French · Emotions & Descriptions

"Crazy" in French: fou / folle

fou / folle

Say it: foo / fuladjective/fu/ /fɔl/

Crazy in French is fou for masculine and folle for feminine. Say C'est fou for that's crazy/amazing, and Il est fou carefully—tone matters. Soften with un peu fou.

Surprising news

C'est fou, ils se marient déjà ?
That's crazy—they're getting married already?
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How to pronounce fou / folle

Say it

foo / ful

/fu/ /fɔl/

Foo / ful. Fou is short; folle has a clear l.

"Crazy" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
fou / follecrazy

Gender forms.

c'est fouthat's crazy / amazing

Reaction.

devenir fou / folleto go crazy

Overwhelm.

idée follecrazy idea

Plans.

How to use fou / folle in real life

  1. 1Surprising news

    C'est fou, ils se marient déjà ?

    That's crazy—they're getting married already?

    C'est fou.

  2. 2Busy week

    Je deviens folle avec tous ces mails.

    I'm going crazy with all these emails.

    Feminine.

  3. 3Wild plan

    Partir demain, c'est une idée folle.

    Leaving tomorrow is a crazy idea.

    Idée folle.

Mistakes English speakers make with fou / folle

Incorrect: Elle est fou.

Correct: Elle est folle.

Feminine form is folle.

Incorrect: C'est crazy.

Correct: C'est fou.

Use fou, not English crazy.

Good to know

C'est fou is everyday wow energy; calling a person fou/folle can be joking or harsh. Fol before a masculine vowel sound: un fol espoir. Mental-health topics deserve careful, respectful wording.

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Reacting to concert tickets

  1. ChatPal

    On a des places au premier rang. C'est fou !

    We have front-row seats. That's crazy!

  2. You

    Trop fou. Je n'y crois pas.

    So crazy. I can't believe it.

  3. ChatPal

    Cette soirée va être folle.

    This night is going to be crazy.

  4. You

    Je choisis la tenue demain.

    I'll pick the outfit tomorrow.

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"Crazy" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Crazy" in French

How do you say crazy?

Fou / folle.

What does c'est fou mean?

That's crazy—often amazed, not insulting.

How does gender work?

Fou (m.), folle (f.); fol before some masculine vowels.

How do you pronounce fou?

Foo.

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