How to Make Small Talk About the Weather in English
Think of a thermometer as a staircase. Crisp. Chilly. Nippy. Freezing. Every step down is a new word, and each word tells people something different.
Weather talk looks too small to matter, but it is one of the easiest ways to start a conversation. Everybody can see the weather, and everybody has an opinion. When a colleague at the lift says “Miserable out there, isn’t it?”, they are not asking for a weather report. In Emily’s words, it means: hello, we are in this together. If you only say “Yes”, you answer the question. If you say “Tell me about it,” you answer the person.
This lesson walks you through the chat step by step: an opening line, the right word, a reply, one more detail, how the weather affects you, and a few October phrases, with dialogues, mistakes, and practice with answers.
It is not really about the weather
When someone says Miserable out there, isn’t it?, they do not want a weather report. They want to say hello. If you say, “Yes,” you answer the question. If you say, “Tell me about it,” you answer the person.
| What you hear | What it often means |
|---|---|
| Miserable out there, isn’t it? | Hello. We are in this together. (Emily’s words in the podcast) |
| It’s nippy today, isn’t it? | A friendly thing to say to a neighbour. (Emily again) |
Editorial note (not from the podcast): the short question isn’t it? at the end invites the other person to agree. It makes the line easy to answer.
Open with one short line
Choose a line that matches the weather. Keep it short.
| Weather | A short line |
|---|---|
| rain, wind, grey sky | Miserable out there, isn’t it? |
| cold, with a bite | It’s nippy today, isn’t it? |
| a bit cold | It’s a bit chilly this morning. |
| cold, clear, and pleasant | Beautiful, crisp morning, isn’t it? |
| very cold | It’s freezing today! |
Editorial note (not from the podcast): the same pattern works for nice weather too. Lovely day, isn’t it? is a friendly hello in the same way.
Choose the right word
Four words for cold
Think of a thermometer as a staircase. Every step down is a new word.
| Word | It describes | Example |
|---|---|---|
| crisp | cold, dry, and clean. It feels fresh, and you enjoy it. | The air was crisp, and I could see my breath. |
| chilly | a bit cold, but you can live with it | It’s chilly outside. Take a jacket. |
| nippy | informal. A cold that bites a little. | It’s nippy today, isn’t it? |
| freezing | very cold. Your hands hurt. | I’m freezing. I can’t feel my fingers. |
Editorial note (not from the podcast): choose the step that matches the weather, not your mood. If you say freezing every day, people stop believing you. Use chilly for a mild cold and keep freezing for the days that really hurt.
Words for rain and wet, cold days
| Word | It describes | Example |
|---|---|---|
| miserable | really unpleasant, or really unhappy. Much stronger than bad or sad. | The weather was miserable. I was miserable all weekend. |
| pouring | very heavy rain | It’s pouring. You can’t see far. |
| take shelter | go to a place that keeps the rain off you | Let’s take shelter in that café. |
| soaked | wet all the way to your skin | I’m soaked. |
| numb | no feeling, because it is so cold | My fingers are numb. |
Pouring describes the rain. Soaked describes you, after the rain. So you say, It’s pouring. I’m soaked. You do not say, “The rain is soaked.”
Reply, do not only say yes
The question is easy. The reply is where learners get stuck. Use one of these three replies.
| Reply | Use it to | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Awful, isn’t it? | say it back with the same feeling | A: Miserable out there, isn’t it? B: Awful, isn’t it? |
| Tell me about it. | say you agree completely | A: It’s freezing. B: Tell me about it. |
| I know, I got soaked. | agree and add your own detail | A: It’s pouring! B: I know, my shoes are wet. |
Tell me about it does not mean please tell me. It means I agree completely. It sounds like “Yes, I know this pain too.”
Editorial note (not from the podcast): you can keep the chat going with one small question after your reply: Tell me about it. Did you walk in?
Add one more detail
A short reply is good. One more detail makes it friendly. Say the weather, then add one thing.
| Short | With one more detail |
|---|---|
| It’s pouring. | It’s pouring, and I left my umbrella at home. |
| It’s chilly. | It’s chilly, so I’m wearing a scarf today. |
| It’s nippy. | It’s nippy, but it’s sunny, so I’m happy. |
If you want to make longer sentences step by step, read How to Build Simple English Sentences and Add Details.
Three weather chats
In the lift on Monday
Anna: Miserable out there, isn’t it?
You: Tell me about it. My umbrella broke at the station.
Anna: Oh no. Did you buy a new one?
You: Not yet. I’m waiting for the rain to stop.
A neighbour on a cold morning
Mr. Lee: It’s nippy today, isn’t it?
You: It is! I’m wearing three layers.
Mr. Lee: Very sensible. It was warm yesterday.
You: I know. I prefer this weather to the heat, to be honest.
A friend asks about the weekend
Sofia: Are you coming to the market on Saturday?
You: I’m not sure. It’s pouring at the moment, and I’m a bit run down.
Sofia: Then stay home!
You: I think I will. I’m going to hibernate with a blanket and some tea.
