oh là là
/o la la/
The English phrase "oh la la" is translated into French as oh là là.
oh là là is used to express a wide range of emotions including surprise, shock, annoyance or even sympathy, depending on the tone of voice.
How do you pronounce it?
/o la la/
Did you know?
- Unlike in English where it is often used to suggest something flirtatious or sexy, the French oh là là is rarely used in a sexual way and is much more likely to signal genuine distress or a mistake.
- The French oh là là is a linguistic cousin to the Spanish allá and Portuguese lá, all of which evolved from the Latin term illāc.
- To express extreme shock, French speakers may repeat the phrase multiple times, such as oh là là là là là, to signal that a situation is truly disastrous.
Examples in context
- Oh là là, il est déjà huit heures !Oh la la, it is already eight o'clock!
- Oh là là, c'est vraiment incroyable.Oh la la, that is truly incredible.
- Oh là là, tu as encore oublié tes clés ?Oh la la, did you forget your keys again?
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are looking at a messy living room.
- HugoOh là là, c'est le bazar ici !Oh boy, it's a mess in here!
- LéaOui, je sais, je dois ranger.Yes, I know, I have to tidy up.
- HugoTu veux de l'aide, Léa ?Do you want some help, Léa?
- LéaC'est gentil, merci Hugo.That's kind, thanks Hugo.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry oh là là, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries là, oh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
