90+ Ideas On What To Say When You Don’t Know What To Say

“What to say when you don’t know what to say?” We all know that most of the time we will get into situations where we are stuck and do not know what to say.

But don’t worry if you feel that you are in that situation, then you don’t need to worry about it.

Because here we are giving you my 90+ ideas that will help you to come out of that situation in a good way.

Here are the best tips that you need to keep in your mind when you are not able to say anything or when you are in a situation where you don’t know what to say.

What To Say When You Don’t Know What To Say? [In Any Situation]

The first thing that will come into our mind when we will think about talking to a new person is, “what should I say?”.

You will find the answers to your questions on the Internet but you should also find the answer in real life.

Talking is a part of human nature, and talking is the only way to express yourself and the feelings that you have.

But the question is, “What should I say when I don’t know what to say?”.

You can use these phrases whenever you feel that you have no idea about what to say:

• “I really enjoy this conversation. I haven’t talked to anyone for such a long time.”
• “This is a nice place, isn’t it?”
• “How do you like the place?”
• “Hi. It’s been a long time since I last talked to someone. How are you doing?”
• “It’s so quiet here, isn’t it?”
• “How do you feel when you talk to me?”
• “Do you know what this means?”
• “Can you understand my point of view?”

When Texting

Many a time you get stuck when you need to text a person. You have nothing to say at the beginning of your text.

If you are a beginner, it is okay because you still can start with small words.

Let’s try these phrases:

• “It’s been a while. How have you been?”
• “I was wondering why you didn’t text me back!”
• “Let’s meet soon, it will be fun to get to know each other better.”
• “Why did you change your Facebook picture?”
• “How are you? How has the work been?”
• “I don’t understand. Could you please let me know what’s happening?”
• “What’s new?”

In a Meeting

When you are in a meeting and feel like you don’t know what to talk about, remember that every topic has its own benefits.

As a matter of fact, if you find the same things to talk about in a meeting, then it will mean that you don’t know what to talk about.

When you are in a meeting and you hear that you are not saying anything, you can say these phrases:

• “I have nothing to add. Let’s move on to the next topic.”
• “Let’s discuss this more on our lunch break.”
• “I don’t think it’s time for us to talk about this yet.”
• “I don’t know where to start. Is there anyone in the room who can suggest anything?”
• “Do you think we should continue with the idea or drop it?”
• “I don’t know where to begin, I am not sure if I should ask questions first or start talking about myself”.
• “Could you give me some input on that?”
• “Is there anything else you want to talk about?”

In an Interview

An interview will not work out if you stay silent. You need to participate in the interview even if you are not comfortable.

This will increase your confidence. You should talk only about topics that you know.

If you don’t have much to say, you can say these phrases:

• “I am sorry but I did not catch that. Could you repeat it again, please?”
• “I didn’t understand the question. Please rephrase it.”
• “I am sorry, I was not paying attention. Please elaborate on that.”
• “I am very interested in the job you mentioned. What is the next step?”
• “I would love to work with you because you have such interesting ideas. Please let me know how I can be part of this process.”
• “I would like to discuss a few topics with you. Let me know if this is okay with you.”
• “Can you tell me more about that?
• “I am sorry, I don’t know the answer to this question”.
• “I would like to have more time to think about this.

When Someone Dies

We almost lost words when we hear that someone has died.

In reality, we use a set of special words and phrases when we encounter someone who has died.

They help us keep our emotions under control and make us sound professional.

Here are some expressions that can be used:

• “I am sorry to hear about your loss”
• “I hope your family finds peace”
• “It’s a shame he/she had to die so young.”
• “How are you holding up?”
• “How do you feel about the loss?”
• “I’m sorry for your loss.”
• “What can we do to help?”
• “I wish I could do something to bring her back to life.”
• “It’s not the end of the world”
• “We are here for you in case you need us”
• “I feel for you, I know it must be tough for you.”

For a Good News

It is obvious that when we get to know the good news, we will feel happy and excited.

But sometimes we are not mood for celebrations and we stay silent.

In this case, we have to come out with an appropriate expression.

Some examples are:

• “I can’t believe you have done that!”
• “What an achievement!”
• “This is fantastic news”
• “This is the best news I’ve heard in a long time.”
• “Thank you for the wonderful news.”
• “What a wonderful surprise!”
• “I am happy for you!”
• “I am looking forward to this!”
• “I was worried about you. I am glad that you are all right.”

