Salut c’est Géraldine,
bienvenue sur Comme
une Française TV, Sound French, even to the French!
Small talk is a great way to practice your
French… and simply make more human connections
throughout the day.
But it’s not always easy—especially in
another language.
Today, I want to share with you guidelines,
general sentences and specific scripts you
can use, so you can make small talk in French
with confidence.
And make new friends, even for a few minutes!
Let’s dive in.
Pourquoi briser la glace ?
Pourquoi briser la glace ? Why break the ice?
Well, first, to practice your French.
It’s a good way to feel progressively
more confident with your language ability
as well as build up your general social skills.
You’ll only improve when you try papoter,
to chat informally with people.
But also because small talk seems to make
us happy.
A study revealed that we underestimate the
happiness we get out of chatting with de parfaits inconnus,
perfect strangers, as opposed to
being left alone.
We also underestimate the desire of other
people to interact with people and feel connected.
I mean, in developed countries the main thing
a lot of people are lacking is human connections
and le lien social, the social bond we used
to share in smaller villages or common churches.
I’m going to give you several scripts you
can use to make small talk in French in different
situations, but first, here is a general tool:
a quick guide to making conversation.
You might not need it, but who knows?
It’ll be helpful in all of the examples
to follow.
First, try to find quelque chose en commun,
a common ground with the other person you’re
talking to—I’ll detail the examples and
sentences you can use for that too.
Then, it’s important to révéler quelque
chose sur soi, reveal something about yourself.
Give some information about how you relate
to the situation at hand, like you’ve been
here before, or that you really like the band
playing, for instance.
Then don’t forget to poser une question,
ask a question, which will encourage them
to share something as well.
And the conversation begins!
Build on their answer with a comment, or ask
a follow-up question, reveal something else
about yourself, and, you know, just talk.
In French!
But let’s look at some specific situations.
En promenant son chien
En promenant son chien, walking a dog, is
always a good way to break the ice with people
on the street—especially other dog owners,
of course.
You might hear or make comments such as:
Il est trop mignon ! Il est de quelle race ?
He’s too cute!
Which breed is he?
Il est gentil ! Comment il s’appelle ? He’s
nice!
What’s his name?
Je peux le caresser ? Je peux le toucher ? Can
I pet her?
Can I touch her?
Now, with no transition, I’ll also mention
there are similar icebreakers for talking
to someone with a baby, for instance: Oh il
est trop mignon! Il a quel âge?
He’s too cute!
How old is he?
Demander quelque chose
Demander quelque chose, to ask something or
to ask for something, is another great tool
to use and start conversations.
Also, you know, if you need information or
help it doesn’t hurt to ask.
To avoid being rude, it’s common to start
your sentence with Bonjour, excusez-moi…
, or “Hi, excuse me.”
Then you can ask things such as: Vous avez
l’heure ?
Do you have the time?
Excusez-moi je suis perdue, vous pouvez m’aider
? Excuse me I’m lost, can you help me?
Je cherche la rue Michelet, j’ai rendez-vous
à la gare...
I’m looking for the Michelet street, I’m
supposed to meet someone at the train station…
Or something you might hear on Parisian streets:
Vous avez du feu ? Vous avez une clope ?
Do you have a lighter?
Do you have a cigarette?
You might just want to ask directions to solve
your current problem, such as:
Vous savez où je peux acheter un parapluie ? Do you
know where I could buy an umbrella?
Or: Vous savez où je peux trouver un bon
restaurant, dans le coin ?
Do you know where I could find a good restaurant around here?
Dans le coin, meaning “around here / in
the neighborhood,” is a useful expression
for other points in everyday life too.
Un point commun, common ground, is a useful
start for making small talk, as we’ve mentioned before.
Making a connection with someone might be
just as easy as saying hello then talking
about something else you’re sharing, something
you’re living right at this moment.
You can also reveal something about your own
situation to create trust.
Bonjour.
Le bus est en retard, non ? C’est la première
fois que je prends le bus en France...
Hello.
The bus is late, isn’t it?
It’s the first time I have ever taken the
bus in France…
To be fair, you don’t always have to say
hello first, and this can even create a more
immediate connection.
Quelle pluie ! Je suis contente d’avoir
pris mon parapluie ! What rain!
I’m happy I brought my umbrella!
By the way, weather is the one thing that
unites everyone at any given place.
It’s common ground you always have with
the people around you.
That’s why it’s so cliché to talk about
the weather, but it’s a cliché because
it’s effective.
And that’s why I made a previous episode
about small talk and the weather.
You’ll find a link in the video description
on the blog below the video.
You can also appreciate something together
as well.
A monument, a river, or un paysage, a panorama,
une vue, a view…
C’est beau, hein ? Je suis contente d’être
venue de si loin pour voir ça.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?
I’m happy I’ve made such a long trip to
see this.”
There’s a special kind of small talk to
be made with people who are working, such
as roofers or gardeners.
It’s delicate because they might be busy
or exhausted, but some of them might appreciate
the conversation during a boring part of the
day.
It’s your call.
But you might learn new things by asking:
C’est dur, non? Vous faites ça souvent ? “It’s difficult,
isn’t it?
Do you do this often?”
Or maybe: “Ça fait combien de temps que
vous faites ça ?” “How long have you
been doing this?”
And finally, if you can’t use any of these
ways to build common ground, maybe you can
find inspiration from a special item of clothing
they’re wearing.
Maybe they even picked it specially in the
morning!
J’aime beaucoup votre robe ! I love your
dress!
Or maybe, who knows, you can open a conversation
about promotional clothes:
Sympa, ton t-shirt.
Il vient du Brésil ? J’y suis allée quand
j’étais plus jeune…
Nice T-Shirt!
Is it from Brazil?
I’ve been there when I was younger…
Et toi ? What did you last chat about in such
situations?
Are you going to try and make small talk with
a stranger today in French?
Can you tell us how it went?
Tell me in the comments section, I’d love
to hear from you!
If you’re on Youtube, you’ll find a link
below this video to the blog CommeUneFrançaise.com:
on the site I read all the comments and answer
all your questions too!
Want more?
Subscribe now to join my “Everyday French
crash course”.
It’s free 10-day mini-course to sound French
even to the French.
It’s super easy to join.
Leave me your first name and email and you’ll
receive lesson 01 immediately.
It’s free.
Merci for watching Comme une Française TV,
sound French, even to the French.
Allez, salut !
