Drôle is probably the first word that comes to mind when you want to say 'funny' in French. But did you know there are many other ways to express this?

Whether you're chatting with French friends, watching a comedy, or simply trying to describe something hilarious, having a diverse vocabulary for 'funny' can make your conversations much more vibrant.

Let's dive into 9 different ways to say 'funny' in French, exploring their nuances and when to use them!

The most common and general 'funny' – drôle

Drôle is the most common and versatile French word for 'funny'.

It can be used to describe people, situations, jokes, or things that are amusing and make you laugh.

Its primary meaning is 'comical,' 'amusing,' or 'hilarious,' making it your go-to word when something is genuinely funny.

However, drôle also carries a secondary meaning of 'strange,' 'odd,' or 'weird.' This can sometimes lead to confusion for learners.

The context usually makes it clear whether you're talking about something amusing or something unusual. Pay attention to the tone and the surrounding words.

For example, if someone says C'est drôle, je n'ai jamais vu ça, they likely mean 'That's strange, I've never seen that,' rather than 'That's funny...'

A helpful grammatical point: drôle is an invariant adjective. This means it does not change its form to agree with the gender or number of the noun it modifies. It remains drôle whether referring to a single male, a single female, or multiple people/things.

While words like amusant (amusing) or comique (comical) exist, drôle is generally the most natural and frequently used choice in everyday conversation.

You can use drôle in both casual and more formal settings, making it a versatile addition to your French vocabulary.

💡 * C'est très drôle ! (It's very funny!)* Elle a raconté une histoire drôle. (She told a funny story.)* Ce film est vraiment drôle. (This movie is really funny.)* J'ai vu quelque chose de drôle dans le jardin. (I saw something strange in the garden.)* C'est drôle, il n'est pas là. (It's strange, he's not here.)

The 'amusing' or 'entertaining' – amusant

The 'amusing' or 'entertaining' – amusant

The French adjective amusant directly translates to 'amusing,' 'entertaining,' or 'funny.' It describes something or someone that brings a sense of lighthearted enjoyment or causes laughter.

You'll frequently encounter amusant when talking about movies, books, jokes, or even people who have a pleasant, humorous demeanor. It's a versatile word for anything that diverts and delights.

As an adjective, amusant must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. The forms are: amusant (masculine singular), amusante (feminine singular), amusants (masculine plural), and amusantes (feminine plural).

While amusant can often overlap with drôle (funny, comical), amusant tends to imply a broader sense of pleasant entertainment rather than just laugh-out-loud humor. It's less about a punchline and more about sustained enjoyment or lightheartedness. Divertissant is a close synonym for 'entertaining'.

Amusant can describe a wide range of situations, from a fun evening out to an interesting anecdote. It's a positive descriptor, indicating something that is enjoyable and lifts the spirits.

💡 * Ce film est très amusant. (This movie is very amusing/entertaining.)

• Elle a une personnalité amusante. (She has an amusing personality.)
• Les enfants ont trouvé le jeu amusant. (The children found the game amusing.)
• C'est une histoire amusante à raconter. (It's an amusing story to tell.)
• Ces blagues sont vraiment amusantes. (These jokes are really funny/amusing.)

The informal and everyday 'funny' – marrant

The informal and everyday 'funny' – marrant

Marrant is a very common and versatile French adjective used to describe something or someone as 'funny' or 'amusing'.

It's considered more informal and colloquial than drôle, making it a staple in everyday conversations.

Like many French adjectives, marrant changes its ending to agree with the noun it modifies: marrant (masculine singular), marrante (feminine singular), marrants (masculine plural), and marrantes (feminine plural).

You'll often hear marrant used to describe jokes, stories, situations, or even people who are amusing or entertaining.

While drôle can be used in almost any context for 'funny,' marrant specifically emphasizes the lighthearted, amusing, and often slightly silly aspect. Think of it as 'hilarious' or 'a laugh' in a casual sense.

For an informal and natural way to express 'funny' in French, marrant is an excellent choice and widely understood.

💡 * C'est vraiment marrant de te voir ici ! (It's really funny/amusing to see you here!)

