ENGLISH
REFERENCE

talk about sb/sth

phrasal verb.
Definition

phrasal verb. To say things about a particular subject or person.

phrasal verb. A transitive prepositional verb meaning to discuss a particular subject, person, or situation.


SIMPLE

Let's talk about the plan for the weekend.

CONTEXTUAL

At the meeting, they will talk about the new budget for next year.

COMPLEX

The novel talks about the profound psychological impact of war on soldiers returning to a world they no longer recognize.

  • stay silent about
  • avoid discussing
  • ignore
Particles
about
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
talk + about + object
Usage

The object following 'about' is the topic of the conversation.

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'talk to' (specifies the listener) and 'talk with' (implies a two-way conversation); 'talk about' specifies the topic.

Pitfall

We talked the movie.We talked about the movie.The preposition 'about' is required to introduce the topic of the conversation.

Last updated April 24, 2026