oh là là
/o la la/
The French phrase for "oh dear" is oh là là. If unsure, use oh là là. Wiktionary also lists aïe and ah là là.
Meaning: expression of dismay, concern, worry or disapproval (intj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| oh là là | /o la la/ |
| aïe | /aj/ |
| ah là là |
The expressions used for "oh dear" are exclamations of dismay, concern, worry or disapproval. Specifically, oh là là is used in informal contexts to convey surprise, enthusiasm or disappointment.
Which one should you use?
While ah là là and oh là là are often used interchangeably to express dismay, ah là là can sometimes carry a slightly more weary or resigned tone.
How do you pronounce it?
/o la la/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use oh là là to mean "how sexy/erotic" in a way that is much more common in English than in French. In French, it is primarily an exclamation of surprise or dismay.
Did you know?
- The grave accent on the à in là was specifically added to prevent readers from confusing it with the feminine word for 'the'.
- French speakers may repeat the là many times, such as oh là là là là, to emphasize the scale of a disaster or a surprise.
- Depending on the intonation, oh là là can express extreme joy or deep frustration without changing a single letter.
Examples in context
- Oh là là, la salle de bains est si sale !Oh dear, the bathroom is so dirty!This sentence is useful for seeing how to use oh là là when reacting to something unpleasant.Tatoeba #14016128 by Ioan_Cristian, translation #14016127 by Ioan_Cristian
- Mon Dieu, je ne m'attendais pas à cela.Oh dear, I wasn't expecting that.
- Oh là là, c'est vraiment surprenant !Oh dear, that's truly surprising!
- Allons bon, encore des problèmes !Oh dear, more problems!
- Oh là là, j'ai oublié mon portefeuille !Oh dear, I forgot my wallet!
- Zut alors, j'ai raté le train !Oh dear, I missed the train!
- Mince, j'ai complètement oublié !Oh dear, I completely forgot!
- Oh là là, j'ai perdu mes clés !Oh dear, I lost my keys!
- Oh là là, il y a trop de monde ici.Oh dear, there are too many people here.
Example conversation
Manon discovers that Hugo has broken a vase.
- HugoManon, regarde ce que j'ai fait.Manon, look what I've done.
- ManonOh là là, le vase est cassé !Oh dear, the vase is broken!
- HugoJe suis vraiment désolé.I am really sorry.
- ManonCe n'est pas grave, Hugo.It's not serious, Hugo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “oh dear” translations and entries oh là là, aïe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ah, là, oh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
