ouistiti
/wis.ti.ti/
To say cheese for a photo in French, say ouistiti.
Instead of saying cheese, French speakers often say ouistiti to get people to smile for a photo.
Meaning: elicit a smile from someone for a photograph (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
ouistiti is the French name of a small monkey, the marmoset.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use dites when you speak to a group and Dis when you speak informally to one person.
How do you pronounce it?
It is pronounced /wis.ti.ti/, in three syllables.
When do people say it?
In France it is common to say Dites 'ouistiti' ! to catch the attention of children and get them to smile.
Did you know?
- While ouistiti is used for children, many French adults simply say cheese in English to get a smile for a photo.
- The word ouistiti is onomatopoeic, meaning it was created to imitate the specific high-pitched vocalizations of the marmoset monkey.
- If you were to say 'cheese' in a French photo context, people would likely be confused, as it lacks the cultural ritual of the monkey's name.
Examples in context
- Tout le monde, dites « ouistiti ».Everyone, say cheese.dites is the command form for the whole group.Tatoeba #5293655 by pititnatole, translation #1877594 by CK
- Dis « ouistiti ».Say cheese.Dis is the informal command for one person.Tatoeba #12380929 by menaud, translation #1852269 by CK
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas is taking a picture of Léa in a park.
- LucasRegarde l'objectif, Léa.Look at the lens, Léa.
- LéaJe ne suis pas prête.I am not ready.
- LucasAllez, ouistiti !Come on, say cheese!
- LéaC'est fait, j'ai souri.There, I smiled.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ouistiti, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ouistiti, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
