Definition
To laugh, or to express amusement with sound and movement. A natural, everyday action shared by everyone.
Example
Nous avons ri toute la soirée avec nos amis.
Show translation
We laughed all evening with our friends.
Etymology
From Latin *ridēre* ("to laugh"), which also gives English "ridicule" and "derisive." The Latin root is shared across Romance languages: Spanish *reír*, Italian *ridere*, Portuguese *rir*.
Cultural note
The French expression *rire jaune* (literally "to laugh yellow") means to force a laugh when something is actually uncomfortable or hurtful — a useful idiom that has no clean English equivalent. June 21 is also the *Fête de la Musique* in France, a nationwide celebration filled with open-air concerts — and plenty of laughing in the streets!