reír
/reˈiɾ/
The English verb 'laugh' is translated into Spanish as reír.
The verb reír is used to express the act of showing mirth through facial movements and sounds. In everyday speech, it is very common to see this used in its reflexive form, reírse, to describe the actual action of laughing. If you want to refer to the laugh itself as a noun, you can use risa. For a specific type of loud, boisterous or hearty laugh, you can use the word carcajada or its plural carcajadas to mean bursts of laughter.
Meaning: show mirth by peculiar movement of the muscles of the face and emission of sounds (verb)
Which one should you use?
While reír is the base verb meaning to laugh, using the reflexive form reírse is a more natural and idiomatic way to express the action of laughing. To describe the sound or the phenomenon of a laugh as a noun, use risa instead of the verb.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In common usage, the verb is often used reflexively as reírse when describing the act of laughing. When using the noun risa, it functions as the expression of mirth itself.
How do you pronounce it?
/reˈiɾ/
When do people say it?
To describe someone who is laughing uncontrollably or is 'dying of laughter', you can use the idiomatic expression muerto de risa.
Did you know?
- While reír means to laugh, the reflexive reírse de is used to mean 'to mock' or 'to laugh at' someone. Using the reflexive form changes the meaning from an expression of joy to an act of ridicule.
- If you want to describe someone who is constantly laughing or has a very cheerful disposition, you can call them risueño. This adjective is derived from the noun risa and describes a person's inherent character rather than a single action.
- Depending on the region, the expression reírse a ganas can describe someone laughing excessively or laughing in a way that seems forced or intentional.
Examples in context
- Vi a Tom reírse.I saw Tom laugh.This sentence shows the use of the verb reírse to describe someone laughing.Tatoeba #8636957 by pcarolina, translation #8398882 by CK
- No me hagas reír.Don't make me laugh.This is a common way to express the phrase 'don't make me laugh' using reír.Tatoeba #1254009 by marcelostockle, translation #29948 by CK
- Eso me hizo reír.That made me laugh.This sentence demonstrates how to say something made you laugh using reír.Tatoeba #1688059 by marcelostockle, translation #1435689 by CM
- Él soltó risas contagiosasHe burst into contagious laughter
- Hubo un gran cachondeo en el auditorioThere was a lot of laughter in the auditorium
- Se escuchó una risa misteriosa en la habitaciónA mysterious laugh was heard in the room
- Me haces reír muchoYou make me laugh a lot
- Soltó una carcajada tan fuerte que hizo temblar la habitaciónHe let out such a loud laugh that it made the room tremble
- Me quedé muerto de risa con ese chisteI was dying of laughter with that joke
- Estábamos riendo a carcajadas durante toda la películaWe were laughing uproariously throughout the movie
- ¡Jajaja! ¡Me haces reír muchísimo con tus ocurrencias!Hahaha! You make me laugh a lot with your antics!
- Durante el discurso, el presidente soltó una risa discretaDuring the speech, the president let out a discreet laugh
- 89 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are watching a funny movie.
- ElenaNo puedo parar de reír.I can't stop laughing.
- DanielYo también, es muy gracioso.Me too, it's very funny.
- ElenaMira la cara de Daniel al reír.Look at Daniel's face when he laughs.
- DanielEs que la película es genial.It's just that the movie is great.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “laugh” translations and entries reír, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
