How do you say “Keep a straight face” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is Garder son sérieux, which literally means “To keep one’s seriousness”. English speakers use keep a straight face to mean to avoid laughing or smiling when something is funny. The usual expression for staying serious when you want to laugh. Register: informal, neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
Garder son sérieux
/ɡaʁ.de sɔ̃ se.ʁjø/
- Literal meaning
- “To keep one’s seriousness”
- Register
- informal, neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
95 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
English focuses on the face, while French focuses on staying serious. The result is the same: the laughter stays hidden.
The French expression works naturally in jokes and funny situations. “Rester impassible” sounds cooler and can refer to any emotion.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in French?
Se retenir de rire
Literally: “To hold oneself back from laughing”
Makes the effort to avoid laughing explicit.
Rester impassible
Literally: “To remain impassive”
More formal and broader, for showing no emotion.
Common translation traps
Garder un visage droit
“Droit” does not describe a face that is hiding amusement.
The notes above explain why these versions do not work in this context in French.
In context
English
I couldn’t keep a straight face.
French
Je n’ai pas pu garder mon sérieux.
English
Try to keep a straight face while I tell the story.
French
Essaie de garder ton sérieux pendant que je raconte l’histoire.
Related expressions
- What “Keep a straight face” means in English
- Pull someone's leg, To tease someone playfully.
- Play devil's advocate, Argue the opposite view to test an idea.
Last updated 2026-09-12