chatting
chatting — verb
1. to have a relaxed, friendly conversation about everyday matters, without any for
to have a relaxed, friendly conversation about everyday matters, without any formal structure or serious purpose
Amaka and her neighbour chatted over the garden fence every morning before work.
Dimitri chatted with the taxi driver about football during the long ride across town.
chat + with + person + about + topic
The two old friends sat on the park bench, chatting happily for hours.
Keiko chatted to her sister on the phone while folding a pile of fresh laundry.
Javier stopped to chat with the librarian about the new books on display.
文法句型
chat + about + topic
chat + with + person
chat + to + person
用法筆記
Almost always intransitive — you chat with or to someone, never 'chat someone'. The topic is typically light and personal rather than serious or business-related.
常見錯誤
2. to exchange short written messages with someone in real time using a phone, comp
to exchange short written messages with someone in real time using a phone, computer, or similar device
Hana chatted with her cousin in Seoul for an hour on the messaging app.
chat + on + platform
Samir spent the whole evening chatting online with friends from his old secondary school.
chatting + online (adverb)
The team chatted on a shared channel while preparing for the product launch event.
Oluwaseun and his brother chat on video every Sunday evening after they finish dinner.
Yara chatted with customer support through the website to sort out the refund quickly.
文法句型
chat + on + platform
chat + with + person + online
chat + through + service
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (TALK CASUALLY): this sense always involves typed text on a device, not spoken words. The subject is typically a person using a phone or computer.
常見錯誤
chatting — noun
1. a relaxed, friendly spoken conversation, usually about everyday life and shared
a relaxed, friendly spoken conversation, usually about everyday life and shared interests rather than serious topics
Rashid and the bus driver had a friendly chat about the weather and traffic.
have a chat + about + topic
Ines overheard a lively chat between two shoppers at the busy market stall.
a lively chat (adjective collocation)
A quick chat with the neighbour solved the problem with the leaking pipe.
The grandmother enjoyed a long chat with her grandson over a warm cup of tea.
Sven joined the chat at the lunch table, laughing along with the old stories.
- conversation
more formal and broader — can be serious, professional, or casual
- talk
slightly more formal than 'chat'; can cover any kind of spoken exchange
- chinwag
very informal British English for a long, leisurely chat
用法筆記
Almost always singular and countable. Frequently appears in the phrase 'have a chat'. Common adjectives include 'quick', 'long', 'friendly', 'lively', and 'little'.
常見錯誤
2. a conversation carried out by typing short messages back and forth on a phone, c
a conversation carried out by typing short messages back and forth on a phone, computer, or messaging app
Mei-Lin had a long chat with her best friend on the messaging app last night.
have a chat + on + platform
The group chat on the team platform was buzzing with ideas before the big presentation.
group chat (compound noun)
Amara sent a short message to keep the chat going about their summer holiday plans.
A quick chat with the doctor through the online portal answered all her questions.
Tariq quickly deleted the chat after realising he had sent it to the wrong person.
- exchange
more formal; can refer to any back-and-forth communication, not only casual online talk
- thread
specifically a series of connected messages on a single topic, often in forums or email
- conversation
broader term that covers both spoken and written exchanges
用法筆記
Distinguish from noun sense 1 (CASUAL CONVERSATION): this sense always involves typed messages on a device, not spoken words. Often appears in compounds like 'group chat' and 'live chat'.
常見錯誤
3. the set of people exchanging messages together inside a shared online space at t
the set of people exchanging messages together inside a shared online space at the same time
The whole chat cheered when Lin announced she had passed her driving test at last.
the chat + as subject (group of people)
Fatima added her new flatmate to the chat so they could plan the housewarming together.
add someone to the chat
Hassan opened his phone and found the chat already deep in a new topic.
The chat fell completely silent after the manager posted the announcement about budget cuts.
Emil was removed from the chat for posting too many large files each morning.
用法筆記
A metonymic use — 'the chat' refers to the people participating, not the conversation itself. The noun is treated as a collective group and often takes a singular verb.