Drôles

Drôles is the plural form of the French adjective drôle, which describes something or someone that provokes amusement or is odd, unusual, or surprising. The sense of drôle can range from humorous to curious or bizarre, depending on context. When used before a noun with the preposition de, as in des drôles de, the expression conveys a sense of peculiarity or unexpectedness, rather than simply humor.

Etymology and usage notes: drôle comes from Old French, with long-standing use in describing humor or oddity. In modern French, drôle agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies: il est drôle (he is funny), elle est drôle (she is funny), ils sont drôles (they are funny), elles sont drôles. The plural form drôles is also used in idiomatic phrases such as des drôles de gens, des drôles de choses, meaning “some strange or remarkable people/things.” The expression un drôle de type exemplifies the sense of “a funny/odd kind of guy,” where drôle appears in a fixed, somewhat idiomatic position.

Translations and nuance: in English, drôle covers both humor (funny) and oddity (strange). The distinction is often inferred from context: a film can be drôle (funny) or des idées drôles (humorously odd ideas). In everyday speech, drôles often carries a light, playful tone; in some cases, it can imply suspicion or surprise about qualities that are hard to classify.

See also: drôle, humor, humorism, idiomatic expressions in French.