Western Africa
Video Chat with People from Benin
Cotonou is Benin's largest city and the place many people you meet will call home, even though the official capital is Porto-Novo, a short drive along the coast. Your chat could just as well come from Abomey, with the royal palaces of the old Kingdom of Dahomey; from Ouidah or Grand-Popo by the beach; from near Ganvié, the village built on stilts over Lake Nokoué; or from Parakou or Natitingou up north. French is the official language and the one most people use for writing, while Fon is widely spoken in the south, Yoruba in the southeast, and Bariba and Dendi in the north. English isn't common, so a few French words help.
Benin is on West Africa Time, UTC+1, so evenings in Cotonou begin around lunchtime or early afternoon on the US East Coast. Music is a favorite topic, from Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo to the legendary Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou. Food is another: pâte with spicy sauce, red amiwo cornmeal, fried plantains and wagasi, a soft cheese from the north. You could also ask about the huge Dantokpa market, zémidjans (the motorbike taxis everyone uses) or a trip to Pendjari National Park.
Benin at a glance
| Flag | 🇧🇯 |
|---|---|
| Official name | Republic of Benin |
| Capital | Porto-Novo |
| Region | Africa · Western Africa |
| Official language | French |
| Currency | West African CFA franc (Fr, XOF) |
| Calling code | +229 |
| Time zone | West Africa Time (Africa/Porto-Novo) |
How to say hello
A few words of French make a great first impression, even if you switch to English right after.
| Language | Phrase | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fon | A fɔn ganji à? | ah fohn GAHN-jee ah | Good morning (literally "did you wake up well?") |
| Fon | Awanu! | ah-wah-NOO | Thank you! |
| French | Bonsoir! Comment ça va? | bohn-SWAHR, koh-mahn sah VAH | Good evening! How are you? |
| Yoruba | Báwo ni? | BAH-woh nee | How are you? |
Tips for chatting with people from Benin
- Try the Fon morning greeting and expect the reply "Un fɔn ganji" (oon fohn GAHN-jee), "I woke up well."
- Find out if home is Cotonou or Porto-Novo; people are happy to explain how the two cities differ.
- If you like music, mention Angélique Kidjo or Poly-Rythmo and ask for a newer artist to look up; swapping playlists comes easily.
- French keeps things moving when English runs out; our French phrase guide covers the basics in a few minutes.
Only meet people from Benin
Omlet matches you Worldwide by default. To meet only people from Benin, use the country filter, the only filter Omlet has:
- Open Omlet and press Country on the control panel.
- Search for Benin and select it.
- Press Start. Press Next to meet someone else from Benin, or switch back to Worldwide any time.
Your first day is free: you add a card through Stripe to start it, and nothing is charged that day. When the 24 hours end, the country filter costs $3 one time, charged to that card, unless you cancel before then in Settings (if you cancel, you can still pick a country until the day ends). It's not a subscription, and it stays unlocked on that device and browser. It doesn't carry over to other devices or browsers, and clearing your browser data removes it. There's one free day per device, home network and card. Payment goes through Stripe, so Omlet never sees your card number.
The filter works both ways, and matching can be slower when fewer people from Benin are online. Chatting itself is free, and Worldwide matching never costs anything.
Your own country is detected automatically and shown to the people you meet as a flag.
Neighboring countries
Benin borders 4 countries. Curious about the people next door? Meet them too: