Laughter is a universal language, but the way we talk about it can be wonderfully diverse. The most common way to say "to laugh" in French is rire, but why stop there? The French language is full of colorful and specific expressions to describe everything from a quiet chuckle to a roaring belly laugh.

Ready to add some nuance and humor to your French vocabulary?

Let's dive into 9 different ways to say "to laugh" in French!

The standard 'to laugh' – rire

The most common and direct way to say 'to laugh' in French is with the verb rire. It's the go-to verb for expressing laughter in almost any context, from a slight chuckle to a hearty laugh.

Rire is an irregular verb from the third group, which means its conjugation doesn't follow a standard pattern. Like many essential French verbs, it's one you'll need to memorize to use correctly.

To get you started, here is the conjugation of rire in the present tense (présent de l'indicatif):

• je ris - I laugh
• tu ris - you laugh (informal)
• il/elle/on rit - he/she/one laughs
• nous rions - we laugh
• vous riez - you laugh (formal/plural)
• ils/elles rient - they laugh

A key construction to learn is rire de quelque chose/quelqu'un, which means 'to laugh at/about something/someone'. This is crucial for forming complete sentences. For example, Il rit de ma blague means 'He is laughing at my joke.'

The noun derived from the verb is le rire (masculine), meaning 'laughter' or 'a laugh'. A very common and useful expression is un fou rire, which translates to 'a fit of giggles' or 'uncontrollable laughter'.

To say that something or someone 'makes you laugh', you use the construction faire rire. For instance, Ce clown me fait toujours rire means 'This clown always makes me laugh.'

💡 * Pourquoi est-ce que tu ris ? (Why are you laughing?)

• Nous avons beaucoup ri pendant le spectacle. (We laughed a lot during the show.)
• Son histoire nous a fait rire aux larmes. (His story made us cry with laughter.)
• C'est important de rire un peu chaque jour. (It's important to laugh a little every day.)

The common, informal 'to laugh' or 'to joke around' – rigoler

While rire is the standard French verb for “to laugh,” you'll frequently hear the more informal and conversational verb rigoler. It's a staple of everyday spoken French.

Rigoler carries a connotation of fun, amusement, and good times. Think of it as meaning “to have a laugh” or “to chuckle,” rather than just the neutral act of laughing. It's the verb you'd use when talking about laughing with friends.

In its most direct sense, rigoler means “to laugh,” often implying a hearty, genuine laugh. A common phrase is bien rigoler, which means “to have a good laugh” or “to have a lot of fun.”

Crucially, rigoler also means “to joke” or “to kid around.” If you say something that isn't serious and want to clarify, you can simply say, Je rigole ! which means, “I’m kidding!” or “I’m just joking!”

You'll find rigoler in common expressions. For example, Ça ne rigole pas means something is serious or intense (literally, “it’s not laughing”). Conversely, Ça me fait rigoler means “That makes me laugh.”

Use rigoler in informal situations with friends, family, and peers. In more formal or written contexts, the standard verb rire is generally more appropriate. Choosing rigoler adds a casual, friendly tone to your speech.

💡 * On a bien rigolé pendant la soirée. (We had a good laugh during the party.)

• Mais non, je rigole ! Ne sois pas fâché. (No way, I'm just kidding! Don't be upset.)
• Son accent me fait toujours rigoler. (His accent always makes me laugh.)
• Arrête de rigoler, c'est une situation sérieuse. (Stop joking around, this is a serious situation.)

The slang for 'to crack up' – se marrer

A very common and informal way to say 'to laugh' or 'to have a good laugh' in French is the reflexive verb se marrer. It's a staple of casual, spoken French.

This is definitely slang (argot), so you should only use it in informal situations with friends, family, or people you know well. It's the equivalent of saying 'to crack up,' 'to have a blast,' or 'to laugh one's head off' in English.

As a reflexive verb, se marrer is always conjugated with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that matches the subject. For compound tenses like the passé composé, it uses être as its auxiliary verb. For example, 'I had a good laugh' is Je me suis bien marré(e).

The adjective marrant (or marrante for feminine) comes directly from this verb and means 'funny' or 'amusing.' It's just as informal as the verb itself. For instance, C'est une histoire marrante means 'It's a funny story.'

While rire is the standard, neutral verb for 'to laugh,' se marrer implies a more intense, hearty, and unrestrained laughter. You use rire in any situation, but you use se marrer when you're genuinely having a great time and laughing a lot with friends.

