How to Say “Not Funny” in French

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pas drôle
The English phrase "not funny" is translated into French as pas drôle.
pas drôle is used to describe something that is not humorous or fails to provoke laughter. Beyond its literal meaning, it can also be used idiomatically to mean that a situation is "not easy" or "unpleasant".

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase is composed of pas (not) and drôle (funny/amusing).

Which one should you use?

While pas drôle describes a lack of humor, you may encounter the colloquial alternative pas marrant to express the same idea.

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

In formal contexts, you might say Cela manque d'humour to mean "It lacks humor" or use the full grammatical structure Ce n'est pas drôle for "It's not funny". In informal or colloquial settings, you can use pas marrant or more emphatic expressions like C'est pas drôle du tout ! (It's not funny at all!) or Trop nul ! (Too lame!).

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Canadian French, the variation Pas drôle pantoute! is used to mean "Not funny at all!"

How does it change in a sentence?

In spoken French, the ne in the formal construction ce n'est pas drôle is frequently omitted, resulting in the informal version c'est pas drôle.

Did you know?

  • The word drôle shares an ancestor with the English word 'troll'. It originally referred to a 'fat little man' or a goblin in Middle Dutch.

Examples in context

  • C'est pas drôle !
    It is not funny!
    This sentence is useful for expressing that something is not funny using pas drôle.
    Tatoeba #651740 by Snout, translation #1743503 by belgavox
  • Ce n'est pas drôle.
    That's not funny.
    This sentence shows the formal way to say "That's not funny" using pas drôle.
    Tatoeba #1039385 by sacredceltic, translation #1039379 by CK
  • Ce n'est pas drôle !
    It's not funny.
    This sentence is another way to say "It's not funny" using pas drôle.
    Tatoeba #1103779 by sacredceltic, translation #1749344 by Spamster
  • Oui, mais ce n'est pas drôle du tout!
    Yes, but it's not funny at all!
  • Franchement, c'est pas marrant.
    Honestly, it's not funny.
  • 21 more sentences on Tatoeba

Example conversation

Emma and Gabriel are watching a comedy show at home.

  1. Emma

    Cette blague n'est vraiment pas drôle.
    This joke is really not funny.
  2. Gabriel

    Tu as raison, elle est très nulle.
    You are right, it is very bad.
  3. Emma

    On change de chaîne ?
    Should we change the channel?
  4. Gabriel

    Oui, c'est pas drôle du tout.
    Yes, it is not funny at all.

Sources

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Julia Penelope
Julia PenelopeHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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