Every now and then, you need a little small talk, right?
Sometimes, you just need an icebreaker. Like when you run into a neighbor in the elevator, need to break the silence with a business acquaintance, or find yourself surrounded by strangers at an awkward social gathering, wondering what on earth you’re supposed to say.
So, here’s a question.
🤔 QUIZWhich of the following is the best topic for small talk with a Korean person?
1The Weather 🌤️
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?”
“This winter has been brutal. Are we in Seoul or Siberia?”
“Finally, a little breeze. Life is bearable again.”
OK.
Weather is probably the one thing we all have in common at any given moment.
No background knowledge required. No relevance to your age or occupation.
It doesn’t matter where you stand politically or which questionable cult you happen to be obsessed with.
Best of all, it’s easy to turn a passing comment about the weather into an actual conversation.
For example:
“Gorgeous day today. Hope the weather stays this nice for my camping trip this weekend.”
“It’s gotten so cold all of a sudden. Take care and don’t catch a cold. Apparently, this bug is taking forever to go away.”
See? Easy. Natural. No pressure.
2Compliments 👢
“Love those boots!”
“Did you get new glasses? They look great on you.”
“Cute shirt! You always have such great style.”
Not bad.
Who doesn’t like a compliment?
Compared to the vanilla flavor of weather talk, a compliment feels a little more thoughtful. Like you actually made an effort instead of reaching for the most obvious conversation starter.
And complimenting someone’s taste can easily lead to a conversation about their interests and personal style.
But there’s a catch.
Some people might find it a little too personal.
And if their reaction makes you feel like they’re slowly backing away from you, you might find yourself thinking:
💭 Damn. Should’ve stuck with the weather.
3Weekend Plans 📅
“Got anything special planned for the weekend?”
“How was your weekend?”
Terrible! Absolutely terrible!
Why?
Because what someone does with their weekend is none of your business.
Maybe I ordered tteokbokki, spent the entire afternoon watching Ihon Sukryeo Camp (a Korean reality show about couples considering divorce), and laughed and cried my way through the whole thing.
And you know what?
You absolutely do not need to know that.
Whatever I did with my weekend is none of your business.
So, what’s the answer?
The one and only thing all 50 million Koreans can hear without feeling the need to put up their guard.
🍚“Bap meogeosseo?” — “Have you eaten?”
That’s right. Food.
In Korea, asking someone if they’ve eaten can mean more than just asking about their last meal. Depending on the situation, it can be a way of checking in, showing you care, or simply starting a conversation.
It’s not exactly the same as “How are you?” But sometimes, it’s just a casual way to show someone you care.
And yes, rice is involved.
So, someone asks:
“Bap meogeosseo?” — “Have you eaten?”
You can say:
“Eung.” — “Yeah.”
Or:
“Ani, ajik.” — “No, not yet.”
Then ask them back:
“Neoneun?” — “What about you?”
So, World...
It took me a few posts to finally say hello.
“Bap meogeosseo?”
Love,
아몬드 ♥