For a Bad News

It is important to figure out an appropriate response to bad news.

When we receive bad news we will feel very sad and depressed. It is also important to understand the emotional state of the other person.

For example, if you get to know that someone close to you has got injured, you will probably feel very sad and distressed.

So, you have to be careful in conveying your feelings.

Some examples are:

• “I’m sorry to hear about the news.”
• “Let me know if there is anything I can do for you.”
• “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”
• “Be brave, I am sure everything will be all right.”
• “I am not at all happy about it.”
• “I think you have made a big mistake.”
• “There is nothing I can tell you at the moment.”

What To Say When You Really Don’t Know What To Say

To a Stranger

We get tongue-tied all the time whenever we are communicating with strangers.

We may not know exactly what to say. This can happen to us because the stranger may not be familiar to us.

Therefore, it becomes very difficult to communicate with him or her.

Some tips that can help us when we are talking to strangers are as follows:

• “Excuse me, please let me know what I should reply.”
• “Please excuse me, but can I ask you something?”
• “You look like you are very happy today.”
• “Hello, I am so glad to meet you.”
• “Do you live near here?”
• “May I know how can I help you?”
• “You seem like a very good man/woman.”

During an Awkward Silence

An awkward silence in a conversation usually occurs when one of the participants does not know what to say next.

Sometimes, such an event can occur even when two people are conversing with each other.

There are some tips that can be used to break an awkward silence.

These tips include:

• “I have to make a call, can I come back in a while?”
• “I think this weather is very beautiful.”
• “I think I need some fresh air.”
• “What did you study in college?”
• “What kind of work do you do?”
• “It’s been so long since we last met.”
• “This place is wonderful. Do you like it?”

When Someone Thanks You

You feel appreciated when someone thanks you for something.

Obviously, it will become awkward if you are silent and someone is thanking you.

So, to avoid this situation you must try and respond. 

Here are some tips to help you when someone thanks you and you have nothing to say:

• “You are welcome.”
• “Pleasure is all mine.”
• “Don’t mention it.”
• “No problem.”
• “Thank you for your kind words.”
• “No need to thank me.”
• “I have enjoyed it very much.”

When Somone Apologizes

Our heart gets melt when we hear someone apologizing. We don’t know the exact words to say at that time.

But it’s also important for you to not remain silent. We must show a positive response.

It makes us feel better and gives us the confidence to continue talking to the person.

Here are some things that you should say when someone apologizes:

• “Let’s just forget about it.”
• “I understand your point of view.”
• “I am sorry if I caused you any harm.”
• “I hope you are not offended.”
• “It’s OK, don’t worry about it.”
• “It’s okay, I understand.”
• “No need to apologize.”

In an Inappropriate Topic

No one likes to be talked about. It can make people feel uncomfortable.

It’s good to tell people when they are making you feel uneasy by talking about inappropriate topics.

But what if you don’t know what to say on an inappropriate topic? You should say something like:

• “Don’t talk about that!”
• “You shouldn’t talk about that.”
• “That is my personal business. Please don’t ask me about it.”
• “Please don’t talk about that to me.”
• “Let’s discuss something else.”
• “Stop asking me about that.”
• “Can we discuss this later?”
• “It’s not your business.”

To Exit a Conversation

When you are stuck in a conversation or if you are in a situation where you don’t want to say anything, try to exit the conversation.

Sometimes you don’t have to say anything at all.

Here are some other phrases you can use:

• “I’m sorry, but I think we’ve talked enough.”
• “It’s time for us to go.”
• “I think I should leave.”
• “I’m late for another appointment, so I have to go.”
• “I will call you tomorrow.”
• “Thank you for your time.”
• “Thank you, I’ll see you around.”

When Someone Is Sick

When a friend is sick and you just came to him/her.

Sometimes we don’t get the exact words to say to a sick person and don’t realize how sick others are feeling.

If you have someone who seems to be sick, you might find that saying:

• “How are you doing?”
• “Are you feeling better now?”
• “How are you feeling?”
• “Are you alright?”
• “Do you feel better?”
• “Are you getting well?”
• “Are you OK?”
• “What’s wrong?”
• “Is there anything I can do for you?”
• “I hope you are taking care of yourself better.”

