Making Friends as an Adult: English Vocabulary, Phrases and Dialogue

Key words and phrases

starting from scratchbeginning something completely new, without any existing foundationMaking friends here meant starting from scratch.

common groundshared interests or experiences between peopleThey found common ground in their love for running.

small talklight, casual conversation used to start a connectionTheir friendship began with small talk at the gym.

harder as an adulta phrase describing how forming new friendships becomes more difficult with ageEveryone says making friends gets harder as an adult.

take the initiativeto be the first person to act or make a suggestionHe decided to take the initiative and suggest coffee.

exchange numbersto give each other phone numbers for future contactThey exchanged numbers after their third gym session together.

hang outto spend casual, relaxed time togetherThey started hanging out beyond just gym hours.

vulnerableopen and honest about feelings, even if uncomfortableAdmitting he was lonely felt vulnerable to say out loud.

shared activitysomething done together that provides a reason to connect regularlyThe gym became their shared activity every evening.

put yourself out thereto make an effort to meet new people despite feeling shy or nervousHe forced himself to put himself out there more.

consistent effortregular, ongoing attempts made over timeFriendship as an adult needs consistent effort.

genuine connectiona real, meaningful bond rather than a superficial oneIt felt like a genuine connection from the start.

invite someone overto ask someone to visit one's homeHe finally invited his neighbour over for dinner.

circle of friendsthe group of people someone regularly socializes withSlowly, his circle of friends in the city grew.

feel less lonelyto experience a reduction in the feeling of being aloneHaving even one close friend made him feel less lonely.

Useful sentences

Ask Is it hard making new friends in a new city?
Answer Really hard, it feels like starting from scratch every time.
Ask How did you first meet your neighbour?
Answer Just small talk at the gym, honestly.
Ask What common ground did you two find?
Answer We're both into running and started training together.
Ask Who took the initiative to suggest hanging out?
Answer I did, after a few weeks of just gym small talk.
Ask Was it uncomfortable admitting you felt lonely?
Answer A bit vulnerable, honestly, but it helped.
Ask Do you think friendship needs consistent effort as an adult?
Answer Absolutely, it doesn't happen naturally like it did at school.
Ask Has your circle of friends grown since moving here?
Answer Slowly, but it's growing steadily.
Ask Do you feel less lonely now?
Answer Much less, even one genuine connection makes a difference.

Dialogue

NeighbourI see you at the gym almost every evening now.

RahulYeah, it's become my routine since I moved here. It's been hard making friends as an adult.

NeighbourI get that completely. Want to grab a coffee after this sometime?

RahulI'd like that. We seem to have found some common ground with running, at least.

NeighbourTrue. Should we exchange numbers, so we can plan runs together?

RahulSounds good. Honestly, it feels a bit vulnerable admitting I don't know many people here.

NeighbourNo shame in that. It's normal after moving to a new city.

RahulI appreciate you putting yourself out there and starting the conversation.

NeighbourHappy to. Let's make this a shared activity going forward.

RahulThis already feels like a genuine connection. My circle of friends here just grew by one.

Common mistakes

Saying "start from scratch" as "start with scratch."
Saying "find common" without "ground," better as "find common ground."
Saying "take initiative" without an article, better as "take the initiative."
Saying "exchange number" instead of "exchange numbers."
Saying "put yourself out" without "there," better as "put yourself out there."
Saying "feel less lonely now" as "feel lonely less now" — keep natural word order.

Quick quiz

1. What does "starting from scratch" mean?

2. What is "common ground"?

3. What does "take the initiative" mean?

4. What does "put yourself out there" mean?

5. What does "genuine connection" mean?

6. What is a "shared activity"?

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