• Le spectacle était très marrant. (The show was very funny.)
• Elle a raconté une anecdote marrante. (She told an amusing anecdote.)
• Ces enfants sont tellement marrants. (These children are so funny.)
• Ce n'est pas marrant quand il fait ça. (It's not funny when he does that.)

The 'hilarious' or 'very funny' – hilarant

The French adjective hilarant directly translates to "hilarious" or "very funny" in English. It's used to describe something that provokes strong laughter.

As an adjective, hilarant must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. The forms are: hilarant (masculine singular), hilarante (feminine singular), hilarants (masculine plural), and hilarantes (feminine plural).

Hilarant conveys a stronger degree of funniness than the more common adjective drôle (funny). Use hilarant when something is truly side-splitting or extremely amusing.

💡 * Ce film est absolument hilarant ! (This movie is absolutely hilarious!)

• Elle a raconté une histoire hilarante. (She told a hilarious story.)
• Les sketchs de cet humoriste sont toujours hilarants. (That comedian's skits are always hilarious.)
• Nous avons trouvé la pièce de théâtre hilarante. (We found the play hilarious.)

The 'comic' or 'humorous' (often intentional) – comique

The 'comic' or 'humorous' (often intentional) – comique

The French word comique primarily translates to 'comic,' 'humorous,' or 'funny' in English.

As an adjective, comique describes something that is designed or intended to provoke laughter. It can refer to a situation, a person's behavior, a film, or a play.

It can also be used as a noun: un comique (a male comedian/comic actor) or une comique (a female comedian/comic actress).

A key nuance of comique is that it often implies an intentional effort to be funny, rather than something being accidentally amusing. It suggests a deliberate comedic element.

Comique is a standard, widely understood term in French, suitable for most contexts, from formal discussions about art to casual conversations about a funny movie.

💡 * Ce film est très comique. (This film is very comic/funny.)

• Il a un sens de l'humour très comique. (He has a very comic/humorous sense of humor.)
• C'était une situation assez comique. (It was quite a comic situation.)
• Elle est une excellente comique. (She is an excellent comedian.)
• Le comique de la situation m'a échappé. (The humor of the situation escaped me.)

The light-hearted or slightly childish 'funny' – rigolo

When you want to describe something as "funny" in a light-hearted, amusing, or even slightly silly way, the French adjective to reach for is rigolo. It conveys a sense of harmless fun and is often associated with things that make you smile rather than burst out laughing.

Rigolo is generally informal and has a somewhat childlike or playful connotation. It's perfect for describing a funny animal, a cute prank, or an amusing situation that isn't necessarily sophisticated humor but is genuinely entertaining in a gentle way.

While drôle is the most common and general word for "funny" in French, rigolo adds a specific nuance. Think of drôle as "funny" in a broad sense (it can be witty, sarcastic, or hilarious), whereas rigolo leans towards "amusing," "playful," or "a bit silly." It's less about sharp wit and more about innocent fun.

You'll often hear rigolo used when talking about children's antics, funny toys, cartoons, or situations that evoke a gentle chuckle. It's a word that evokes warmth and often a smile, making it a good choice for describing something endearing and amusing.

In essence, if something is funny in a cute, charming, or mildly entertaining way, rigolo is the perfect fit. It's a delightful word to add to your vocabulary for describing lighthearted humor.

💡 * Ce petit chat est vraiment rigolo avec ses bêtises. (This little cat is really funny with its silly antics.)

• Regarde, c'est rigolo, la façon dont il danse. (Look, it's funny, the way he dances.)
• J'ai lu une histoire très rigolo hier soir. (I read a very amusing story last night.)
• C'est une blague rigolo, mais pas hilarante. (It's a funny joke, but not hilarious.)
• Le clown était très rigolo et a fait rire tous les enfants. (The clown was very funny and made all the children laugh.)

The 'uproarious' or 'side-splittingly funny' – désopilant

The French adjective désopilant is used to describe something that is hilariously funny, uproarious, or side-splitting. It goes beyond merely 'funny' to suggest something that provokes uncontrollable laughter.