When the weather gets to you
Weather talk often goes from the sky to you. These words help.
| Phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| cosy | warm, soft, and comfortable | A cosy café, a cosy evening, a cosy jumper. |
| run down | very tired, with low energy, but not ill yet | I’m a bit run down this week. |
| come down with something | start to get ill, for example with a cold | I think I’m coming down with a cold. |
| feel a bit down | a little sad, with no big reason | I’ve been feeling a bit down lately. |
| hibernate | stay at home a lot, with blankets, films, and no plans | I’m going to hibernate this weekend. |
The order is: first you are run down. Then, if you do not rest, you come down with something. Feeling a bit down is different: it is a little sad, not tired and not ill.
Hibernate is also a gentle way to say no to an invitation: Sorry, I’m in hibernation mode this weekend.
Editorial note (not from the podcast): a bit down is for small, light feelings. If you feel very sad for a long time, talk to a doctor or someone you trust.
Prefer, layer up, put up with
Prefer one thing to another
After prefer, the small word is to.
| Mistake | Better |
|---|---|
| I prefer summer than winter. | I prefer summer to winter. |
More examples from the podcast: I prefer long summer evenings to dark October ones. I prefer tea to coffee. I prefer my bed to a tent.
Layer up
Layer up means you wear a T-shirt, a jumper, and a light jacket. Then you add or take off pieces during the day. It is useful when the weather changes: It’s chilly in the morning, so I layer up.
Put up with
Put up with means you accept something annoying, because you can’t change it. I put up with early darkness. I put up with Monday mornings. Editorial example (not from the podcast): I put up with the cold, because the sunny afternoons are worth it. Do not mix it up with put someone up, which means give someone a place to sleep: I can put you up this weekend.
Questions you will hear on a cold week
| Question | A short answer with one detail |
|---|---|
| How was your walk in? | Chilly, but the air was crisp. I enjoyed it. |
| Did you get wet? | Yes, I’m soaked. I forgot my umbrella. |
| Do you like this weather? | Not really. I prefer spring to autumn. |
| What are you doing this weekend? | Nothing special. I’m going to stay in and be cosy. |
| Are you OK? You look tired. | I’m a bit run down this week. |
Four slips, repaired
| Mistake | Better | Why |
|---|---|---|
| I prefer tea than coffee. | I prefer tea to coffee. | After prefer, use to. |
| Tell me about it. (the speaker thinks it means please tell me) | Use it to say I agree completely. | It is a reply, not a request. |
| The rain is soaked. | The rain is pouring. I’m soaked. | Pouring is for the rain. Soaked is for you. |
| I’m freezing. (on a mild day) | It’s a bit chilly. | Choose the word that matches the weather. |
Four ways small talk dies
- Do not answer with only Yes. Add Tell me about it, or one detail.
- Do not use freezing for a mild day.
- Do not make a long complaint. One line and one detail is enough.
- Do not forget the small word to after prefer.
Practice: choose, reply, speak
Pick the word
Choose the best word: crisp, chilly, nippy, freezing.
- The air is cold, dry, and fresh, and you enjoy it.
- It is a bit cold. A jacket is enough.
- You stand at a bus stop, and your hands hurt.
- A cold wind bites a little, and you say hello to your neighbour.
Write three replies
Someone says: Miserable out there, isn’t it? Write three replies:
- Say it back with the same feeling.
- Agree completely.
- Agree and add one detail.
Answer with one detail
Read each question. Wait three seconds. Then answer out loud with one detail.
- How was your walk in?
- Do you like this weather?
- What are you doing this weekend?
Check yourself
These are examples. Your answers can be different.
Exercise 1
- crisp
- chilly
- freezing
- nippy
Exercise 2
- Awful, isn’t it?
- Tell me about it.
- I know, I got caught in it this morning.
Exercise 3
- It was chilly, but I liked it. The air was crisp.
- Not really. I prefer autumn to winter.
- I’m going to stay in. I’m a bit run down, so I want a cosy weekend.
Questions about weather talk
What if I don’t understand what the person said?
Ask for only the part you missed. Read How to Ask Someone to Say It Again in English.
Is it OK to complain about the weather?
A short, friendly complaint is common in small talk, and in the podcast Emily says it works like a hello. Keep it light, add a detail, and do not complain for a long time.
What if the weather is lovely?
The pattern is the same. Lovely day, isn’t it? It really is. I’m going to sit outside at lunch. (Editorial note: this is not from the podcast.)
Do I need big words?
No. Short words are enough: chilly, pouring, soaked, cosy. Choose the one that matches the weather.
The weather card
- Open with one short line: Miserable out there, isn’t it?
- Choose the word: crisp, chilly, nippy, freezing.
- Rain: pouring is the rain, soaked is you.
- Reply with Tell me about it, or agree and add one detail.
- Say how the weather affects you: cosy, run down, a bit down, hibernate.
- Say I prefer X to Y, and use put up with for things you accept.
Hear it in a real conversation
Want to hear these ideas in a natural conversation? Listen to the podcast episode and use the notes, useful phrases, and practice in How to Talk About October in Natural English.