<p>Here are a few ice-breaker sentences:</p>

<p>最近怎么样？（Literally "recently how"? = How've you been recently?）</p>

<p>最近好吗？（Literally recently good?）</p>

<p>最近忙什么？(Literally recently busy what? = What have you been busy for?)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-28T15:07:13.413Z
2014-05-28T15:07:13.413Z
ChineseHulu.com
<p>The weather is a good topic for people living in a city.</p>

<p>For example:</p>

<p>今儿天不错啊。</p>

<p>今天热死了。</p>

<p>看起来一会儿要下雨是吧？</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-29T20:10:19.337Z
Don't believe this is an answer. Clarify to prove me wrong.
user76935
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-30T06:43:40.723Z
It is useful somehow like you can say "今儿天不错啊"、“今天热死了”，“看起来一会儿要下雨是吧？”
Michael Yin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-09-05T17:53:53.427Z
I added your examples to the answer, @MichaelYin. Thanks for the suggestion.
Don Kirkby
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-29T09:19:20.967Z
2016-09-05T17:52:41.027Z
2016-09-05T17:52:41.027Z
user4659
<p>你怎么样？ - How are you?</p>

<p>(for a person you just met) - 你是哪里人？ - What province are you from?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-14T14:47:11.717Z
2014-08-14T14:47:11.717Z
theK_S
<p>When you see someone you know but they seem busy:</p>

<p>去哪儿？</p>

<p>Everyone else:</p>

<p>吃饭了没？</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-29T09:45:06.063Z
Note that "吃饭了没?" is no longer a common ice-breaker in most cities (especially in south China)
dumbfingers
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-29T09:54:49.200Z
rly? The guards at our apartment complex ask us this everyday! (Yuh we live in the south)
Mou某
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-29T00:54:26.343Z
2014-05-29T00:54:26.343Z
Mou某
<p>If you here mean "ice-breaker" is "
Something that can break the ice while talking in a senario or environment that makes people very stupid or embarrassed. You can say:</p>

<p>1) 没和我开玩笑吧？(Are you kidding？！)：Used when you feel ver surprised at something or something very awful that you don't expect to happen.</p>

<p>2) Invite someone to have a dinner with you (Even if you are not good with someone but you wanna have a talk with him, that's what Chinese people are glad to do).</p>

<p>However, <strong>if you wanna know something to be used when you wanna start a topic with a man not familiar to you</strong>, here are some tips:</p>

<p>1) 可以借个火吗？(If you see the man is smoking, you can say this to have a talk with him for the following things).
2) 你好，饭吃了吗？(You don't need to invite him/her to have a dinner but just a greeting sentence for your following talk).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-18T06:58:10.303Z
2014-08-18T06:58:10.303Z
xqMogvKW
<p>There are sentences in English like "What's up?" "What's going on?" "how have you been?" to begin a conversation with or to greet people (friends or relatives)</p>

<p>So what are the common ice-breaker sentences in Chinese?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-05-29T20:16:58.487Z
Most basic greetings can easily be found online, though. http://www.linguanaut.com/english_chinese.htm
user76935
<usage><expressions>
What are the common ice-breaker sentences in Chinese?
# What are the common ice-breaker sentences in Chinese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-05-28)

There are sentences in English like "What's up?" "What's going on?" "how have you been?" to begin a conversation with or to greet people (friends or relatives)

So what are the common ice-breaker sentences in Chinese?

**Tags:** usage, expressions

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Most basic greetings can easily be found online, though. http://www.linguanaut.com/english_chinese.htm  

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## 5 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2014-05-28. Score: 7

Here are a few ice-breaker sentences:

最近怎么样？（Literally "recently how"? = How've you been recently?）

最近好吗？（Literally recently good?）

最近忙什么？(Literally recently busy what? = What have you been busy for?)


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### Answer by username_2 on 2014-05-29. Score: 5

The weather is a good topic for people living in a city.

For example:

今儿天不错啊。

今天热死了。

看起来一会儿要下雨是吧？

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Don't believe this is an answer. Clarify to prove me wrong.  
> **username_3**: It is useful somehow like you can say "今儿天不错啊"、“今天热死了”，“看起来一会儿要下雨是吧？”  
> **username_4**: I added your examples to the answer, @MichaelYin. Thanks for the suggestion.  

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### Answer by username_5 on 2014-08-14. Score: 3

你怎么样？ - How are you?

(for a person you just met) - 你是哪里人？ - What province are you from?


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### Answer by username_6 on 2014-05-29. Score: 3

When you see someone you know but they seem busy:

去哪儿？

Everyone else:

吃饭了没？

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: Note that "吃饭了没?" is no longer a common ice-breaker in most cities (especially in south China)  
> **username_6**: rly? The guards at our apartment complex ask us this everyday! (Yuh we live in the south)  

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### Answer by username_8 on 2014-08-18. Score: 0

If you here mean "ice-breaker" is "
Something that can break the ice while talking in a senario or environment that makes people very stupid or embarrassed. You can say:

1) 没和我开玩笑吧？(Are you kidding？！)：Used when you feel ver surprised at something or something very awful that you don't expect to happen.

2) Invite someone to have a dinner with you (Even if you are not good with someone but you wanna have a talk with him, that's what Chinese people are glad to do).

However, **if you wanna know something to be used when you wanna start a topic with a man not familiar to you**, here are some tips:

1) 可以借个火吗？(If you see the man is smoking, you can say this to have a talk with him for the following things).
2) 你好，饭吃了吗？(You don't need to invite him/her to have a dinner but just a greeting sentence for your following talk).


---

