ouf
/uf/
The English interjection "oof" can be expressed in French as ouf.
ouf is used to express sympathy when someone else is in pain, or to show shock regarding something such as a high price.
Meaning: expressing sympathy at another's pain, shock at a high price, etc. (intj)
How do you pronounce it?
/uf/
Did you know?
- While the English 'oof' is an onomatopoeia for a physical impact, the French ouf is actually a form of 'verlan', a type of French slang that involves reversing the syllables of a word.
- When used as slang for 'crazy', ouf is often used to mean 'incredible' or 'amazing', such as in the phrase un truc de ouf.
- In the 'Verlan' system that created the slang ouf, the grammar remains the same, so the word still agrees in gender and number like fou.
Examples in context
- Ouf, ça fait mal !Oof, that hurts!
- Ouf, quelle mauvaise nouvelle.Oof, what bad news.
Example conversation
Manon tells Nathan about her expensive phone repair bill.
- ManonLa réparation de mon téléphone coûte cent euros.My phone repair costs one hundred euros.
- NathanOuf, c'est vraiment cher !Oof, that's really expensive!
- ManonOui, je suis très déçue.Yes, I am very disappointed.
- NathanJe suis désolé pour toi, Manon.I'm sorry for you, Manon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ouf, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ouf, CC BY-SA 4.0.
