Today, let’s talk about making friends!
To make friends, you need to start by talking to someone! But how can you start a conversation in English with someone you don’t know?
To answer that question, you should think about how you make friends in your native language.
Usually you will start by talking about something that you both have in common. Some examples include:
- something that is happening around you (for example, if you are at a bus stop you can talk about the time of the bus, if you are at school you can talk about your class, if you are at a party you can talk about the food or drinks or music)
- the weather.
So, don’t be shy! Try to start a conversation today!
Quick Quiz:
What would be the best way to start a conversation? Say:
A. Hello, I am from Japan. Please teach me English. I can teach you Japanese.
B. Hello, where are you from?
Put your answer in the comments! I will give you the answer next week.
by the years that have passed (right?)People are each time more closed on theirselves, wich i think is wrong.
but i guess the second form is the best away to start a conversation. in the first one we are already compromise(i think this is the right word) that person 2º one is the best i think more relaxed and informal n my opinion of course
Hello, may I guess where you are from?
Hi Marcos. A better expression would be:
by the years that have passed – IN RECENT YEARS
People are each time more closed on theirselves, wich i think is wrong. – PEOPLE HAVE BECOME MORE FOCUSED ON THEMSELVES, WHICH I THINK IS WRONG.
Yes, I think the second one is more friendly! So I agree with you Marcos and also you Anastasia!
Hello, I am Ruth from Lithuania. Where are you from? Nice to meet you.
Good work Ruth.
Have you had a chance to actually say something like this to someone?
Hello, where are you from?
Hi Abdulazim
I agree with you. This is a much better way to start a conversation!
How do you do?
It is a really nice day, isn\’t it?
An excellent way to start a conversation Andras! Good job!
How are you?
How you going?
How you doing?
we start our conversation ask them
“how was the today?”
Great ideas Johnny! What would you say next?
divyaritu – good idea! The correct sentence is: “How are you today?” OR ” How is your day going?”
b. Hello, where are you from ?
Great! This is a good way to start a conversation!
B
Well done! I think B is better too!
hi.how are u ? can i know about you? you seems from india isn\’t it?
i think john this is the best way to start.and in your qustion best answer is B.
Hi Soni
A great way to start a conversation! Well done!
BUT
I wouldn’t say ‘Can I know about you.’
It is better to say:
‘Hi. How are you. Are you from India?’
soni,the first plaese accept our apology for this delay.
my name is Majid.Im from Iran.im working in commercial compay.
Well, I think the second option is the better way to start a conversation than the first one, besides it\’s more often.
Good work Lorran! I think so too.
the best way to start is:
hello,how are you
Good. What would you say next?
the answer B
correct!
Hi, How are you? are you from india? i guess B is the better way to start a conversation.
Play Audio Comment
Great Work!
hello everyone
i don’t know how to start. I’m new into this site,though eager to learn more about english.
Hi Edlyn!
Welcome to the site!
I suggest you start by going to the discussion forum:
http://www.askjohnenglish.com/learn/course/view.php?id=5
Hi john
I think B is better.
What about this
hi, it’s nice weather, is it?
Hi Taghreed
Yes that is also a good thing to say!
What would you say if it were raining?
John
hi where are you from ?
Hi Walaa! You are correct!
Hello! Where are you from? is a right way to start a conversation
because i think this expresion is staight and to the point.
Hi Baber
That is true!
Well done!
Hi. John
I think choice”B” is better.
Hi Mai!
You are right!
hi john n everyone
well B is right
Well done Dollie!
HI,JOHN
ANSWER (B) IS RIGHT
BUT FIRST YOU NEED TO ASK,
HELLO HOW ARE YOU?
That is true Sam!
It is always good to be polite!
I guess the best way to start a conversation is: Hello, where are you from?
That is a good way Aura.
General topics, such as someone’s country, help people to feel more relaxed and they are more likely to want to talk to you!
Nice meet to you!I’m from Jaffna May i know your name and place?
Hi Senthuran! Great to see you here!
Do you mean:
“May I know your name and where you are from?”
Good work!
Hi John! What about:
“Hello! Are you enjoying the party? The drinks are great, aren’t they?”
Hi Juliano
Yes that is perfect!
Hi How are you , Can i ask where are you from?
Good question Maggie!
where are you from?
Good Question Huyen!
Hello. Where are you from?
hello..you look likes so familiar! have we met before?
Nice line Komoetein!
It is very easy for me to make freinds with anyone. I can start conversation anywhere, at work at bus station. If I need to know something i can ask, and on this we can speak a lot, and make freind.
