French Sense of Humor vs American Humor. 10 Best French Jokes You May Tell Your Friends

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Laughing woman

French humor goes back to the 15th-century and before, where Laughter and amusement were derived through French farce (church plays) which involved buffooneries, gymnastics, cartoons, even lewdness.

Humor in France has found its way in plays, mime, cartoons, journalism through satire, cinema, etc., and in the modern age even on food packaging. French humor involves mockery often ridiculing a target and to exaggerating in an excess statement to emphasize a falsehood, and rely a lot on words being spoken, second and implied meanings.

The seriousness of French humor vs American humor

What is the genesis French sense of humor? French people are turned on smart, intelligent humor, the well-thought phrases, the finely infused play of words. French humor is not just always witty, it can also be quite often bold, irreverent, sarcastic humor. French jokes are usually literal.

Contrast American humor is direct, straightforward funny, involving lesser irony. American fun involves facts or situations, arguments and uses them to create a joke. The American sense of humor has a lot to do with self-ridiculing and was really popularized by standup comedians and TV shows.

French humor can hardly handle too much irrationality and will more easily refer to jokes about your mother-in-law, dad, guests at dinner, the champion idiot, Carambar (caramel) jokes, Toto’s jokes, Belgian jokes, Monsieur / Madame jokes, French pun, etc.

In the modern era, there isn’t a lot of difference in the humor except for the ways it is delivered in different countries, it all arises from similar kinds of feelings and values however it is the style of delivery and understanding of the language which makes the difference.

Some famous French humor! (lolz)

The Carambar jokes a candy popular for having jokes inside its wrappers.

What do you call the father and mother of the invisible man?
Ses transparents. (His “transparents”).

Chocolate Jokes

Mama, can I have some chocolate?
Mother – There’s some in the cupboard. Go get it.
Child – But Mama, I can’t, you know very well that I don’t have arms…
Mother – No arms, no chocolate!

Toto’s jokes

The teacher asks: ”Whoever feels like stupid, get up.”

And Toto gets up. When the teacher asks “Toto are u stupid?”

“No, Madam, but it made me sad to see you standing all alone…”

French pun

French wordplay

A mother lemon explains to her kids: ”To live for a long time, you must never be pressed!”

This is the story of two potatoes. One of them is run over and the other one says “Oh purée!”

Monsieur et Madame Jokes

Mr. and Mrs. Ouzi have a son, what is his name?

Answer – Jack.

Black humor

Inadvertent French Humor

The French pronunciation of “Huawei” sounds like “ouah ouais” or “ouah ouah”, kind of like Snowy’s bark in Tintin which makes it irresistible to laugh every time a reporter uttered it.

French “toc-toc” or “frappe frappe” jokes similar to knock-knock jokes

“Frappe Frappe!” (Knock knock)
“Qui est la?” (Who is it)
“Lhasta!” (Lhasta)
“Lhasta qui?” (Lost a Key)
“Of course I lost a key, otherwise I wouldn’t have had to frappe!”

And just typical French humor (video):