Conversation tips
What to Say When You Get Matched With Someone New
What to say when you get matched? Less than you think. Smile, wave, say a short hello, and ask one easy question. You don't need a clever line; you need to look friendly and give the other person something effortless to answer.
This page covers just that opening moment: the greeting, the first question and what to do when nobody answers. Once you're past hello, our conversation starters for video chat take it from there.
The first five seconds, step by step
Here's what the start of a good match looks like on Omlet, where pressing Start (or the → key) connects you with someone new.
- While the video loads, get ready. On Omlet each new partner's video stays blurred for a moment while an on-device safety check runs, up to about four seconds. Use that time to sit up and look toward the lens.
- Smile and wave as soon as you see them. A wave works in any language and says you're friendly before you've said a word.
- Say a short greeting. "Hi!" or "Hey, hello!" is enough. Keep it to one breath.
- Ask one easy question. Something anyone can answer in a sentence, like "How's your evening going?"
- Stop and wait. Video has a slight delay, so give them two or three seconds. Piling on more questions makes it harder for them to answer any of them.
Say hello within the first couple of seconds. Two people silently waiting for the other to start is the most common way a match ends before it begins.
Your framing and expression count before you speak, too; making a good first impression on video covers the setup. If being on camera at all makes you tense, start with how to be less awkward on camera.
First thing to say on video chat: greetings that work anywhere
You don't know where your match is from, how comfortable they are in English, or what time it is for them. Plain, warm greetings are understood almost everywhere.
| Greeting | Why it works |
|---|---|
| "Hi!" with a wave | Short, universal and impossible to misread |
| "Hello from [your country]!" | Gives them a fact to respond to straight away |
| "Hey, nice to meet you." | Polite and simple for people still learning English |
| "Hi there, I'm [first name]." | Friendly without asking for anything personal |
| "Good evening!" (or morning) | Warm, and they'll often reply with their own time of day, which starts a chat |
Skip heavy slang like "wassup" or "yo" with someone you don't know. It can confuse non-native speakers and sometimes comes across as less respectful than you intend.
Say hi in their language
On Omlet, your match's country is shown with a flag. A hello in their language is a small gesture most people appreciate, even with rough pronunciation:
- Spanish: Hola (OH-lah)
- French: Bonjour (bohn-ZHOOR)
- Portuguese: Olá (oh-LAH), or Oi (OY) in Brazil
- German: Hallo (HAH-loh)
- Italian: Ciao (CHOW)
- Turkish: Merhaba (MEHR-hah-bah)
- Japanese: Konnichiwa (kohn-nee-chee-wah)
For more, see how to say hello in 30 languages. The flag shows where someone is connecting from, which isn't always their first language, so be ready for a reply in English.
One easy question to follow your hello
Your first question should be answerable in one sentence by anyone, in any mood. These are deliberately simple:
| If you want to... | Ask |
|---|---|
| Keep it easy | "How's your evening going so far?" |
| Be curious | "What are you up to today?" |
| Use the moment | "Is this your first chat today, or have you met a few people already?" |
| Be playful | "Quick, one word to describe your day?" |
| Notice something | "Hi! I like the lights behind you. Are those always on?" |
Save bigger questions for later. "What's your life philosophy?" is a great question at minute ten and a strange one at second five.
How to start a video chat with a stranger who looks unsure
Watch their reaction in the first few seconds. It tells you how to pitch your next line.
| What you see | What it often means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| They smile or wave back | They're happy to talk | Ask your question and enjoy it |
| Neutral face, quiet hello | Shy, tired or still settling in | Slow down and offer a simple, low-pressure question |
| They're looking down or typing | They may be using the text chat | Check the chat box and reply there too |
| Black screen, but they type | Camera off by choice, or a camera problem | Say hi in the text chat; camera off is normal |
| They press Next straight away | Nothing personal: people skip for all sorts of reasons | Press Start again, no overthinking |
| Rude gestures or anything sexual | Not worth your time | Press Next, or report and skip with the flag on their video |
Being skipped quickly happens to everyone. Not taking skips personally is a skill worth building early.
What to do if they don't respond
A silent match is usually a technical problem, not rudeness. Run through this before you move on:
- Wait three seconds. Lag can delay their reply.
- Wave again and smile, in case your audio isn't reaching them.
- Check your own mic. Make sure you haven't muted yourself in Omlet and that your browser has microphone permission.
- Type in the text chat: "Hi! I can see you but can't hear you. Can you hear me?" Text often gets through when audio doesn't.
- Give it about 15 seconds in total. If there's still nothing, a quick wave and Next is perfectly fine. Press → to go straight to someone new.
If every match seems silent, the problem may be on your side. Can't hear the other person? walks through the fixes.
Opening lines to skip
| Opener | Why it falls flat | Try instead |
|---|---|---|
| "Hi." and then silence | Puts all the work on them | "Hi! How's your day going?" |
| "Talk." or "Say something." | Sounds like a demand | Ask a real question |
| "How old are you?" | Feels probing from a stranger | Leave age alone; Omlet is for adults 18+ and asks everyone to confirm it |
| "Turn your camera on." | Pressures them; some people prefer text | "Camera off is fine, I'm happy to type." |
| "Do you have Instagram?" | Far too early | Enjoy the chat first; you may not even want to stay in touch |
| "Are you real?" | Odd and a little accusatory | "Hello from [your country]!" |
| A comment on their looks | Comes across as flirting or judging | Mention something in their background instead |
If someone says or seems to be under 18, don't carry on. End the chat and report it with the Looks under 18 reason.
What to say on Omegle, and where that advice works now
Lots of people still search for what to say on Omegle. Omegle shut down on 8 November 2023, but the first-seconds advice is the same on any random video chat: smile, short hello, one easy question, then listen.
On Omlet it works like this: press Start, say hi to whoever appears, and press Next when you're ready to meet someone else. There's no sign-up, and the text chat runs alongside the video if you'd rather type. Try a random video call and use the five-second plan on your first match.
When a chat has run its course, end the conversation politely with one warm line before you move on.