ça alors
/sa a.lɔʁ/
The English phrase "oh boy" can be translated into French as ça alors.
The expression ça alors is used to express mild surprise, astonishment or sometimes indignation at a sudden realization. While it translates to "oh boy" or "wow," it can also carry the sense of "well now."
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, ça alors means "that then."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ça alors is a colloquial exclamation and is not used in formal writing.
How do you pronounce it?
/sa a.lɔʁ/
Did you know?
- In modern spoken French, ça alors is often replaced by more contemporary slang like la vache or purée to express the same feeling of astonishment.
- While ça alors expresses surprise, French speakers often use a physical gesture like raising the eyebrows or a slight shrug of the shoulders to emphasize the shock.
- The word ça is a shortened version of cela, which is itself a combination of ce meaning 'this' and là meaning 'there'.
Examples in context
- Mon Dieu! Tu as gagné la loterie?Oh boy! Did you win the lottery?
- Oh là là ! Il a fait tomber son café sur son ordinateur.Oh boy! He spilled his coffee on his laptop.
- Ça alors ! Quel beau paysage !Oh boy! What a beautiful landscape!
- Ça alors, il a déjà fini son travail ?Oh boy, has he finished his work already?
- Ça alors ! Je ne m'attendais pas à ça.Oh boy! I wasn't expecting that.
Example conversation
Hugo shows Manon a surprising piece of news.
- ManonTu as une surprise pour moi ?Do you have a surprise for me?
- HugoRegarde, j'ai gagné un voyage !Look, I won a trip!
- ManonÇa alors ! C'est incroyable, Hugo !Oh boy! That's incredible, Hugo!
- HugoJe n'en reviens toujours pas non plus.I still can't believe it myself.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ça alors, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alors, ça, CC BY-SA 4.0.
