Have you ever received this text message from a Spanish friend – “ja ja ja” – and not known what they meant by it initially? This is of course the Spanish version of ‘ha ha ha’ as phonetically the j in Spanish sounds like an h in English.
But not all Spanish expressions relating to laughing are so straightforward, with everything from dying, breaking body parts and toilet habits entering the conversation during funny moments.
Here’s a variety of Spanish expressions, some ruder than others, which will help you know what to say during hilarious situations or when talking about them later on.
How funny!
Let’s start with the basics. If you find something funny (funny)because it is indeed comical (it’s funny), this will make you laugh (according to) and that sound of joy that comes out of your mouth is called risa (laughter).
How funny!” is what Spaniards will shout out while laughing about something they’ve found very funny or when recalling it. Depending on the tone, it can also be used in an ironic way to imply that something isn’t funny at all.
Example: What laughs last night! I haven’t laughed so much in a long time.
What a laugh last night! It had been a while since I laughed so much.
Who doesn’t need some laughs (laughter) in their life? Photo: Maia Habegger/Unsplash
freak out
fuckone of the most common ways to refer to a testicle in Spanish, is widely considered to be the word in Spanish with most derivative meanings. freak outwhich sounds a bit like it has something to do with removing one’s testicle, is a slightly vulgar but widely used way to say to crack up with laughter. You can also talk about something being hilariousa bit like saying something is bloody hilarious.
Example: I freaked out when you told me that joke!
I cracked up when you told me that joke!
laughing attack
It may sound like a medical condition, but if you get a fit of laughter it means that you’re having a fit of laughter.
Example: Sometimes I can’t help laughing but this time he had a fit of laughter.
Sometimes I can’t stop myself from laughing but this time I had a fit of laughter.
Have you ever suffered ‘a fit of laughter? Photo: Dave Moreno/Unsplash
laugh out loud
A laugh is the word for a loud laugh in Spanish, so if you say laugh out loud it means to roar with laughter or to laugh out loud. Incidentally, young people in Spain don’t have a Spanish acronym to replace LOL (Laugh Out Loud) but do use the English version.
Example: When I saw him he was with his friends laughing out loud.
When I saw her she was with her friends laughing out loud.
twitch with laughter
Here’s one of the most common and ‘cleanest’ ways to say that you’re laughing your head off about something. You can use troncharse by itself as a reflexive verb without laughing and it’s understood what you mean by it. Alternatively, the verb crack up (with laughter) can be used in exactly the same way.
Example: We fell for John’s stories.
John’s stories have us rolling over with laughter.
Is ‘troncharse de risa’ (laughing one’s head off) the secret to a long, happy life? Photo: Ainara Oto/Unsplash
pee laughing
In its literal sense, this means to pee yourself laughing. And because Spaniards often verbally defecate on many things in informal speech (the prostitute, the milk, the salty sea), there’s also an even more vulgar version of this expression which is laugh out loud (to crap oneself laughing). It’s not uncommon either to hear Spaniards say “me me” (I’m peeing myself) when something has them in stitches.
Example: He’s a magnificent comedian, we piss ourselves laughing!
He’s a great comedian, we peed our pants laughing!
cry with laughter
A milder way to say in Spanish that something cracked you up is to say that it made you cry with laughter – cry with laughter – just the same as in English.
Example: We cried with laughter in his carnival costume.
He had us in tears with his carnaval costume.
Is there a friend you have who always makes you cry with laughter (cry with laughter)? Photo: Daniel Nebreda/Pixabay
Hilarious
Seeing as laughter can cause all manner of bodily fluids to be metaphorically expelled during laughter, Spaniards take their assessment of funny situations one step further and may also die from laughter. The verb is hilarious and the adjective is died laughing.
Example: The public was laughing their heads off at your Brexit jokes.
The audience was dying with laughter with your jokes about Brexit.
Break out laughing/the box/the chest/the ass/the dick
To break oneself with laughter, or to crack your box, chest, bum or dick (in the same order as above), are all very common ways of saying to roll around laughing. It’s also common for Spaniards to just say “I’m leaving” while they’re laughing at something.
Example: When you speak with that voice, I burst out laughing!
When you talk with that voice, it cracks me up!
What a jerk!
A hesitant is a person or situation which is funny and non-serious, because there’s plenty of banter (joking around).
A get-together with friends which leads to plenty of laughs (laughs) because everyone is mucking about or clowning around (do the clown) can be described as un hesitant.
Example: What a vacilón at the company dinner! Even the boss was breakdancing.
Fun times at the company dinner! Even the boss was breakdancing.