Starting and ending a conversation | Conversation with Friends - Trò chuyện với bạn bè

1. Meeting someone by chance (Tình cờ gặp ai đó)
Use these phrases when you meet someone you know by chance:

• Hello / Hi! I haven’t seen you in ages!
• Hello / Hi! I was just thinking about you the other day.
• Hello / Hi! I thought I might see you here.
• Hello / Hi! What a nice surprise to see you here.
• *(humorous) Hello, stranger!
• *Long time, no see.

* These two phrases are said to a person that you have not seen for a long time.

2. Before saying goodbye (Trước khi nói tạm biệt)
a. Use these phrases when you have been speaking to someone but now need to leave them:

• (It was) nice / good to see you.
• I’m afraid I have to go now, but it’s been really nice seeing you.
• I’m sorry, I have to dash (= leave quickly).
• *Anyway, I can see that you’re busy.
• *Anyway, I’ll let you get on. / I’d better let you get on (= I will let you leave or do what you have to do).
• *Anyway, I won’t take up any more of your time.

* In order to seem polite, speakers often try to end a conversation by saying that the person they are talking to needs to go. Note that the word ‘anyway’ is often used at the start of this type of sentence.

b. Use these phrases when you have been talking to someone for a short time and you would like to see them  for longer next time:

• It would be nice to catch up sometime (= talk about things that we have done since we last saw each other).
• It would be nice to have a proper catch-up sometime.

-----------------------

Source: Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press, 2008