When something is described as désopilant, it implies a very high degree of amusement, often to the point of making you laugh until your sides hurt. It’s a stronger, more emphatic way to say something is funny than simply drôle.

As an adjective, désopilant must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. For instance, you would say une histoire désopilante (an uproarious story) or des films désopilants (side-splittingly funny movies).

💡 * Ce spectacle était absolument désopilant, j'ai ri aux larmes. (This show was absolutely side-splitting, I cried with laughter.)

• Leur nouvelle comédie est désopilante. (Their new comedy is uproarious.)
• Il nous a raconté une anecdote vraiment désopilante. (He told us a truly hilarious anecdote.)
• Ces blagues sont désopilantes ! (These jokes are side-splitting!)
• Nous avons passé une soirée désopilante avec eux. (We had an uproarious evening with them.)

The 'witty' or 'cleverly funny' – spirituel

The 'witty' or 'cleverly funny' – spirituel

As an adjective, spirituel describes someone or something that is witty, clever, or intelligently humorous. It implies a sharp mind and an ability to express ideas in an engaging and often amusing way.

Unlike simply being 'funny' (drôle), spirituel refers to a more intellectual and refined sense of humor. It's about quick thinking, sharp observations, and clever wordplay, rather than slapstick or broad comedy.

Being an adjective, spirituel agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies: spirituelle (feminine singular), spirituels (masculine plural), and spirituelles (feminine plural).

💡 * Son discours était très spirituel et a fait rire toute l'assemblée. (His speech was very witty and made the whole assembly laugh.)

• Elle a toujours une remarque spirituelle à faire. (She always has a witty remark to make.)
• Les dialogues de ce film sont vraiment spirituels. (The dialogues in this film are truly clever/witty.)
• J'apprécie les gens spirituels qui peuvent me faire réfléchir en riant. (I appreciate witty people who can make me think while laughing.)

The 'farcical' or 'absurdly funny' – burlesque

In French, the word burlesque (pronounced boor-lesk) primarily refers to something that is farcical, absurdly funny, or comically exaggerated. It describes a style or situation that is so ridiculous it becomes humorous.

This adjective is often used to characterize a play, a film, a scene, or even a real-life situation that is marked by grotesque exaggeration, parody, and often a sense of the absurd. Think of slapstick comedy or satirical works where situations are pushed to an illogical extreme for comedic effect.

It's important to note that the French burlesque does not typically carry the same connotation as the English 'burlesque,' which often refers to a type of theatrical entertainment involving striptease or cabaret. While the historical roots are shared, the modern meanings have diverged significantly in common usage.

The term emphasizes a kind of humor that stems from incongruity and over-the-top situations, often bordering on the nonsensical. It's more intense than simply 'drôle' (funny) or 'comique' (comic), suggesting a more profound level of absurdity.

💡 * Le film était tellement burlesque que nous n'avons pas arrêté de rire. (The film was so farcical that we couldn't stop laughing.)

• La scène de poursuite était d'un comique burlesque. (The chase scene was of a farcical comedy.)
• Son comportement était totalement burlesque et inattendu. (His behavior was totally absurdly funny and unexpected.)
• C'était une situation burlesque, digne d'une pièce de théâtre. (It was a farcical situation, worthy of a play.)
• L'humour burlesque est souvent basé sur l'exagération. (Burlesque humor is often based on exaggeration.)

Are there other ways to say 'funny' in French?

Are there other ways to say “funny” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “funny” in French. But the French language is rich with nuances for humor, from subtle wit to outright hilarity, including old-fashioned terms, regional expressions, and new slang this middle-aged author might not even be aware of!

You can also do an online search for “comment dire drôle en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region.

You might find some interesting synonyms for drôle or amusant on this list. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover many different ways to describe something as funny.

And if you’re looking for more ways to express humor or describe something as funny in French, the WordReference entries for drôle or amusant are great places to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s a fitting quote to finish it with, courtesy of Victor Hugo: Le rire, c'est le soleil; il chasse l'hiver du visage humain. (Laughter is the sun; it drives winter from the human face.)