Ooh La La And Oh Là Là: Recognising Differences In Both Expressions

Have you ever heard a French person say "Oh là là " while they are observing something or someone? Did you notice that their reaction was not quite the same as one would expect from someone saying "Ooh la la"?

Well, that is because "Oh là là" and "Ooh la la" do not mean the same. While "Ooh la la" can express admiration, or at any rate express a positive reaction and sometimes a little dose of sexiness, it is far from being the case with "Oh là là" :

In some French circles, you`d better be aware of what you wear if you are not too keen on hearing : "Oh là là ! Tu as vu comment il est habillé / elle est habillée??!!" This "Oh là là"signifies a strong negative criticism.

If you have been stuck in a queue in an administrative building, for instance, you may have heard : "Oh là là, qu`est-ce que c`est long !" "Qu`est-ce que la personne au guichet est lente !" "Oh là là" can be used to complain about something. For instance, something you say to yourself or a friend as the action is taking place. In the example above, it certainly expresses boredom and an inability to do anything about the situation.

I know that one day, a friend of mine really misunderstood my use of "Oh là là": We were accompanying our children who were going to perform in a dance show. We went backstage where participants were putting costumes, make-up etc. At one point, my attention was drawn to a mother who was liberally spraying hair spray on her son`s hair without proctecting his eyes or face . I could not help but exclaim a genuinely felt " Oh là là" with a tone of judgement in my voice. My friend, however, thinking that I was saying "Ooh la la" smiled and said " Ooh la la". Were she to look at my facial expression, she would have read judgement. I have a long history of skin sensitivity to hairspray and perfume so I could not help exclaiming myself !

Sometimes "Oh là là" does not have a strong negative connotation, it can be used to express a form of regret or disappointment with the idea that something is too bad : for instance, let us imagine someone living in the South of France :

"Oh là là, cela fait quatre jours qu`il pleut, j`en ai assez, j`ai vraiment envie qu`il fasse beau! Après tout, on est au mois de juin maintenant". This Oh là là" could be replaced by "Oh!Non!" ( meaning "Oh non! Il pleut encore!"

It can also express surprise and sometimes shock: " Ils ont failli tout casser dans le pub, tant ils étaient saouls l`autre soir!" "Oh là là !" answers someone else. The other person expresses his or her surprise by saying Oh là là !

In conclusion, when hearing a French person say " Oh là là " ( and not Ooh la la) pay attention to facial expressions, the tone of voice and of course the context ! If someone says Oh là là and shakes his or her head, at the same time, you know this person is definitely not impressed by whatever is going on !!!

Things can appear more complicated sometimes if the French person involved has spent years in an English Speaking country! Confusion may occur! Oh là là is not to be confused with Oh là! This Oh là has nothing to do with the Spanish Hola, of course!!!