English Social & Making-Friends Phrases

Level: B1. Making friends in English is not about clever sentences — it is about four small moves repeated in order: break the ice, keep the chat going, suggest a plan, and swap contacts. Each move has two or three set phrases. Learn them once and a party, a class or a new office stops feeling scary.

By the end of this page you can…

…introduce yourself to a stranger, keep a conversation alive with follow-up questions, invite someone to do something without sounding pushy, and ask for their contact details before you say goodbye.

Breaking the ice

Start with a warm opener and your name. Adding the other person’s name back (Nice to meet you, Maria) makes you instantly more likeable.

Keeping the conversation going

A chat dies when you only answer and never ask. After you reply, bounce the question back or dig a little deeper.

Making plans and inviting

Turn a nice chat into a plan with We should… or a question with Do you want to / Do you fancy…. Keep it low-pressure with sometime.

Swapping contacts and saying goodbye

Before you leave, ask for a way to stay in touch, then end on a friendly note.

A short conversation

You: Hi, I don’t think we’ve met — I’m Sam. Maria: Hi Sam, I’m Maria. Nice to meet you. You: How do you know everyone here? Maria: I work with Leo. What about you? You: I’m Leo’s neighbour. Hey, we should grab a coffee sometime — are you on WhatsApp? Maria: Sure! Let’s keep in touch.

Example sentences

Press play and copy the rhythm. Say each line out loud as if you had just met someone new.

Quick recap before you practise.

Common mistakes

These are the errors learners make most often. Fix them and your social English sounds friendly and natural.

• ❌ I invite you to a coffee. → ✅ Do you want to grab a coffee? — I invite you sounds formal or like you are paying.
• ❌ How come did you move here? → ✅ How come you moved here? — after how come use normal word order, no did.
• ❌ Give me your number. → ✅ Can I get your number? — a question is polite; the order sounds like a demand.
• ❌ Nice to meet you (to a friend you see every day) → ✅ Good to see you. — Nice to meet you is only for the first time.
• ❌ What do you do in life? → ✅ What do you do? — the short version already means “what is your job?”.

Usage notes

• fancy (BrE) = want / feel like (AmE): Do you fancy a coffee? is common in Britain; Do you want a coffee? works everywhere.
• Nice to meet you is for a first meeting; after that, use Good to see you or Great to see you again.
• sometime (one word) keeps an invitation soft and open; some time (two words) means a period of time — I need some time.
• Let’s keep in touch and Let’s connect are gentle closers; they promise contact without fixing a date.
• For the grammar behind polite questions like Can I…? and Would you…?, see the modal verbs and question lessons linked at the bottom.

Practice

Quiz

Recap cheat-sheet

Next

• Deep-dive lessons: English: Greetings & Introductions · English: Introducing Yourself · English: Small Talk & Networking · English: Making Plans & Invitations
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