tengo que irme. (I have to go.)
Tengo prisa. (I’m in a hurry.)
Llego tarde. (I’m running late.)

And then:

Nos vemos. (See you.)
Hasta luego. (See you later.)
Adiós. (Goodbye.)

The whole sentence could go something like this:

Lo siento, pero tengo prisa. Voy a la biblioteca con mi hermano. Pero nos vemos, ¿vale? ¡Que tengas un buen día!

Start Today

Start making small talk with native Spanish speakers as soon as possible. It will be your first real contact with native Spanish speakers (apart from your teacher, probably). Here are some final tips that worked for me:

Choose people who are alone. It’s much harder to start small talk with a group of natives.
Try making small talk with parents on the playground. They love hearing compliments about how cute their baby is (¡Qué lindo bebé!).
Elderly people? I love talking to them, and they always have that extra time for talking to strangers.
Not everyone will have patience for you, but don’t get discouraged.
Reward yourself for your effort— extra spoon of sugar for your coffee? Good job!

Happy Learning!