Yes Niga, some people are like you and find talking easy! Some are more shy! Usually I like talking to new people too! Great to meet you!
hi i’m ml fernando from sri lanka and what about you
HAI MR.JOHN. HOW ARE YOU? YOUR DONE BY GOOD JOB. I THINK I AM TOO LAITE TO KNOW ABOUT THIS SITE.BUT NOW I WILL REACH RIGHT PLACE. THANK YOU
You are welcome Vijesh! I hope it is helpful
Great work ml!
And very nice to meet you!
Hello, where are you from?
Great answer Amy!
Where are you from, by the way?
Hello Amy,
i’m from iraq,
what about you?
Hello! I am from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Hi! Great to meet you!
Good evening. My name is Gaby and I’m from Germany. I have read the comment which Niga has written and I often wished I could do the same.
But I’m a very shy person and to start a conversation anywhere is pretty hard for me.
Maybe this page or side will help me to improve my English. I’m still a beginner.
Thanks for reading.
Hi Gaby
The most important thing to remember if you are shy is – most other people are shy too! So you don’t need to feel uncomfortable! We all feel the same inside!
Don’t worry about what other people think! Just be yourself! I am sure you are a wonderful person!
helow how are you… i think i saw you at my college .. where yew frm nd in which class do yew read… ?
Hi Ahsan
Great way to start a conversation!
Some feedback: ‘Where are you from and in which class are you in?’
Hello.every one specially you John,I read all the conversation and I would like to say you are doing great job.by the way my name is Siamak and i am from Iran.
Hi Siamak
Thanks for your kind comments!
Welcome to this site!
John
hello Mr. John. Realy its great job. thanks for help.
You are very welcome Anna!
Hi, do you speak English? A little? Oh…! Me too. Where are you from?
What about a glass of Martini? Let’s drink and talk, it will improve our English!
Great sentence Tamara!
Do you like Martinis? Very cool – like James Bond!!
Thank you, John!
I didn’t know James Bond loves Martini…
I thought he loves just gun, money and beautiful young women.
What do you like?
I like nature. These days I am thinking of learning photography and then taking photos of animals! How about you?
Australia is all about the Nature! I believe your pictures will be amazing.
I like photography too. I have a lot of pictures (nature, people…) By the way I hate the picture next to my name here…I look like a MONSTER! Please don’t get a scared,John.
I also like to read (psychology is my favourite subject!), to travel ( I am going to visit England and France next week!), I like skiing ( that make long and cold winter season in Canada really enjoyable!)
John, what sport do you like?
Ha ha! Sorry about the picture! It is automatic!
I love skiing too, although the snow isn’t so good here. We do get snow (some people think Austalia is a desert!) but it often gets icy on the ski slopes. I enjoyed skiing a lot more when I was in Japan.
So are you a pschologist?
As for me and sport – I used to play basketball and soccer when I was younger. My main love is outdoor sports such as hiking, camping and diving. I love nature
Psychology is just my hobby, not a profession. I really like psychology because it applied to so many different things in our life (including relationship and “Making a Friends”!) Who and what we are, why we are like that, why we act and think like that and what we could be as a person…
My profession is Fashion Design. But it’s not what I am doing for living in Canada…
I work in Travel Industry. I am a “Mix” of different talents, interests and professions!
Do you like to travel? John, what is your favourite destination? What countries you would like to visit and why?
Hi Tamara
One country i would live to visit is in fact Canada! It has been my dream since I was a teenager to see the grey wolf in the wild in the snow in Canada! I would also love to go to Europe.
Where are you going on your next trip?
G’day mate! How is going?
I’ve just came back from my Vacation. I visited London and Paris. The trip was nice.
Beautiful cities! People in London are amazing!
John, Canada- is not only about “grey wolf in the wild in the snow in Canada”…You’ll fall in love with Niagara Falls, Ontario Lake, ski resorts etc….!
I like the idea that we travel not just to get way from the daily routine, to see new places, to get new experiences, to meet new people… When we visit foreign countries, it is not the outer impressions we are looking for. It is the power, the energy, the vibrations of the place we feel. We want to go to some places either because they reflect our character or because they have something we desperately need… In fact, it is the seeking for THE SELF that makes us travel…apart from the pleasant side of the physical and emotional effect.
My next trip will be to Washington. Have you ever been in USA?
Hi Tamara
Tell me more about the people in London – why were they amazing?
I know Canada is more than the grey wolf – I want to do all those things you mentioned, and also hang out in Toronto for a bit. It seems nice there!
I also like to lose myself when I travel. Just let myself disappear and let the world live! Very cleansing!
I have been to the US – mostly California, but also to the Grand Canyon. I haven’t been to the east coast yet.
