Inklingo

How to Say "humorous" in Spanish

English → Spanish

chistoso

chees-TOH-sohtʃisˈtoso

adjectiveA1informal
Use 'chistoso' when describing a person who has a good sense of humor and likes to tell jokes or make people laugh.
A colorful illustration of a friendly clown with a big red nose and a polka-dot bow tie, laughing heartily.

Examples

Mi abuelo es un hombre muy chistoso.

My grandfather is a very funny man.

Vimos una película chistosa ayer.

We watched a funny movie yesterday.

No es chistoso que te rías de él.

It's not funny for you to laugh at him.

Matching Gender

Like most adjectives ending in -o, you must change it to 'chistosa' if the person or thing you are describing is female or feminine.

Placement after the Noun

You usually place 'chistoso' after the thing you are describing, like saying 'un perro chistoso' (a funny dog).

Chistoso vs. Divertido

Mistake: “Saying 'El parque de atracciones es muy chistoso.'”

Correction: Use 'divertido' for 'fun' (having a good time) and 'chistoso' for 'funny' (making you laugh).

cómico

adjectiveA2
Use 'cómico' to describe something that is inherently funny or related to comedy, like a situation, an expression, or a performance.

Examples

Ese actor tiene un gesto muy cómico.

That actor has a very funny expression.

Chistoso vs. Cómico

Learners often confuse 'chistoso' and 'cómico' because both relate to humor. Remember that 'chistoso' usually describes a person's personality or their tendency to be funny, while 'cómico' describes something that is funny in itself or related to the genre of comedy.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.