Pequeñas conversaciones

“Small talk”

“Charla trivial”

“We engaged in some small talk before discussing more serious matters.”

“Take the conversation further”

“Llevar la conversación a un nivel más profundo”

“Let’s take the conversation further and explore this topic in more detail.”

“Get a drink for”

“Traer una bebida para”

“Can I get you a drink?” “Sure, I’ll have a glass of water.”

“Where are you from?”

“¿De dónde eres?”

“Where are you from?” “I’m from New York.”

“Have you come far?”

“¿Has venido de lejos?”

“Have you come far?” “No, I just live a few blocks away.”

“What do you do for a living?”

“¿A qué te dedicas?”

“What do you do for a living?” “I work as a teacher.”

“What does that involve?”

“¿En qué consiste eso?”

“What does your job involve?” “I’m responsible for managing client accounts.”

“How long have you been doing that?”

“¿Cuánto tiempo llevas haciendo eso?”

“How long have you been working as a chef?” “I’ve been a chef for five years.”

“And do you enjoy it?”

“¿Y te gusta?”

“And do you enjoy it?” “Yes, I love my job.”

“Run out of things to say”

“Quedarse sin temas de conversación”

“If you run out of things to say, you can always change the topic.”

“Break the ice”

“Romper el hielo”

“I told a joke to break the ice at the meeting.”

“Keep the conversation flowing”

“Mantener la conversación fluida”

“She knows how to keep the conversation flowing smoothly.”

“Talk someone’s ear off”

“Hablar sin parar a alguien”

“He can talk your ear off about his travels.”

“Beat around the bush”

“Andarse con rodeos”

“Stop beating around the bush and get to the point.”

“Get on like a house on fire”

“Llevarse como el perro y el gato”

“They got on like a house on fire from the moment they met.”

“Spill the beans”

“Cantar las verdades”

“She spilled the beans about the surprise party.”

“Talk shop”

“Hablar de trabajo”

“We tend to talk shop during our lunch breaks.”

“Talk over someone’s head”

“Hablar por encima de alguien”

“The technical jargon used in the meeting went over my head.”

“Two can play at that game”

“Tú también puedes hacerlo”

“If they want to play dirty, then two can play at that game.”

“Get a word in edgewise”

“Conseguir meter una palabra”

“I couldn’t get a word in edgewise during their argument.”

“Speak of the devil”

“Hablando del rey de Roma”

“Speak of the devil, there’s Sarah!”

“Have a heart-to-heart”

“Tener una conversación sincera”

“We need to have a heart-to-heart about our relationship.”

“Talk someone’s head off”

“Hablar la cabeza a alguien”

“She can talk your head off if you let her.”

“Hold your tongue”

“Guarda silencio”

“Sometimes it’s best to hold your tongue and listen.”

“Let the cat out of the bag”

“Soltar la liebre”

“He accidentally let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party.”