💡 * On s'est bien marré hier soir au cinéma. (We had a really good laugh last night at the movies.)

• Arrête, tu me fais trop marrer avec tes blagues ! (Stop, you're making me crack up with your jokes!)
• C'est un film très marrant, tu vas te marrer. (It's a very funny movie, you're going to have a good laugh.)
• Ils se marrent toujours quand ils sont ensemble. (They're always cracking up when they're together.)

The 'to burst out laughing' or 'guffaw' – s'esclaffer

The verb s'esclaffer is the perfect way to describe a sudden, loud burst of laughter in French. It translates directly to 'to burst out laughing' or 'to guffaw.'

S'esclaffer implies an uncontrollable and hearty laugh, much stronger than a simple chuckle. You use it when someone laughs loudly and spontaneously, often in reaction to something very funny.

Grammatically, s'esclaffer is a reflexive verb, which means it always needs a reflexive pronoun (like me, te, se, nous, vous, se). In compound tenses like the passé composé, it uses the auxiliary verb être, for example, elle s'est esclaffée.

While rire is the general verb for 'to laugh,' s'esclaffer adds a layer of intensity and spontaneity. Think of it as the difference between a quiet giggle and a full-blown, sidesplitting laugh.

💡 * Quand j'ai raconté la blague, tout le monde s'est esclaffé.

• Il s'esclaffe si fort qu'il en a les larmes aux yeux.
• Nous nous sommes esclaffés en regardant la comédie.
• Elle ne peut pas s'empêcher de s'esclaffer à chaque fois.

The 'to giggle' or 'chuckle' – glousser

Glousser is the French verb for 'to giggle' or 'to chuckle.' It describes a light, often suppressed laugh, similar to the sound a hen makes, which is where the word originates.

This verb is used for a specific type of laughter. It's not a loud, hearty laugh (which would be rire), but a quieter, more subtle sound. It's perfect for describing someone trying to hold back laughter or reacting to something subtly amusing.

The tone of glousser can vary. It can imply amusement, shyness, or even nervousness. You might hear children glousser when they're being mischievous or adults when they hear an awkward joke.

Good news for learners: glousser is a regular -er verb. This means it follows the standard conjugation patterns, making it easy to use in different tenses (e.g., je glousse, nous gloussions, ils ont gloussé).

In short, use glousser when you want to add descriptive color to laughter. It specifies a quiet, contained chuckle rather than an outright laugh.

💡 * Elle n'a pas pu s'empêcher de glousser à sa blague. (She couldn't help but chuckle at his joke.)

• Les enfants gloussaient en se racontant des secrets. (The children were giggling while telling each other secrets.)
• J'ai entendu mon collègue glousser derrière son écran. (I heard my colleague chuckle behind his screen.)
• Arrête de glousser, ce n'est pas si drôle ! (Stop giggling, it's not that funny!)

The 'to snort with laughter' – pouffer (de rire)

The French verb for a sudden, stifled laugh is pouffer (de rire), which perfectly captures the idea of snorting or bursting out with laughter.

Pouffer describes a laugh that someone tries to hold back but can't, resulting in a short, explosive sound. Think of a snort, a giggle, or a puff of air escaping. The addition of de rire ('of laughter') is common for emphasis but can be omitted if the context makes it clear that laughter is the cause.

This verb is used in informal and descriptive settings. It's ideal for situations where a loud laugh would be inappropriate, like in a quiet classroom, a library, or a serious meeting. It paints a vivid picture of someone trying, and failing, to suppress their amusement.

Fortunately for learners, pouffer is a regular -er verb, so its conjugation is predictable. For example: je pouffe, tu pouffes, il/elle pouffe, nous pouffons. You simply apply the standard endings for -er verbs.

💡 * En voyant sa coiffure, je n'ai pas pu m'empêcher de pouffer. (Seeing his hairstyle, I couldn't help but snort with laughter.)

• Les enfants ont pouffé de rire en entendant le bruit étrange. (The children giggled upon hearing the strange noise.)
• Elle a pouffé dans sa main pour ne pas interrompre le discours. (She stifled a laugh into her hand so as not to interrupt the speech.)
• Il a raconté une blague si bête que tout le monde a pouffé. (He told such a silly joke that everyone burst out laughing.)

