Today we’ll look at one of my favorite French expressions: Oh là là, which has a few different translations including “oh!”, “oh dear!”, “oh boy!”, “wow”, and “yikes”. It’s really more of an interjection and can be used in both positive and negative situations. In English, this expression has been changed to “ooo la la”.
Oh là là
Example sentences
Oh là là meaning in positive situations
In positive situations, the meaning of oh là là is most similar to oh boy!, wow, or oh my!
Oh là là can be used in moments of joy, surprise, excitement, admiration, compassion, empathy, sadness, disappointment, and even to show you’re interested in someone romantically.
Oh là là, c’est beau !
Oh my, it’s beautiful.
Oh là là, ce gâteau a l’air délicieux.
Oh boy! That cake looks delicious.
Oh là là meaning in negative situations
Similar to how oh là là can be used in multiple different positive situations, there are also a few ways you can use it in negative situations. In negative situations, oh là là translates more like oh dear!, yikes, or dear lord.
Oh là là, j’ai dépensé autant hier soir ?
Yikes, I spent that much last night?
Oh là là, pas encore.
Yikes, not again.
Conclusion
Et voilà ! Now you know how to use oh là là in French! Now check out this lesson covering the fun French word “zut!” meaning “shoot!” or “darn!”.
See all French expression lessons
References:
