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.

Related Posts with Thumbnails
Tagged with:  

117 Responses to Making Friends in English

  1. Marcos says:

    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

  2. Anastasia says:

    Hello, may I guess where you are from? :-)

  3. John says:

    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!

  4. abdulazim says:

    Hello, where are you from?

  5. Andras says:

    How do you do?
    It is a really nice day, isn\’t it?

  6. John says:

    An excellent way to start a conversation Andras! Good job!

  7. Johnny says:

    How are you?
    How you going?
    How you doing?

  8. divyaritu says:

    we start our conversation ask them
    “how was the today?”

  9. John says:

    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?”

  10. orawan says:

    b. Hello, where are you from ?

  11. soni says:

    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.

    • John says:

      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?’

  12. majid says:

    soni,the first plaese accept our apology for this delay.
    my name is Majid.Im from Iran.im working in commercial compay.

  13. Lorran says:

    Well, I think the second option is the better way to start a conversation than the first one, besides it\’s more often.

  14. soumi says:

    the best way to start is:
    hello,how are you

  15. dhanyapradeep says:

    Hi, How are you? are you from india? i guess B is the better way to start a conversation.

  16. Edlyn says:

    hello everyone

  17. Edlyn says:

    i don’t know how to start. I’m new into this site,though eager to learn more about english.

  18. John says:

    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

  19. Taghreed says:

    Hi john
    I think B is better.
    What about this
    hi, it’s nice weather, is it?

  20. John says:

    Hi Taghreed
    Yes that is also a good thing to say!
    What would you say if it were raining?

    John

  21. walaa samir says:

    hi where are you from ?

  22. Baber says:

    Hello! Where are you from? is a right way to start a conversation
    because i think this expresion is staight and to the point.

  23. mai says:

    Hi. John
    I think choice”B” is better.

  24. dollie says:

    hi john n everyone

    well B is right

  25. sam says:

    HI,JOHN

    ANSWER (B) IS RIGHT
    BUT FIRST YOU NEED TO ASK,
    HELLO HOW ARE YOU?

  26. Aura says:

    I guess the best way to start a conversation is: Hello, where are you from?

    • John says:

      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!

  27. senthuran says:

    Nice meet to you!I’m from Jaffna May i know your name and place?

  28. Juliano says:

    Hi John! What about:
    “Hello! Are you enjoying the party? The drinks are great, aren’t they?”

  29. Maggie says:

    Hi How are you , Can i ask where are you from?

  30. John says:

    Good question Maggie!

  31. Huyen Bui says:

    where are you from?

  32. Niga says:

    Hello. Where are you from?

  33. komoetein says:

    hello..you look likes so familiar! have we met before?

  34. Niga says:

    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.

    • John says:

      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!

  35. ml fernando says:

    hi i’m ml fernando from sri lanka and what about you

  36. vijesh. nk says:

    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

  37. John says:

    Great work ml!

    And very nice to meet you!

  38. Amy says:

    Hello, where are you from?

  39. Gaby says:

    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.

    • John says:

      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!

  40. ahsan says:

    helow how are you… i think i saw you at my college .. where yew frm nd in which class do yew read… ?

  41. Anna says:

    hello Mr. John. Realy its great job. thanks for help.

  42. Tamara says:

    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!

    • John says:

      Great sentence Tamara!

      Do you like Martinis? Very cool – like James Bond!!

      • Tamara says:

        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?

        • John says:

          I like nature. These days I am thinking of learning photography and then taking photos of animals! How about you?

          • Tamara says:

            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?

          • John says:

            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 :)

          • Tamara says:

            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?

          • John says:

            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?

          • Tamara says:

            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?

          • John says:

            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! :)

          • Tamara says:

            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!

          • John says:

            Sydney is also famous for such a parade. Have you been to the one in Toronto?

  43. Anna says:

    Hi . My name is Ann and what about you? thanks for help John.

  44. Annie says:

    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!

    • John says:

      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!

  45. madz says:

    The best way to start a conversation is to say Hello and then ask Where are you from?

  46. madz says:

    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.

  47. Nouf says:

    to start the conversation i thank its butter to start with ” Hello, where are you from?”"
    ^_^

  48. Anna says:

    thanks Nouf. i accept it.

  49. kanu says:

    The answer is where are you from?

  50. zahra says:

    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.

    • John says:

      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!

  51. deebatef says:

    I am from Egypt living in Saudi Arabia, please teach me English, and I will teach you Arabic.
    Thanks

    • John says:

      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

  52. saleh says:

    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 :)

  53. zainub masood says:

    HELLO, ME ZAINUB FROM PAKISTAN FROM WHERE YOU ARE?

    • John says:

      Hi Zainub

      Great to meet you! I am in Sydney, Australia.

      Some feedback on your sentence: HELLO, ME I’m ZAINUB FROM PAKISTAN. FROM WHERE are YOU from ARE?

      John

  54. wemerson says:

    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.

  55. Demi says:

    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.

    • John says:

      Awesome Demi! Those are great ways to start a conversation. What are your hobbies?

      • Demi says:

        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?

        • John says:

          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 :)

  56. Vijaya says:

    Hi, How are you? Where are you going? What time the next bus is coming?

  57. THERESA S. MHIZHA says:

    I think option ‘B’ is better

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>