For example, you might say, “I’m sorry, you’re losing me. Can you summarize what you’re trying to say?”[2] X Research source

Say something along the lines of “I’d love to hear about your day, but I’m running late for an appointment. Can we start wrapping this up?” You could also consider warning them at the beginning of a conversation that you have a limited amount of time to chat. Try letting them know, “I only have 5 minutes to talk right now, then I really have to get going. "

Another option is to abruptly change the subject. This works best with an environmental stimulus, like telling another friend “Oh, I love your scarf! Did I tell you guys about the new scarves I bought last weekend?”

Note that this suggestion would probably be considered rude. However, if you have tried other options to no avail, this may be the only way to deal with a friend who talks too much. Also, your friend may not even notice that you’re not giving them your full attention.

You might say something short and sweet, like “I’m sorry. I have to go. ”

Understanding what your friend is trying to communicate can help you address their needs and get a say in the conversation.

For instance, you might start off by saying “Are you finished? I’d like to say something. ”[8] X Research source Your friend may demand to finish talking. If so, let them.

For example, you might paraphrase by saying, “I thought I’d try to say back what you said to me to make sure I got it right. Is that okay?” Then go on to say something like, “It sounds like you were really frustrated about your score on the math test because you put a lot of effort into studying. You’re confused about what you did wrong. Is that right?”[9] X Research source

You might say, “I listened to you. Please give me a chance to finish what I was saying. ”

For example, you might follow up with, “Once I took a Latin test that I thought I had done well on. When I got my score back, I had a 0. Turns out, I had misread the instructions, which made all of my answers wrong. Luckily, the teacher let me make up the test. Maybe you will be able to do the same thing. ”

Explain your issue with their chattiness by using “I” statements, which decrease the finger-pointing. You might say, “I’m feeling a bit frustrated. Each time we get together, I feel like I can never really get a word in. I’d really appreciate it if we could start having more give and take in our conversations. ”[13] X Research source

Think long and hard about how you would like to be treated by your friend. Then, verbalize these boundaries. By speaking up about being steamrolled in conversation, you have already voiced one boundary with your friend.

Changes might include not hanging out with your friend as often, getting together as a group rather than one-on-one, or hanging out in certain contexts that limit talking (like the movies).