French · Everyday Verbs
"to laugh" in French: rire
rire
To laugh in French is rire. Il rit means he laughs. Prefer rit or ris as verb forms so you don't confuse them with the noun un rire.
Comedy clip
Il rit tellement qu'il en pleure.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce rire
Say it
reer
/ʁiʁ/
Rire: reer. Il rit: eel ree. Soft French r at the start.
"to laugh" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| rire | to laugh Infinitive. | Infinitive. |
| je ris / tu ris / il rit | I/you/he laugh(s) Present. | Present. |
| éclater de rire | to burst out laughing Strong reaction. | Strong reaction. |
| rire jaune | to force a laugh Awkward smile-laugh. | Awkward smile-laugh. |
How to use rire in real life
- 1Comedy clip
Il rit tellement qu'il en pleure.
He laughs so hard he cries.
Il rit.
- 2Group chat
On rit beaucoup avec tes stories.
We laugh a lot at your stories.
On rit.
- 3Quiet library fail
Tu ris trop fort, chut !
You're laughing too loud—shh!
Tu ris.
Mistakes English speakers make with rire
Incorrect: Il rire fort.
Correct: Il rit fort.
Conjugate: il rit, not the infinitive.
Incorrect: Je laugh.
Correct: Je ris.
Use ris / rit forms of rire.
Good to know
Éclater de rire is the go-to for uncontrollable laughing. Rire jaune describes a polite fake laugh when a joke lands badly.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Watching a funny video
ChatPal
Regarde sa chute. Il rit encore après.
Watch his fall. He's still laughing after.
You
Arrête, je ris trop.
Stop—I'm laughing too much.
ChatPal
Moi aussi je ris comme un fou.
I'm laughing like crazy too.
You
On coupe avant d'être expulsés du café.
We'll stop before we get kicked out of the café.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to laugh" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to laugh" in French
How do you say he laughs?
Il rit.
How do you say I laugh?
Je ris.
Rire the verb vs un rire?
Prefer rit/ris in sentences so the verb is clear.
How do you pronounce rire?
reer.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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