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The more a French person is shocked by a situation, the longer the interjection will be.

In three words (and more) : “Ouh la la” “Ou la la” “Ooh la la” “Oh la la la la” “Ooh là là là là là là…”īecause yes.

So you will be able to find the written French expression: While French dictionaries seem to agree that the correct spelling is “là” (with a grave accent on the “a” like the demonstrative adverb), it can be found written in many ways in popular use, in addition to the traditional “oh là là”/”oh la la”. The other part of the expression “la” can also be written in different ways. These two differences will greatly influence the transcription of the expression in writing. Some pronounce the “oh” as it is written (“oh”, “ô”, or “o”) while others prefer the “ou” sound (“ooh”, “ouh”, “oooh”). It is useful to remember that there are two schools of thought when it comes to pronouncing the “oh” in the interjection “oh la la”. “Oh my! It’s such a beautiful day!” (while it is raining like crazy) “Oh là là ! Mais c’est qu’il fait beau aujourd’hui !” (alors qu’il pleut des cordes) “Damn! How good you are!” (to someone who has just made a mistake) “Oh là là ! Qu’est-ce que tu es doué !” (à quelqu’un qui vient de faire une erreur) It is important to know that the French are extremely sarcastic! In this situation, the expression “oh là là” will be used as well by children and seniors, as by adults and teenagers. More generally, this interjection is used ironically to emphasize a joke or mockery. “Damn! Your dish is very good!” => alternative version: “Wow! Your dish is very good!” “Oh là là ! Ton plat est très bon !” => version alternative : “Wahou ! Ton plat est très bon !” “Oh dear! I missed my bus again!” => rude version: “Oh shit! I missed my bus again!”

“Oh là là ! J’ai encore raté mon bus !” => version grossière : “Oh merde ! J’ai encore raté mon bus !” “Oh my god! It’s so cold today!” => rude version: “Oh fuck! It’s freezing cold today!” “Oh là là ! Il fait un froid de canard aujourd’hui !” => version grossière : “Oh putain ! Il fait un froid de canard aujourd’hui !” In this case, the interjection replaces ruder expressions that are not adapted to the situation (in the family, at work, in public…). Generally speaking, oh là là is used in two main ways in France:Īs we have seen above, oh là là is typically used to show surprise, whether positive or negative. In what situations do the French use “oh là là”? The official phonetic writing is thus very close to the expression: /o la la/. The first syllable is pronounced like the letter “o” while the last two syllables are pronounced like they are read.

However, the interjection oh là là can have other meanings depending on the person and the situation in which the expression is used.ĭespite what you may hear in the United States, “oh là là” is pronounced in a rather monotone in French.

❌ You will never see the “oh la la” used this way in France: ✅ It is not uncommon for Americans to use it this way: Unlike its use in the English-speaking world, the French interjection is never used with any naughty or sexual connotation, nor is it used as a noun or a nominal group. It is not uncommon to hear extended versions of the interjection to signify a strong degree of surprise (“oh là là là là là là!”).įinally, be careful not to confuse the French “oh la la” with the one found in the United States or the United Kingdom. There is no connection between the two, since it is simply an interjection, to accentuate the feeling of surprise of “oh”. “Oh là là!”, written here in its correct form, is composed of two parts: the interjection “oh”, which is used to signify surprise, and “là là”, which can be written as the determiner (“la”) or with an accent as with the adverb (“là”).