la vache
What does “la vache” mean in English?
This is an exclamation of surprise, similar to saying 'wow' or 'bloody hell.' It literally translates to 'the cow.'
Literally “the cow”
You might hear it when someone is shocked or impressed, and it's not used as an insult. It’s a light, casual expression, often used in everyday conversation.
Take it with you
Wear it. Stick it. Drink from it.
Put la vache on a mug, a T-shirt or a sticker as Swear Atlas stamp artwork. You'll finish your order with Zazzle, our print partner — they handle payment, printing and delivery.
Adult/mature product · 18+. Purchases, delivery, returns and support are provided by Zazzle, not Swear Atlas. Availability is subject to Zazzle's policies.
Related French words
bon sang
1/5 · MildIt's a mild exclamation used to express surprise or irritation. Literally, it translates to 'good blood.'
flûte
1/5 · MildThis is a very mild exclamation used to express annoyance or frustration. It literally means 'flute,' which is pretty neutral.
mince
1/5 · MildIt's a mild exclamation similar to 'darn' in English. The literal translation means 'thin.'
zut
1/5 · MildIt's a mild exclamation of annoyance, similar to saying 'darn' or 'shoot' in English.
About this data
Swear Atlas is a source-attested, AI-curated reference — not a native-speaker-certified dictionary. Meanings and the 1–5 Burn Rating are approximate editorial assessments that vary with context, region, tone and speaker. Inclusion of a word does not constitute endorsement of its use.
The literal gloss is a short editorial translation to show word-for-word sense, not an etymological claim.
“Sounds like” is an English-friendly approximation of how the word sounds, not an authoritative pronunciation. Where shown, the romanisation is a conventional Latin-script transliteration of the original spelling.
Term attested via Viddexa SafeText (MIT). Editorial content © Swear Atlas.