oh
/o/
The English phrase "aww" can be expressed in French as oh.
How do you pronounce it?
/o/
Did you know?
- In a romantic context, an oh can be followed by the phrase c'est trop chou, where chou literally means 'cabbage'.
- While an English speaker says 'aww' for a sad story, a French person might use oh là là to express shock or dismay at the same misfortune.
- In France, a sudden oh can be paired with a slight intake of breath through the teeth to signal a 'sympathetic aww' when witnessing a minor accident.
Examples in context
- Oh, c'est trop mignon !Aww, it's so cute!
- Oh, le petit chat est adorable.Aww, the little kitten is adorable.
- Oh, quel beau cadeau !Aww, what a beautiful gift!
Example conversation
Nathan shows Chloé a photo of his new puppy.
- NathanRegarde mon nouveau chiot !Look at my new puppy!
- ChloéOh, il est tellement petit !Aww, he is so small!
- NathanIl s'appelle Max.His name is Max.
- ChloéIl est trop mignon !Aww, he's too cute!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry oh, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
