Have a chat means to talk in a relaxed, informal way. People use it for a friendly conversation with a neighbour, a colleague or an old friend, in person or on the phone.
Want to remember have a chat?
Write a sentence — we'll show the mistakes right away and suggest how to say it more naturally.
The check is taking longer than usual. Your feedback will appear here automatically.
have a chat with + person (about + topic); have a quick/long chat; have a chat over coffee
- Let's have a chat over coffee after the meeting.
- I had a quick chat with my neighbour about the parking problem.
- My grandma loves having a long chat on the phone every Sunday.
What changed
First versionAfter the lesson, I had a short chatting with my teacher.
RevisionAfter the lesson, I had a short chat with my teacher.
Chatting can seem natural because it names the activity, but after have a you need the noun chat: have a chat, have a quick chat.
Have a word with someone means a short conversation about something specific, and it's often advice or criticism: Can I have a word with you about your report? Have a chat sounds lighter. It's a calm, unhurried conversation, even about practical things: I had a chat with my neighbour about the parking.
Your turn
I met an old classmate at the station, and we ___ about our school days for half an hour.
Show the answer
had a chat — The old classmates spent half an hour remembering school, which is a friendly conversation, so had a chat. Had a word is a short talk about a specific matter, and half an hour of memories doesn't fit it.
Write about a recent chat: who you talked to and what about. Say where it happened.
Yesterday I had a chat with my neighbour in the lobby of our building about her new puppy.
Learn to use new words without mistakes
Write phrases with the words you are learning. LetsWords shows mistakes in usage and grammar, suggests corrections and explains them, and review helps the words stick.