Do Germans say 'Boo'?

A few years ago, actor and comedian Hugh Laurie claimed that Germans say "Ooh" instead of "Boo". But was he right? And why do we say "Boo" anyhow?

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"Style Funk" and "Hot Swing"
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[imrehundertwasser]

As a German, I never heard of "Huh".

[svenmueller]

As a native German, I never heard of "huh" as an alternative to "buh" before this video.

[Titamiva]

Is there a chance they were just slightly mispronouncing his first name of Hugh?

[tjpld]

Nobody in Germany says "huh!".

[minski]

Buh. Clearly. Never heard of Huh.
Seems very likely to me that they just tried to say Hugh, which is a strange word for us Germans.

[jaikee]

Of course Germans say "boo" and not "ouu". Either Laurie made his German story up or he just didn't listen. Inventing anecdotes about those "strange Germans" is mandatory if you're a British actor/comedian on a talk show. The only problem is that people tend to believe it.

[KhaoShar]

As a native German, my impression is either that Mr. Laurie misheard something in that situation (and then probably exaggerated it for comic effect). Or, and this I personally think is more likely, the fans were actually shouting "Hugh, Hugh!" and he mostly heard the "oo" sound a not-so-english-savvy German might produce in that name. For, let's be honest, "Hugh" sounds rather like it could be written "Hjoo" anyway...

In any case, "huh" is not used as a jeer in any area of Germany I know.

[Seegalgalguntijak]

I'm a German native speaker, and I generally don't boo. But I'd say the German word for it is "Buh", not "Huh!" which I've never heard before.

[megatwingo]

I have never heard people saying "Huh" instead of "Buh". I have never heard about, that this "Huh" is meant to be an alternative for saying "Buh" here in Germany.

[JoachimDivko]

I have never heard anyone say "huh!", but maybe in the north or east!? Huh knows?!

[eisikater]

I'm a German, and I never heard someone say "Huh!" as a disapproval. It's rather a sound of surprise, as in "Huh! The train's on time, who would have thought of that?"

And I personally dont boo at theaters or movies, I rather leave without a sound. That's voting by foot, "mit den Füßen abstimmen". Maybe a German idiom you would want to make a video about.

[ThomasKossatz]

Sorry, Dr House totally got the reaction WRONG. What he heard was an "oooo" (pronounced like in "awe"), which is an expression of disappointment and not - like boo - of disapproval. Noone would boo in Germany if someone has to catch his train!

[Amadrath]

I would explain Hugh Lauries experience as follows: If one is jeering using the word "Boo", the "oo" part is elongated as much as possible. Additionally this part is articulated louder than the initial "B". If a crowd is big and dense enough, this might lead to the "B" part being suppressed, resulting in a monotone "oo".

[sarina_friendlie]

i definitely say "buh" and/or hiss :D

[MichaEl-rhkv]

"Huh" can be an equivalent to "Buh" - but only if kids use it to scare another. Or in ghost stories for kids.

[Rednesswahn]

I've never heard of Huh. Buh! whoever invented that!

[Highwindraider]

Maybe it was not the Huh! sound Hugh Larie heard. I think it could be the "Uuh" quite similar to the "Ooh" sound for disappointment.

[ringracer]

"Ooh" means something like "schade", "ohh, do you have to leave now? Can't you stay for a few minutes?". You can use "ooh" for encore (Zugabe/noch einmal). But the "ooh" is different pronounced.

[VolkerBrueggemann]

"Huh" can be the sound of a ghost (walking by night) (= ein Nachtgespenst).

[patricks.]

For me "huh" is the same as "hä". Not "buh"