Spanish · Emotions & Descriptions

"Funny" in Spanish: chistoso/a

chistoso/a

Say it: chee-STOH-soh / chee-STOH-sahadjective/tʃis.ˈto.so/, /tʃis.ˈto.sa/

Note: ES: gracioso/a

Funny in Spanish is chistoso or chistosa. Match gender: Él es chistoso. Ella es chistosa. Spain often prefers gracioso/a for the same idea.

Watching a clip

Ese video es muy chistoso.
That video is very funny.
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How to pronounce chistoso/a

Say it

chee-STOH-soh / chee-STOH-sah

/tʃis.ˈto.so/, /tʃis.ˈto.sa/

chee-STOH-soh / chee-STOH-sah. Stress STOH. Soft ch as in cheese.

"Funny" in Spanish: quick reference

SpanishEnglish
chistosofunny (masc.)

Default with masculine nouns.

chistosafunny (fem.)

With feminine nouns or women.

qué chistoso!how funny!

Quick reaction to a joke.

gracioso/afunny (Spain)

Common Castilian alternative.

How to use chistoso/a in real life

  1. 1Watching a clip

    Ese video es muy chistoso.

    That video is very funny.

    Chistoso agrees with video (masc.).

  2. 2Describing a friend

    Mi hermana es chistosa en fiestas.

    My sister is funny at parties.

    Chistosa is the feminine form.

  3. 3Reacting to a story

    ¡Qué chistoso! Cuéntalo otra vez.

    How funny! Tell it again.

    Qué chistoso! is a set reaction.

Mistakes English speakers make with chistoso/a

Incorrect: Ella es chistoso.

Correct: Ella es chistosa.

Agree gender: chistosa with ella.

Incorrect: Eso es funny.

Correct: Eso es chistoso.

Use chistoso, not English funny.

Good to know

In Latin America, chistoso/a is everyday praise for humor. Spain often prefers gracioso/a, though chistoso is still understood. For “strange” funny, say raro—not chistoso.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Sharing a meme after class

  1. ChatPal

    Mira este meme. Es bien chistoso.

    Look at this meme. It’s really funny.

  2. You

    Sí, chistoso. Mándalo al grupo.

    Yes, funny. Send it to the group.

  3. ChatPal

    Listo. Ana siempre encuentra cosas chistosas.

    Done. Ana always finds funny stuff.

  4. You

    Es la más chistosa de la clase.

    She’s the funniest in the class.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Funny" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Funny" in Spanish

Do I change chistoso for gender?

Yes: chistoso / chistosa, plurals chistosos / chistosas.

Chistoso or gracioso?

Both work. Chistoso is common in Latin America; gracioso is frequent in Spain.

How do I say how funny?

¡Qué chistoso! or ¡Qué chistosa! to match the joke.

Is chistoso ever rude?

Tone matters. With a smile, chistoso is praise.

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