You must be wondering why people say it was nice talking to you after ending a conversation. Do they really mean it? Is there any reality to this statement or are they just being polite? May be, maybe not. Let’s find out!
You may be one of those who end the conversation with a polite smile while waving bye, turns out not everyone is the same. Turns out, you can do more than that to say bye-bye to your conversation partner.
The following article will help you clear up the confusion and help you prepare a response when someone says this to you. We will also walk through the different alternatives to this phrase.
Why Do People Say It Was Nice Talking To You?
Politeness is one of the best ways to thrive in the world – be it the social or the corporate world. One of the rare traits in people nowadays, people have increasingly become impolite under the impression that it’s cool.
It was nice talking to you is one of the polite ways to end a conversation and part ways. It can also be one of those phrases that one says when they have to end a conversation. If you have never used the term while ending a conversation, it may seem strange, however, it isn’t.
The phrase is quite popular in use with many people routinely using it in day-to-day conversations. But contrary to popular belief, people mean it when they say it was nice talking to you. However, here’s the catch – the tone means everything!
When you use the phrase with a polite tone, you will be using it as intended – a social signifier. When you use it in a different tone – maybe a sarcastic one when that customer service agent has been dancing on your nerves.
The politeness is still there, but your tone is telling a different story altogether. You’ll know when you hear the sarcastic phrase.
Breaking Down the Phrase
Giving you a small glimpse of the different meanings this phrase holds, let’s dive right into analyzing the phrase. The phrase is all about the different ways you can politely or smartly tell people off.
In the broader context, the phrase holds a deeper meaning – especially for people who cannot catch social cues easily. Yes, we’re being inclusive – because why not? It can be hard for a neurodivergent individual to catch social cues.
For example, neurodivergent individuals such as someone with ADHD, anxiety or someone on the spectrum (ASD) will find small talk unbearable. It will make them think the conversation isn’t interesting for the other person.
When the person may just be having a great conversation and actually enjoyed speaking to you. The conversation was more than casual for the person – not bad, and intense than a usual chat with a coworker.
On the other hand, the opposite is true for neurotypical individuals. They have social and organizational skills which match their peer’s rates. These individuals also tolerate well to distractions, small conversations and change, quite well.
For them the phrase it was nice talking to you will seem like a normal end to a conversation. In addition, this sentence is popular amongst British English speakers.
For those in America or those following American English, the phrase looks like – it was nice talking with you.
So, depending on the style you’re following, the response can differ.
Is it Grammatically Incorrect?
There’s a lot of debate on several forums where Grammar Nazi’s have been on this topic whether the phrase is grammatically correct. It was nice talking to you, it seems perfect at first glance, but have you wondered if it’s due to conditioning?
We are so used to hearing this phrase in that order that it becomes impossible to recognize the incorrect form. As per forums and even research on the topic – it can be concluded:
| 👉 It was nice to talk to you 👉 It was nice talking to you 👉 It was nice to talk with you 👉 It was nice talking with you |
These are all acceptable usages and are grammatically correct. Here are a few forms that depend on the tense:
1. Present tense:
| • It’s nice to talk to you (British English) • It’s nice to talk with you (American English) • It’s nice talking to you • It was nice talking with you |
2. Past tense:
| • It has been nice talk to you • It was nice talking to you • It was nice talking with you • It is nice to talk to you • It has been nice to talk to you • It is nice to talk to you |
These are all the top ways you can end a conversation on a polite note.
How To Respond To It Was Nice Talking To You
You can respond to it was nice talking to you depending on the context. It may be a casual conversation you’re in where you can respond with “And you, too,” or you can go with “thank you, and you too.”
You may think “same here,” or “me too,” are good responses, too. However, they are informal and ambiguous which can come off as impolite.
Hence, you should either use the above two responses in the preceding paragraph or check out the following list of alternatives.
If you do not wish to respond with the typical “Same here,” “me too,” or “thank you, same here” you can go with any of the following alternative ways of saying it was nice talking to you:
- I truly enjoyed our conversation
- It was a pleasure speaking to you
- I appreciate the time we spent talking
- It was great connecting with you
- Your perspective added so much value! (formal)
- It is always a pleasure to chat with you (if you have spoken to this person before)
- I’m so glad we spoke today
- It was wonderful discussing (this) with you! (formal)
- Thank you, loved our exchange!
- It’s been a delight speaking to you
- I thoroughly enjoyed our talk (formal settings)
These responses help you avoid sounding awkward or mundane and make the listener feel truly appreciated. Expressing appreciation for engaging in a conversation is always encouraging for the other person.
It helps them know they were having a genuine conversation with someone and that you were actively listening! Being a conversationalist is a skill that not many can master, this is why it is important that you bring your A-game.
Ciao!…
Could be an appropriate response but in an informal setting or when you are in Italy! That was all about how to respond to it was nice talking to you and diving into the grammatical angle.
The article also discusses how you can respond to the phrase when someone says it to you while departing from a conversation. From learning the British and American alternatives to understanding why one says it; the article walks you through the different aspects of the phrase.
Let us know what your go-to response is!
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