tell joke

You use this phrase as a simple verb-object pair. You can say I told a joke or He is telling a joke. It works in almost any tense. You can also ask someone, Can you tell a joke? if the room is too quiet. Just remember, the verb is always tell, never say or speak a joke. That is a common mistake!

Use it when you want to lighten the mood. It is perfect for parties or hanging out with friends. You might use it at a dinner table to entertain your family. It even works at the start of a presentation to grab attention. If someone looks sad, a well-timed joke might help them feel better.

Avoid telling jokes during very serious or somber moments. Do not tell a joke during a funeral or a high-stakes business crisis. If your boss is giving you a serious warning, keep the humor for later. Also, be careful with jokes that might offend others. If the room feels tense, sometimes silence is better than a bad joke.

In English-speaking cultures, humor is a highly valued social skill. Being able to tell a joke well makes you seem more likable and confident. There is a long tradition of 'Knock-Knock' jokes for kids. Adults often prefer 'one-liners' or short anecdotal stories. Humor is often used as a 'social lubricant' to make difficult conversations easier.

You might hear people say crack a joke. This is a more informal and fun way to say it. Another variation is share a joke, which sounds a bit more polite. If someone tells a lot of jokes, you might call them a joker. If the joke is bad, people might say you are telling dad jokes!