You seem to travel a lot! You are lucky!
Hi John!
Surprisingly I liked Londoners much more then Parisians…
Londoners are extremely polite and ready to help you in any situations!
Parisians are light-hearted and charming….but “I am not crazy about them.”
What about people in your country, John? How would you describe them? (in general, of course…)
By the way: we have the famous Gay Pride Parade & Festival here in Toronto every summer, it’s a show to see!!! – so if you’ll decide to visit Toronto some time – do it on the end of June. And don’t forget to bring your photocamera!
Sydney is also famous for such a parade. Have you been to the one in Toronto?
Hi . My name is Ann and what about you? thanks for help John.
You are welcome Anna!
The first thing we should do is giving a big smile when we wanna make friends with strangers. No matter what you are gonna ask, when you express a friendly feeling to others, they will be able to respond to you in the same way that you already gave.
I usually start my conversation by asking some questions related to the happening events around that area like career fairs, time for bus or train departure or some places you are pretending to know. To me, it’s so easy to make friends if we really wanna do so coz it will bring us the enthusiasm to open our hearts and create some funny stories.
How about John? I love to listen to your ideas. hehe. i am wondering why are you doing this job to help English learners improve their ability to use English for free?
If i get any English mistakes, please help me out to correct them! I appreciate it very much!
Hi Annie!
I totally agree with you! You sound like a very friendly girl! I think talking about common events first is the natural way to start a conversation. It also seems to be that way in many cultures (maybe not all).
To answer your question on why I made this site: This is something I started about 4 years ago. I wanted a place for people to be able to learn from each other (including me!), so I built this site.
I hope it is helpful for you!
The best way to start a conversation is to say Hello and then ask Where are you from?
Yep – a nice friendly way to start a conversation with someone from a different country!
The best way to start a conversation is to say Hello and then ask Where are you from? This would be a friendlier way of approaching a stranger and not making him/her uncomfortable by asking the person to teach you English in your first meeting.
I agree 100% Madz! I don’t like it when people who have never talked to me before ask me for something without being friendly!
to start the conversation i thank its butter to start with ” Hello, where are you from?”"
^_^
Hi nouf! That is a good answer. What would you say next?
thanks Nouf. i accept it.
The answer is where are you from?
Good job Kanu!
Hi dear John,
my start conversation text is as below.
hello, my name is Zahra. I am iranian girl and would like to have some kind freinds to learning english business language. i`ll be so happy if you teach me.
Hi Zahra
A very good introduction of yourself! I don’t think asking new friends to teach you is a good idea. Some people will feel you don’t want to truly be their friend – just you want to use their ability with English!
I am from Egypt living in Saudi Arabia, please teach me English, and I will teach you Arabic.
Thanks
Hi Deebatef
Great to meet you! There may be someoneon our forum who wants to do a language exchange with you.
You should put up a notice there!
John
I am Saleh from Egypt , i”m a journalist , so i need to improve my English and can help anyone to learn Arabic . It will be better if u are a native …this is my Skype : Ema303….thanx my new friend
Hi Saleh
I hope you can find what you are after! Another great place to find and meet people is on the forum:
http://www.askjohnenglish.com/learn/course/view.php?id=5
HELLO, ME ZAINUB FROM PAKISTAN FROM WHERE YOU ARE?
Hi Zainub
Great to meet you! I am in Sydney, Australia.
Some feedback on your sentence: HELLO,
MEI’m ZAINUB FROM PAKISTAN.FROMWHERE are YOU fromARE?John
Hi my name is wemerson. i’m from brazil but now i’m living in the USA , so i’ve been taking english classes for about a year, i really want to improve my english , especially in grammar, and one other thing that i think is very important is american idioms.
Hi Wemerson
Great to meet you! I think the vocabulary part of this site will help you then!
Welcome!
John
Hi John, my name is Demi and i am from Greece. Well, i could start the conversation by talking about my hobbies, my job etc.Also, the different nationality could be a subject for starting to discuss with somebody and learn a lot about the customs, the traditions, the culture of his/her country.
Awesome Demi! Those are great ways to start a conversation. What are your hobbies?
I like very much painting, knitting clothes (i know that you will laugh,because knitting is an activity for old people) and making jewelry…i have always been fond of creative activities.The only problem i have is that i don’t have so much free time.What are your leisure time activities?
Hi Demi
Those are actually very useful skills! You can save a lot of money and also have fun with such creative hobbies!
I like to be outdoors, but I also spend a lot of time on the computer
Hi, How are you? Where are you going? What time the next bus is coming?
Great answer Vijaya! Note the correct position of ‘is’:
What time is the next bus coming?
I think option ‘B’ is better