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Get ready to learn everything you need to know about the basic idiom “Oh la vache”.
This include a detailed explanation of what it is and how to use it in a casual conversation with an audio example. And because learning a new language is a big deal, we also added useful things like dialogue example, synonyms, slow pronunciation audio and more!
In case you are interested, you can find more idioms pages like this one on this page and the complete directory of all our French words content on this page. Happy learning!
“Oh la vache !” is a familiar expression which means “Oh my god!” or “Oh damn!” in French. It literally means “Wow the cow!“
It’s similar to the English expression “Holy cow!“
Use it when you are very shocked/surprised by something. It can be about something positive or negative.
For example, if a friend just won the lottery, you can say to him: “Oh la vache ! Tu es super chanceux !” (Oh damn! You’re super lucky!) in a positive way.
But another example: you just broke your arm, then you can say: “Oh la vache ça fait mal !” (Oh my god that hurts!) in a negative way.