# What is this French interjection? Sounds like "oura"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 22, 2024, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-interjection-sounds-like-oura/1004606 "2024-07-22T13:51:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-interjection-sounds-like-oura/1004606/1 "2024-07-22T13:51:41Z")
At [1:04](https://youtu.be/7B4CLQGxHmI?si=BrmxWXs6OlUFkE-P&t=58) the woman sings something that sounds like “_Oura!_” between bars of her clarinetist’s solo. Is this similar to the French expression “_Allez!_”? ---
**Author:** ![Schnitte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/schnitte/32/9033_2.png) [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-interjection-sounds-like-oura/1004606/2 "2024-07-22T14:02:43Z")
Probably “hurrah” with a silent h (as is common in French). ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-interjection-sounds-like-oura/1004606/3 "2024-07-22T14:11:28Z")
Agree with Schnitte, it sounds like hoorah! without the ‘h’ sound, which doesn’t exist in French. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-interjection-sounds-like-oura/1004606/4 "2024-07-22T14:17:34Z")
Agreed… if you go [here](https://www.google.com/search?q=french+for+hurray&newwindow=1&sca_esv=da4bf7f7e18dacaf&source=hp&ei=cmmeZu6SK_OehbIP0dCBqAY&iflsig=AL9hbdgAAAAAZp53ggidNFrdivJEcWvc3tYkMMIqHfnL&ved=0ahUKEwjuk4rk6rqHAxVzT0EAHVFoAGUQ4dUDCBc&uact=5&oq=french+for+hurray&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IhFmcmVuY2ggZm9yIGh1cnJheTIKEAAYgAQYRhj_ATILEAAYgAQYhgMYigUyCxAAGIAEGIYDGIoFMgsQABiABBiGAxiKBTILEAAYgAQYhgMYigUyCxAAGIAEGIYDGIoFMggQABiABBiiBDIIEAAYgAQYogQyCBAAGIAEGKIEMggQABiABBiiBEipMVAAWK8ucAB4AJABAJgBgwKgAb4NqgEGMTIuNC4xuAEDyAEA-AEBmAIRoAKaD8ICCxAAGIAEGLEDGIMBwgILEC4YgAQYsQMYgwHCAgUQABiABMICDhAAGIAEGLEDGIMBGIoFwgIIEC4YgAQYsQPCAhEQLhiABBixAxjRAxiDARjHAcICBRAuGIAEwgIOEC4YgAQYsQMYgwEYigXCAhQQLhiABBixAxjRAxiDARjHARjJA8ICCBAAGIAEGLEDwgILEAAYgAQYkgMYigXCAgQQABgDwgILEAAYgAQYsQMYyQPCAhAQABiABBixAxiDARhGGP8BwgIGEAAYFhgewgIIEAAYFhgeGA-YAwCSBwU4LjguMaAH8ZwB&sclient=gws-wiz) and click the load-speaker icon you’ll hear it spoken. btw, I’m in love !! ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-interjection-sounds-like-oura/1004606/5 "2024-07-22T14:18:23Z")
> [@pjd](#): > > btw, I’m in love !! Sorry fam, I already called dibs. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-interjection-sounds-like-oura/1004606/6 "2024-07-22T21:56:59Z")
Could be a contraction of “Ooh La La”? It’s a cliche, but French people do really say that… I worked in France for a few years and it was not unusual to hear it in everyday conversation. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2024, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-interjection-sounds-like-oura/1004606/7 "2024-07-22T23:07:31Z")
She is not French, but went to school there. The keyboardist is her husband, sorry guys. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-interjection-sounds-like-oura/1004606/8 "2024-07-23T01:42:31Z")
> [@xtenkfarpl](#): > > It’s a cliche, but French people do really say that… For example in the “Inspector Gadget” theme song 🙂 > **[Inspector Gadget Soundtrack - Theme Song (with French vocals)](https://yewtu.be/watch?v=Dqd0mVAn_xk)** > > ===ENGLISH=== > Music track is from DIC Entertainment cartoon Inspector Gadget. Music has been taken from soundtrack, which was released in France with title "Inspecteur Gadget - Bande Originale de la Serie TV" at 1983 by Saban Records.... ---
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-interjection-sounds-like-oura/1004606/9 "2024-07-23T02:02:46Z")
It’s not “_hourra_”, it sounds like “_Hou là_”. Her husband (the keyboardist) is Jack Conte, founder of Patreon. ---
**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2024, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-french-interjection-sounds-like-oura/1004606/10 "2024-07-23T15:54:56Z")
Agreed, seems more like “Hou là”, this is not in the song, maybe a reaction to an unexpected note.