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Business English vocabulary · Office Idioms and Phrases

Small talk

Meaning in business english, with examples

nounCore term

In business english, small talk means: Light informal conversation about ordinary topics, often used to be polite or make social situations more comfortable.

In Turkish: havadan sudan konuşma

How it is used

Common before meetings, in elevators, at networking events, or with new colleagues. Typical topics include weather, travel, weekends, or the office.

Example sentences

  1. Before the client joined the call, we made small talk about the conference venue and the unusually warm weather.

    Here, the term means brief friendly conversation that fills time and creates an easier social atmosphere.

  2. He is excellent at small talk, which helps him build rapport quickly at trade fairs and partner lunches.

    In this example, the phrase points to a social skill that makes first interactions smoother and more relaxed.

Common collocations

  • make small talk
  • awkward small talk
  • good at small talk
  • touch baseTo contact someone briefly to check how things are going or to share a quick update, usually by phone, chat or a short meeting.
  • heads-upAdvance warning or information about something that is going to happen, so the other person can prepare for it.

More terms: Office Idioms and Phrases

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