The 'to snicker' or 'sneer' – ricaner

The French verb ricaner translates to 'to snicker' or 'to sneer'. It describes a specific type of laugh that is far from joyful.

Unlike the neutral verb rire (to laugh), ricaner carries a strong negative connotation. It implies a laugh that is mocking, malicious, contemptuous, or forced. It’s the kind of laugh you'd associate with a villain in a movie.

You would use ricaner to describe someone laughing at someone else in a mean-spirited way or expressing scorn through a short, unpleasant laugh.

💡 * Le méchant a ricané en voyant son plan réussir. (The villain sneered as he saw his plan succeed.)

• Arrête de ricaner, ce n'est pas drôle ! (Stop snickering, it's not funny!)
• J'ai entendu les autres élèves ricaner quand je suis tombé. (I heard the other students snicker when I fell.)
• Elle a ricané d'un air supérieur. (She sneered with a superior air.)

The 'to joke' or 'to jest' – plaisanter

When you want to talk about joking in a general sense, the verb you'll need is plaisanter.

Plaisanter directly translates to 'to joke' or 'to jest'. It's a standard, regular -er verb used to describe the act of saying things in a lighthearted, non-serious way. It’s the most common verb for this action in everyday French.

A very common use of this verb is in the question 'Tu plaisantes ?' which means 'Are you kidding?' or 'Are you joking?'. It's a go-to phrase to express surprise or disbelief in a conversational context.

To specify what the joke is about, you can use the prepositions sur or à propos de. For example, 'Il ne faut pas plaisanter sur ce sujet' means 'You shouldn't joke about this topic'.

💡 * Il aime plaisanter avec ses amis.

• Arrête de plaisanter, sois sérieux une minute !
• Je disais ça pour plaisanter, ne t'inquiète pas.
• Tu plaisantes ? J'ai gagné au loto !

The very informal 'to crack up' – se poiler

One of the most informal and expressive ways to say you're laughing hysterically in French is with the reflexive verb se poiler. It's the direct equivalent of English slang like 'to crack up,' 'to be in stitches,' or 'to laugh one's head off.' Because it's very casual, you should only use it in informal settings with friends.

As a pronominal verb, se poiler must always be used with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that agrees with the subject. The verb itself follows the conjugation pattern of regular -er verbs. For example, in the present tense: Je me poile (I'm cracking up), Il se poile (He's cracking up), Nous nous poilons (We're cracking up).

While rire is the standard verb for 'to laugh,' se poiler describes a much more intense, uncontrollable, and often physical laughter. You might rire at a clever comment, but you te poiles when a story is so funny you can barely breathe. It's even more informal than rigoler (to have a laugh).

Derived from the verb is the equally informal adjective poilant (or poilante for feminine nouns), which means 'hilarious' or 'side-splitting.' If you find something extremely funny, a common exclamation is, C'est poilant !

💡 * J'ai regardé son spectacle hier, je me suis poilé pendant une heure ! (I watched his show yesterday, I was cracking up for an hour!)

• Cette histoire est vraiment poilante, raconte-la encore. (This story is truly hilarious, tell it again.)
• Arrête de faire cette tête, tu vas me faire poiler ! (Stop making that face, you're going to make me crack up!)
• On se poile toujours bien quand on est ensemble. (We always have a good laugh when we're together.)

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

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

Our list features the most essential verbs for expressing laughter in French, from the basic rire to more specific terms. However, the French language is rich with regional variations, evolving slang, and literary expressions you might still encounter.

You can expand your vocabulary by doing an online search for terms like “argot pour rire” (slang for 'to laugh') or by looking into expressions from specific Francophone regions like Quebec or Belgium.

When you find a new synonym for rire, always check its context. Is it playful, sarcastic, or old-fashioned? Observing how it's used in movies, TV shows, or online forums will help you master its nuance before using it yourself.

Pay attention as you enjoy French comedies, read comics (bandes dessinées), and listen to conversations. You'll start to notice the diverse and colorful ways French speakers express humor and mirth.

For a deeper look into words related to laughter and amusement, the Larousse dictionary entry for rire is a great starting point, often providing synonyms and common phrases.

I hope this guide has been helpful and brings more laughter to your French learning journey. Let's end with a perfect quote from the writer Nicolas Chamfort: Le plus sot animal, à mon avis, c'est l'homme, quand il ne rit pas. (The most foolish animal, in my opinion, is man when he does not laugh.)