When colleagues ask when you're getting married โ how do you handle it gracefully?
by Priya NathanยทMay 26, 2026
I'm 29, unmarried, and apparently a curiosity to several people in my office who ask about this at a frequency that could be tracked on a spreadsheet.
I've tried different approaches:
"Haha, not yet lah!", too encouraging, invites follow-up next month
Deflecting with a topic change, works occasionally but feels dishonest
The direct approach, "I prefer not to discuss my personal life at work", works but creates an awkward moment I then have to manage
What has actually worked long-term is: a breezy "when it happens it happens!" delivered with genuine warmth and then immediately pivoting to asking them something about themselves. People who ask these questions generally like talking about themselves, use that.
Anyone else found something that actually works without creating friction?