'My language skills mean I am just not funny in French'

Thanks for writing to me. I feel your pain. It is one thing to move to a foreign country, but it is another to be able to joke and communicate humorous nuances. 

Obviously, I encourage you to keep learning and practising your French as much as possible. The more you try, the more you will improve. Do not let this feeling hold you back. 

You are probably being harsh on yourself and I am sure others do not see you as being too serious and robotic in French, where humour is left out. 

There are more ways to be funny and less ‘stiff’ than just using the presumed perfect words and expressions. 

Humour is also about body language and facial expressions. Try to see the humour in everyday situations, it is there if you search for it. 

You do not have to get the vocabulary right either when you spot a funny situation you would like to talk about. If you have the courage to, just try and say something witty – even if it is wrong, and you do not take it too seriously, you can make people cry with laughter by default! 

Read more: Why you need to unlock the puzzle of French humour

My father, whose sense of humour was legendary, used to make absolute howlers which had everybody in stitches. He would confuse “jeter une coupe d’huile” with “jeter un coup d’oeil.” 

Another was referring to a grass skirt as “une jupe en gazon”. He was a highly educated man, who had vastly improved his schoolboy French, but he was full of confidence and that is what carried him through, despite making mistakes. 

You could buy a beginners’ book on French and French jokes such as Learn French with Jokes by Jeremy Taylor. 

This might give you a little more confidence, and it goes beyond classroom vocabulary. You can also watch funny TV shows and even if you do not understand every word, you will get the gist of it. 

Ultimately, I think it is important to take yourself less seriously and not worry so much about how you are coming across. 

It takes time to get to know all of the ins and outs of a foreign language. There is no ‘national standard’ of French humour. If you can lighten up a bit, relax and enjoy yourself, you are halfway there. 

Do you have a problem associated with living in France that is causing upset or worry? Our advice column can help. Write to: askcynth@connexionfrance.com.

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