# "Say cheese!" in Other Languages **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 29, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045 "2008-05-29T18:08:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/1 "2008-05-29T18:08:08Z")
What is the equivalent of “Say cheese!” in other languages; that is, expressions used to naturally display the teeth work of the person you are about to take a picture of? In Spain, we were told that “_patata_” was the go to expression. Others? ---
**Author:** ![puppygod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@puppygod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puppygod)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/2 "2008-05-29T18:50:05Z")
In Poland person taking photo usually just says _uśmiech!_, which means simply ‘smile!’. We don’t really have some standard expression we are supposed to say to expose teeth when posing to photo. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/3 "2008-05-29T19:03:26Z")
I was told that in Latin America that “Whiskey!” is the equivalent, no idea why or how widespread this actually is (or just a something use by english speaking tourists). ---
**Author:** ![Consonants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c37758/32.png) [@Consonants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Consonants)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/4 "2008-05-29T19:21:58Z")
Patata would not yield a smile but more of a pucker. My father in law never picked up on this concept. He thought saying cheese was just to make your face less frozen. So he would have all his children say “stinky feet” instead. Needless to say, they all had the final “t” tongue action on their faces in every single picture. ---
**Author:** ![ignis\_glaciesque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@ignis\_glaciesque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ignis_glaciesque)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/5 "2008-05-29T20:44:19Z")
In Mandarin, it’s ‘shu qiezi’ — literally, “Say ‘eggplant’.” Confusing, until you realize that the mouth position for the syllable ‘qie’ basically requires you to smile. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/6 "2008-05-29T21:10:50Z")
In Japan all the schoolgirls say “Piiiisu!” and give the peace sign. I don’t know why. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/7 "2008-05-30T00:54:08Z")
[QUOTE=griffin1977] I was told that in Latin America that “Whiskey!” is the equivalent, no idea why or how widespread this actually is (or just a something use by english speaking tourists). [/QUOTE] In Mexico, “whiskey” is definitely used. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/8 "2008-05-30T02:13:54Z")
In Korean it’s “kimcheeeeee!” (of course). ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/9 "2008-05-30T05:30:44Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] In Japan all the schoolgirls say “Piiiisu!” and give the peace sign. I don’t know why. [/QUOTE] I don’t know why either, but isn’t “piiisu” a direct japanization (or whatever you call it) of the english word “peace”? ---
**Author:** ![Omi\_no\_Kami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Omi\_no\_Kami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omi_no_Kami)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/10 "2008-05-30T07:16:05Z")
[QUOTE=squeegee] I don’t know why either, but isn’t “piiisu” a direct japanization (or whatever you call it) of the english word “peace”? [/QUOTE] Yep, I’m pretty sure it’s just a borrowing of “Peace”. IANA Japanese Photographer, but the most common thing I’ve heard Japanese people use is “Ichi tatsu ichi wa?”, which just means “One plus one is…?”, to which most people enthusiastically respond “Niiii!” (Twooooo) while the surfers tend to go with a sarcastic “San deshou, bokeyaro” (“Three, dumbass!”). ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/11 "2008-05-30T08:17:30Z")
[QUOTE=Omi no Kami] Yep, I’m pretty sure it’s just a borrowing of “Peace”. IANA Japanese Photographer, but the most common thing I’ve heard Japanese people use is “Ichi tatsu ichi wa?”, which just means “One plus one is…?”, to which most people enthusiastically respond “Niiii!” [/QUOTE] For what it’s worth I hear _hai, chiiiizu_ quite often also. (You probably guessed, but it comes out as “okay, cheese!”) ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/12 "2008-05-30T08:50:33Z")
Refugee [QUOTE=jovan] For what it’s worth I hear _hai, chiiiizu_ quite often also. (You probably guessed, but it comes out as “okay, cheese!”) [/QUOTE] That’s pretty common, especially among men. Incidently, saying _piiisu_ has gained popularity in the last 20 years. My Taiwanese wife says they say seven _qi_ (pronounced “chi”) and Chinese say eggplant _qiezi_ (pronounced which a chi sound. ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/13 "2008-05-30T08:58:35Z")
**Swedish:** _Säg omelett!_ (“Say omelette.”) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/14 "2008-05-30T10:15:26Z")
[QUOTE=Consonants] Patata would not yield a smile but more of a pucker. My father in law never picked up on this concept. He thought saying cheese was just to make your face less frozen. So he would have all his children say “stinky feet” instead. Needless to say, they all had the final “t” tongue action on their faces in every single picture. [/QUOTE] But you don’t say patata as if you’re asking your mother for more potatoes. You actually make a face, paaaah-taaaaaah-¡taaaaaaaaaaaa! and if the photographer still hasn’t taken the picture by then, you stay with your face frozen (and melting slowly), looking more or less like this but not so green: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/15 "2008-05-30T20:59:48Z")
If you’re in a Hilton hotel, you say “Hilton Stilton.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/16 "2008-05-31T15:31:28Z")
I’ve never encountered any similar expression in Thai, so I asked the wife. She says there is none. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/17 "2008-05-31T18:55:13Z")
[QUOTE=ignis\_glaciesque] In Mandarin, it’s ‘shu qiezi’ — literally, “Say ‘eggplant’.” Confusing, until you realize that the mouth position for the syllable ‘qie’ basically requires you to smile. [/QUOTE] Minor nitpick, Mandarin for “say” is “Shuo”, but if they’re talking entirely too fast (as they tend to), then it could be missed. ---
**Author:** ![Aziraphale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/46a35a/32.png) [@Aziraphale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aziraphale)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/18 "2008-05-31T20:18:46Z")
In German, either you’re just told “bitte lächeln” (smile, please) or, in some cases, you’ll also be told to say “cheese”. Yes, in English. No idea why. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2008, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/19 "2008-05-31T21:01:22Z")
[QUOTE=Balthisar] In Mexico, “whiskey” is definitely used. [/QUOTE] It’s standard in Panama too. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045/20 "2008-06-01T02:28:55Z")
[QUOTE=Balthisar] In Mexico, “whiskey” is definitely used. [/QUOTE] What, no “tequila”? 😕 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/say-cheese-in-other-languages/451045.md?page=2)