très drôle
The English phrase "very funny" is translated into French as très drôle.
très drôle is used to describe something that causes a lot of laughter or amusement. You can also use trop drôle in casual spoken French to mean the same thing, though it literally translates to "too funny". If you want to emphasize the humor even more, you might use extrêmement drôle for "extremely funny", super drôle for "really funny" or hilarant for "hilarious".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase très drôle is composed of très (very) and drôle (funny).
Which one should you use?
While très drôle describes something that is amusing, it can also be used sarcastically to mean "very funny" in a mocking way, just like in English. For a higher intensity, you can use extrêmement drôle (extremely funny) or hilarant (hilarious).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some areas of France, the expression sacré rigolo is used to describe someone as a "real joker" or "real funster".
How does it change in a sentence?
When describing a plural noun, the adjective takes an 's' to become très drôles.
Did you know?
- The word drôle has a surprising connection to the mythical 'troll' of Germanic folklore. It originally evolved from words meaning 'goblin' or 'fat little man' in Middle Dutch.
- While drôle is used for 'funny', French also uses rigolo in casual settings. This comes from the verb rigoler, which is an onomatopoeic word meant to mimic the sound of laughter.
- The term sacré rigolo uses the word sacré, which literally means 'sacred'. In this context, it is used as an intensifier similar to saying someone is a 'real' character.
Examples in context
- Tu es très drôle.You're very funny.This sentence is useful for saying someone is very funny.Tatoeba #2227241 by sacredceltic, translation #2218487 by CK
- Ce serait très drôle.That would be very funny.This sentence is useful for describing a hypothetical funny situation.Tatoeba #6380806 by Aiji, translation #3737373 by CK
- Ce n'est pas très drôle.That's not very funny.This sentence is useful for expressing that something is not very funny.Tatoeba #1763307 by sacredceltic, translation #3590954 by CK
- Cette comédie est trop drôle !This comedy is very funny!
- Le spectacle était trop drôle , nous avons beaucoup ri.The show was very funny, we laughed a lot.
- Le film était extrêmement drôle , j'ai ri du début à la fin.The movie was extremely funny, I laughed from beginning to end.
- Ce sketch était hilarant , j'en ai pleuré de rire.This sketch was hilarious, I laughed until I cried.
- Cette blague est vraiment marrante !This joke is really funny!
- Le spectacle était super drôle , on s'est bien amusés.The show was really funny, we had a great time.
- Cette vidéo est méga marrante , regarde-la!This video is mega funny, check it out!
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan are watching a comedy film at home.
- EmmaCe film est très drôle !This movie is very funny!
- NathanOui, j'adore ce comédien.Yes, I love this actor.
- EmmaIl est vraiment très drôle.He is really very funny.
- NathanC'est vrai, je ris beaucoup.It's true, I'm laughing a lot.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries drôle, très, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
