Japanese word

雑談

Pronunciation

Romajizatsudan

Meaning

  • nounsmall talk

Example

仕事の後で同僚と雑談しました。shi goto no ato de dō ryō to zatsu dan shi ma shi ta

I made small talk with my coworkers after work.

Illustration for 雑談 (small talk)

More examples

昼休みには、普段話さない人とも雑談を楽しみます。hiru yasu mi ni wa fu dan hana sa na i hito to mo zatsu dan o tano shi mi ma su

During lunch breaks, I enjoy making small talk with people I do not usually talk to.

Core concept

Describes conversation that moves freely among everyday topics in an informal setting.

Common phrases

  • 雑談をするzatsu dan o su ru

    make small talk

  • 雑談に花を咲かせるzatsu dan ni hana o sa ka se ru

    have an animated conversation

  • 雑談が弾むzatsu dan ga hazu mu

    keep the conversation flowing

  • 雑談を交わすzatsu dan o ka wa su

    chat casually

  • 雑談を切り上げるzatsu dan o ki ri a ge ru

    end the small talk

Similar words

世間話sekenhanashi: Informal talk about ordinary matters shared with acquaintances or others nearby.
おしゃべりoshaberi: Informal talk that emphasizes the act of chatting rather than a specific topic.

Definition in Japanese

人と人が親しく交わす、日常的で形式ばらない会話。hito to hito ga shita shi ku ka wa su nichi jō teki de kei shiki ba ra na i kai wa

Word origin

雑談 (zatsudan) consists of 雑 (zatsu, "miscellaneous") and 談 (dan, "talk"), so its form reflects talk made up of miscellaneous subjects.

Usage tips

  • English small talk often suggests polite conversation with an unfamiliar person, whereas 雑談 (zatsudan) also commonly describes relaxed talk among friends or coworkers.

Other meanings

  • chatnoun

Related words

  • 雑談力zatsudanryokusmall-talk skillsnoun
  • 雑談術zatsudanjutsusmall-talk techniquesnoun

Word lists with this word