Talking about friends, relationships and how you socialise is genuinely everyday vocabulary, used in casual conversation constantly. This guide covers real, natural vocabulary for relationships and social life, beyond just "friend" and "family."
2. Types of Relationships
Word
Meaning
acquaintance
someone you know slightly, not a close friend
close friend
someone you know well and trust
mate (British, informal)
a friend
flatmate / roommate
someone you share accommodation with
colleague
someone you work with
3. Socialising
Phrase
Example
to meet up
Let's meet up for coffee this week.
to hang out
We just hung out at my place all evening.
to catch up
We should catch up soon, it's been ages.
a get-together
We're having a small get-together this weekend.
4. Relationship Verbs & Phrases
Phrase
Meaning
to get on well with
to have a good, friendly relationship with someone
to lose touch
to stop being in contact with someone over time
to fall out with
to have an argument that damages a relationship
to make up (after an argument)
to become friends again after a disagreement
5. Common Mistakes
❌ Incorrect
✅ Correct
Why
I get on well my sister.
I get on well with my sister.
"Get on well" needs "with" before the person.
We meet up us tomorrow.
We're meeting up tomorrow.
"Meet up" doesn't take a reflexive pronoun like "us" after it.
I know her since five years.
I've known her for five years.
Ongoing relationships from the past to now need the present perfect, with "for," not "since," before a duration.
6. Exercises
A. Gap Fill — Complete correctly (8 questions)
1. I get on really well ___ my flatmate. (with)
2. Let's ___ up for coffee soon. (meet)
3. We ___ touch after university. (lost)
4. We had a small get-___ at the weekend. (together)
5. We should ___ up soon, it's been ages. (catch)
6. She's just an ___, not a close friend. (acquaintance)
7. They ___ out over something silly last week. (fell)
8. We just ___ out at my place all evening. (hung)
Show Answers (A)
1. with 2. meet 3. lost 4. together 5. catch 6. acquaintance 7. fell 8. hung
B. Multiple Choice (5 questions)
1. Someone you know slightly is an... (a) acquaintance (b) colleague
2. "To hang out" means to... (a) spend casual time together (b) argue
3. To stop being in contact is to... (a) lose touch (b) catch up
4. A British informal word for friend is... (a) mate (b) colleague
5. Becoming friends again after an argument is to... (a) make up (b) fall out
Show Answers (B)
1.a 2.a 3.a 4.a 5.a
C. Error Correction (3 questions)
1. I get on well my sister.
2. We meet up us tomorrow.
3. I know her since five years.
Show Answers (C)
1. I get on well with my sister. 2. We're meeting up tomorrow. 3. I've known her for five years.
D. Freer Practice — Write Your Own Sentences (2 tasks)
1. Describe a close friendship, using at least two vocabulary words from this page.
2. Write a sentence about someone you've lost touch with.
Show Answers (D)
Model answers will vary. Examples: 1. "I get on really well with my best friend, we've known each other for ten years." 2. "I lost touch with an old school friend after I moved abroad."
7. Mini Quiz
8. Exam Focus — Cambridge, IELTS, SELT
Exam
How This Is Tested
Sample Question
Cambridge A2 Key / B1 Preliminary
Friendships and social life are common Speaking Part 1 topics.
"Tell me about your friends."
IELTS Speaking Part 1
Friendships and socialising are near-guaranteed opening topics.
"How often do you see your friends?"
Trinity GESE/ISE (SELT)
Describing friendships and social habits is a very common, natural topic.
"Who do you usually spend time with?"
9. Frequently Asked Questions
An acquaintance is someone you know slightly, not a close relationship; a friend is someone you know well and trust.
To have a good, friendly relationship with someone: "I get on really well with my flatmates."
"To meet up" usually implies a planned meeting; "to hang out" is more casual and can be unplanned time spent together.
To stop being in contact with someone over time: "We lost touch after university."
"A close friend," "a best friend," or informally "a mate" (British English) are all natural ways to describe a close friendship.
Yes — describing friendships, socialising and relationships is a very common everyday conversation topic.
Reading a vocabulary list takes you part of the way. Real fluency comes from using these words in conversation, with a tutor who corrects you immediately. Book a free level test with Elite Language Solutions and find out exactly where you are.