ouste
/ust/
The French verb for to shoo is ouste.
The verb ouste is used to induce someone to leave. It is related to other ways of telling someone to go away, such as the interjections pschtt and zou.
Meaning: to induce someone to leave (verb)
Which one should you use?
While ouste is a verb meaning to shoo, you may encounter the interjections pschtt and zou when someone wants to tell another to go away.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ust/
Did you know?
- If you want to add a sense of 'instant' movement to your command, you can pair your dismissal with zou. This creates a stylistic effect of someone disappearing in a flash, much like a magician's trick.
- While ouste is used for people or animals, the sound pschtt is specifically used in France to signal that someone should be quiet or to move someone away from a space without using words.
- The word ouste is onomatopoeic, meaning it was created to mimic the actual sound of someone being driven away or the sudden movement of departure.
Example conversation
Chloé finds Gabriel's dog on the sofa.
- ChloéOuste ! Descends du canapé, Gabriel !Shoo! Get off the sofa, Gabriel!
- GabrielLaisse-le, il est mignon.Leave him, he is cute.
- ChloéIl a sali les coussins.He got the cushions dirty.
- GabrielD'accord, je vais l'ouster.Okay, I will shoo him away.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ouste, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ouste, CC BY-SA 4.0.
