How Sims “Woohoo” In Languages Around The World

WooHoo is one of the most iconic interactions in The Sims franchise, serving as a solid example of how the series uses nonsense language at times while still managing to get a point across, and it’s a term that needed to be localized into multiple languages. The mechanic is set up so that any kind of player can understand what it means without getting too technical or vulgar. As one can probably imagine, it was no easy task for developers to find equally appropriate translations in all of the global languages The Sims has been ported into, and examining the end results is a fun way to examine how language works in The Sims. Fortunately, to make it easier, players from all around the globe have compiled a list of WooHoo equivalents and their approximate meanings, though not all of them translate perfectly into English.

Given that The Sims is arguably the most popular life simulation game on the market, it’s no surprise that the series has become something of a global phenomenon over the years. The Sims 4 alone is available to play in more than 18 languages, ranging from Traditional Chinese to Russian and Swedish. Players can switch their game’s language at will through the Origin launcher on PC, though it’s worth noting that the language will also have to be changed across all of the Sims 4 DLC packs the player might own. Not only is this tool helpful for those living outside of North America or in an area where English otherwise isn’t the primary language, but it’s also a great trick for people who are trying to learn other languages in a more immersive way.

While The Sims iconic fictional nonsense language, Simlish, sounds more or less the same across different languages, the UI relies on text just as much as it does iconography and therefore will appear different when translated. One curious Sims player took to Reddit after discovering that WooHoo appeared instead as Ñiqui-Ñiqui in Spanish, inquiring what words were used in other languages and what they might mean in English. The community was quick to begin providing translations from their localized copy of The Sims, and the resulting list is an interesting look into the global community that surrounds The Sims franchise.

How The Sims WooHoo In Spanish – Ñiqui-Ñiqui

Much like WooHoo is in English, and falling in line with The Sims series’ use of Simlish, Ñiqui-Ñiqui is essentially a lighthearted noise more than it is a proper word and consequently doesn’t have any real translation into English. Various other translations are phrased similarly by repeating two words or noises, like Fiki-Fiki in Italian and Bara-Bara in Polish. It’s worth noting additionally that the Greek version of The Sims also utilizes the phrase Fiki-Fiki, albeit spelled as Φίκι φίκι, making use of an outdated and old-school phrase that one might hear from their grandparents.

How The Sims WooHoo In Danish – Juhuu

Juhuu is essentially another spelling of WooHoo, or at the very least an incredibly similar noise, and is relatively common to hear in Danish. It’s akin to a cheer or even a casual and joking form of greeting.

How The Sims WooHoo In Dutch – O Jaa!

The expression in Dutch is O Jaa, which can be almost directly translated as Oh Yeah in English. In most languages, The Sims developers at Maxis tried to aim for an appropriate noise or saying associated with the interaction as opposed to a direct translation of what was happening.

How The Sims WooHoo In French – Crac-Crac

The French version of WooHoo, Crac-Crac, is something of an onomatopoeia, perhaps referring to the way a wooden bed frame might crack when two Sims are using the WooHoo interaction. Like many of the other translations featured in global copies of The Sims, it isn’t a widely used phrase or any sort of popular slang.

How The Sims WooHoo In German – Techtelmechtel

In German, Techtelmechtel is often considered to be an outdated word for the action of WooHooing, perhaps comparable to expressions like Hanky-Panky in older English vernacular. It seems likely that language experts building translations for The Sims series deliberately searched for older phrases or nonsensical sounds to help the interaction fall more in line with the rest of The Sims franchise’s lighthearted tone.

How The Sims WooHoo In Japanese – Ufufu

In Japanese, the overall interaction is translated to ウフフなことをする, which in its most literal translation means to do something that makes one laugh or giggle. The phrase Ufufu in particular is used as an onomatopoeia for giggling or laughing.

How The Sims WooHoo In Russian – Заняться сексом

The Russian translation from The Sims 3 is arguably one of the most interesting global translations if only because compared to WooHoo in many other languages it isn’t at all censored or hidden behind outdated and silly slang phrases or onomatopoeias. In Russian, the romance option to make Sims WooHoo is listed as Заняться сексом, which translates very directly into “have sex”. What’s more interesting is the fact that The Sims 3 has a lower age restriction than The Sims 4 despite the fact that the action was changed to WooHoo in the latter game.

How The Sims WooHoo In Finnish – Pelehdi

Much like the German translation, Pelehdi is an outdated way to talk about the action of WooHooing, with an approximate meaning of “to fool around”. This particular turn of phrase isn’t commonly used in modern times, so many young players may only know of it from their exposure to The Sims franchise.

How The Sims WooHoo In Portuguese – Oba-Oba & Trique-Trique

There are two translations of the content for The Sims games available in Portuguese, one in European and the other in Brazilian. The European Portuguese translation is Trique-Trique, while in Brazilian Portuguese it becomes Oba-Oba. Both are likely just meant to be funny noises rather than any actual phrase.

How The Sims WooHoo In Korean – 사랑나누기

In the Korean version of The Sims, WooHoo becomes 사랑나누기, which translates to something close to “sharing love” in English. It’s a more subtle way to write out the action while still keeping the series appropriate for its younger players.

Despite the many differences between each unique version of The Sims, it’s apparent that a great deal of time and thought was put into each translation in order to maintain the well-known tone of The Sims franchise. Each language more or less manages to stay true to the developers’ original intentions, an example of attention to detail that has no doubt helped to cement the series’ place as a global hit. As more and more official translations become available through Origin, Sims fans and character creators worldwide will have the chance to try out new languages and see how The Sims changes as they do so.

Source: pjd3x4/Reddit

About The Author

Ky Shinkle
(526 Articles Published)

Ky Shinkle is a Senior Gaming Features Writer for Screen Rant as well as an overall avid gamer and writer. Her prior experience is primarily that of a narrative designer for video games, although her writing has covered all formats from screenplays and novels to stage scripts. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, when she isn’t writing she works on digital media projects and other types of fiction writing. Ky currently works out of Ohio and enjoys spending her free time either playing RPGs or running with her dog.

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