What To Reply When You Don’t Know What To Say

Sometime falling into awkward situation can be so terrifying and when things comes in an unexpected manner, then this a tricky situation. In this section, I’ll be covering some of the similar situation which you might fall into and you don’t know what to reply and how to react.

Let’s cover some of these –

When Someone You Just Met

It’s not always easy to start a conversation with the person you just met.

It also becomes hard to utter a word when you don’t know the person very well.

We also don’t know if he or she is friendly or unfriendly.

In this case, it helps to say something like:

• “What brings you here?”
• “Are you new here?”
• “We haven’t met before, right?”
• “Do you work here?”
• “How long have you lived here?”
• “What do you do for a living?”
• “Nice to meet you. My name is….”
• “Please, let’s get to know each other.”
• “Welcome to my house. Please make yourself comfortable.”

When Your Mind Goes Blank

Every time your mind goes blank you feel like you have nothing to say.

You have to quickly come up with something to say.

Here are some ways to help you overcome this situation:

• “Excuse me, what did you say?”
• “Let me hear you again.”
• “Can you repeat what you said?”
• “I can’t remember what I was going to say.”
• “I can’t recall what I want to say.”
• “I can’t come up with an idea.”
• “I can’t think of anything.”
• “Let’s discuss this some other time.”

When You Have Nothing To Talk About

This is a common situation.

People usually have conversations in their workplace, school, or college where they have something to talk about.

If you do not know the topic or you are not interested in talking about something, say something like:

• “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
• “I don’t see a point in discussing this topic. What do you think?”
• “Do you have any plans for the weekend?”
• “Tell me what happened at work.”
• “Tell me what you have been up to lately.”

When You Don’t Understand Anything

It is often that when people talk, they are just speaking about things they do not understand.

It may be because you do not know the person well enough, or you are not interested in learning more about what the person is saying.

In such situations, you should try to ask questions. For example, you can say:

• “Can you explain this to me?”
• “What does this mean?”
• “Tell me more about this.”
• “I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.”
• “You mean?”
• “I can’t follow what you are saying.”

When You Can’t Figure Out What To Speak

In some situations, you cannot figure out what to speak about.

If you are not good at making conversation, and you feel uncomfortable while talking, you should simply say:

• “I’m not sure what to talk about.”
• “I’m not really interested in talking.”
• “I don’t know what I can say.”
• “I don’t have anything interesting to talk about.”
• “I don’t feel like talking right now.”
• “I’m having trouble thinking about what to talk about.”
• “I’m having a bad day.”

How Do I Overcome the “I don’t know what to say – Syndrome”?

There is no need to think too hard. It is often that when we are nervous, we do not come up with any ideas.

However, we can try to imagine that we are at a party or a social event, and we are listening to people talking about different topics.

Then, we can try to figure out what topic you could discuss with those people.

You might want to write down all your ideas. Then, it will become easier to choose what to say.

Here are some tips to help you overcome the “I don’t know what to say – syndrome”:

Say Something Funny

When you don’t know what to say, it is the best option to go for something funny.

It will give a good impression and make you look confident.

Don’t Be Afraid To Compliment Someone

When you compliment someone then it will make them feel good and it will also make you look more confident.

If you have been complimented then it will make you look even more confident.

Always Smile

Smiling is a way to communicate happiness and it makes others feel happy too.

If you are not able to smile then try to fake a smile, it will help you to get out of the situation in a good way.

Always Make Eye Contact

If you are in a situation where you don’t know what to say then you can easily make the conversation to be a better one by looking at the person’s eyes.

It will make the person feel comfortable and it will also make you look more confident.

Talk About Something You Both Share

If you don’t share anything with the person then he/she will think that you are not interesting to talk to.

So, it is better to talk about something that you both share.

Ask Questions

This is the most common thing to do.

You can ask questions to the person and see whether he or she likes to talk.

You can ask about the person’s family, hobbies, etc.

Make a Conversation

This is a good opportunity to learn about the person.

Try to talk to the person and see whether you can make a conversation.

If the person is silent, you can speak more and if the person is talking, you can listen to what he or she says.

FAQs

Conclusion

So, next time if you think about what to say in a situation where you think you have nothing to say, you’ll probably come up with something.

These phrases and tips I shared in the article will help you have a conversation easily.

So, try them out and share your thoughts with us in our comments section below.

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