Oh la la! Do French People Really Say “Ooh La La”?

Key takeaways:

• “Ooh la la” is a popular French phrase that has made its way into the English language. English speakers use it to describe something as sexy or seductive.
• The correct French spelling of the phrase is “oh là là” or “ouh là là.”
• In French, the phrase is used in many different ways. It can serve as an expression of surprise, embarrassment, annoyance, regret, or sarcasm.
• French speakers also sometimes say “ là là là là” to put more emphasis on what they’re saying and feeling.

“Ooh la la!” We’ve all heard, and most likely even used, this popular French phrase before. In English, people use it as an exclamation, an interjection, or even an adjective. But what is the real meaning of “ooh la la?” Do French people even actually use these three little words?

In this article, we’re going to dive into what “ooh la la” actually means in French, explore its different variations and uses, and go over some other useful French interjections.

What does “Ooh la la” mean in French?

When English speakers use the phrase “ooh la la,” they’re usually referring to something saucy or seductive. However, most people don’t actually know what “ooh la la” means in French.

There are two words in this phrase, “ooh” and “la.” French people would spell the exclamation as “oh là là,” with the following meaning:

• Oh - Oh
• Là - There

So, if we were to translate the phrase literally, it would mean “oh there there.” To an English speaker, that makes no sense. This is why it’s much more useful to look at less literal interpretations of the phrase.

According to Collins Dictionary, “ooh la la” means “oh” or “oh dear.” But it could also be translated as “wow,” “oh my,” “oh my god,” or even “oh no.” The actual meaning can be understood from the context in which the phrase is used, which we’ll get into later.

“Ooh la la” vs. “oh là là:” Which is correct? 

As we’ve already mentioned, French people would write the popular phrase as “oh là là” instead of “ooh la la.” But why is that? And does that mean that “ooh la la” is not correct?

The truth is that “oh là là” is the most accurate and correct spelling of the exclamation, especially if we’re focusing on how French people use it. Its pronunciation is also slightly different from what you might imagine. 

“Oh” is pronounced as the French letter “o,” meaning it’s much shorter than the well-known “ooh.” “Lá” is pronounced as /la/, exactly as you might expect. The two “là’s” are also often said quite quickly and close together. So, if you ever travel to France, make sure to pronounce it this way.

But what if you still say “ooh la la?” Will that make you look silly to French speakers? Not necessarily! There is another version of the phrase: “ouh là là.”

“Ouh là là” means the same thing as “oh là là,” but its pronunciation is much closer to the English “ooh la la.” So, you can still pronounce it the way you’re used to, though “oh là là” is definitely the more common and popular version of the exclamation among French speakers.

1

Meaning of “oh là là là là”

Sometimes, you may also hear French people say “oh là là là là.” They may even add some extra “là’s” on top of that. 

This repetition is used for emphasis in French. The meaning of “oh là là” stays the same, but it’s amplified. For example, if someone uses the exclamation to express their surprise, they must be truly shocked if they use more than the two traditional “là’s.”

So, simply put, the longer someone keeps saying “là,” the stronger their feelings about the situation are.

Different meanings of “ooh la la” in French conversations

Now that you know how to spell “oh là là” and what it roughly means, it’s time to dive deeper into its actual use. As we’ve already hinted at, French people use this exclamation in many different contexts. Here are the most common ones you may come across:

1. “Oh là là” as an expression of surprise

If you hear a French speaker say “oh là là,” it’s likely that they’re surprised about something. This is especially the case if something just took them by surprise right there and then. 

Here are some example sentences of how this might be used:

• Oh là là ! Tu as vraiment grandi ! (Oh wow! You’ve really grown!)
• Oh là là, je ne m’y attendais pas du tout ! (Oh my, I didn’t expect that at all!)
• Oh là là ! Quelle surprise ! (Oh wow! What a surprise!)

2. Saying “oh là là” when annoyed or upset

Another common use of “oh là là” is as an expression of annoyance or anger. For example:

• Oh là là, tu m’énerves aujourd’hui ! (Oh come on, you’re really annoying me today!)
• Oh là là ! Quelle galère ! (Oh no! What a mess!)
• Oh là là, j’en ai marre ! (Oh my god, I’ve had enough!)

3. “Oh là là” as an exclamation of embarrassment

People often like to think of French people as these put-together, smooth individuals. But that’s not always the case. They can get in awkward situations, too, and they can feel embarrassed. And when they do, they may turn to the “oh là là” phrase.

For example:

• Oh là là, je suis tellement gêné ! (Oh no, I’m so embarrassed!)
• Oh là là, j’ai renversé mon café partout ! (Oh dear, I spilled my coffee everywhere!)
• Oh là là, quelle honte ! (Oh my, how embarrassing!)

4. Using “oh là là” to convey regret or sympathy

The “oh là là” interjection can also be used when you want to show remorse, regret, or commiseration. Some examples of this use are:

• Oh là là, je suis désolé d’apprendre ça. (Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear that.)
• Oh là là, c’est vraiment triste. (Oh dear, that’s really sad.)
• Oh là là, pauvre toi ! (Oh no, poor you!)

5. The sarcastic “oh là là”

Last but not least, “oh là là” can also be used in a sarcastic way. For example, someone might say something nice, but the tone might imply that they actually mean the opposite. Here’s what we’re talking about:

• Oh là là, quel génie ! (“Oh wow, what a genius!” — said when someone has done something stupid.)
• Oh là là, bravo, vraiment impressionnant. (“Oh wow, bravo, really impressive,” — said when someone has done something bad.)
• Oh là là, tu es toujours à l’heure, toi. (“Oh wow, you’re always on time, aren’t you?” — said when someone has arrived late yet again.)

“Ooh la la” vs. other French interjections

“Ooh la la” isn’t the only useful French interjection. There are so many other French phrases that help French people express their emotions, whether that be pain, sadness, shock, or relief. 

Here are some useful French interjections that will help you sound more fluent:

Cultural meaning and popularity of “ooh la la”

Now that you know what “oh là là” means in French, you may be asking yourself how “ooh la la” became so popular in English. It’s difficult to know the exact answer to this question, but there may be a couple of factors going into this.

First of all, French people are often stereotyped as attractive and seductive individuals. French is also considered to be the language of romance. This could explain why the phrase has this sexy connotation in English. It’s French, therefore it sounds seductive to English speakers.

There’s also the pop culture factor: countless songs, films, and TV shows use this phrase, which means that we’ve all come across it at some point while consuming media. For example, here’s a famous song by The Faces, literally called Ooh La La:

It’s clear that this phrase has taken over the English-speaking world, although the meaning has moved away from its French origins.

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