If you understand these jokes, your English is AMAZING!.

Welcome to our class today. I have one question for you. Can you understand these jokes? Because if you laugh at these jokes, it means that your English is excellent, maybe even fluent. Because even my most advanced students tell me that they're in a meeting and someone says something that doesn't seem funny, but everyone starts laughing. And that one person either stays serious because they don't understand why it's funny, or they laugh along even though they don't get the joke. They just laugh because everyone else is laughing. So let's find out if you can understand these jokes and you'll learn them at the same time. Because to understand jokes, to understand humor, you need advanced vocabulary. You need to understand pronunciation because as you'll see, a lot of the joke is because the pronunciation sounds similar to something else. You need to understand nuance, which means the smallest details in meaning. You need to understand cultural context, and you need to understand delivery. Sometimes the joke is funny simply because how the speaker said it, that's delivery. So, you need to understand a lot of very advanced concepts outside of grammar and basic vocabulary to understand humor. So let's find out with a beginner joke. And I chose this one consciously as a joke that I truly think you will understand. And by understand, I mean you should laugh. So let's find out. Here's the joke. Why did the student eat his homework? Because the teacher said it was a piece of cake. So, did you laugh? Even just a little chuckle. Do you know what a chuckle is? A chuckle is a small laugh. Hahaha. That's a chuckle. So you either laugh or chuckle or at least smile because you understand the joke. So if you understand it, put yes or a laugh emoji in the comments. Oh, look. We got some students. That's hilarious. A chuckle. Exactly. And welcome to all my students participating. Welcome. And welcome to all my students watching the replay as well. Oh, Hidaki got the joke. Exactly. So why is this funny? Chris got the joke. Why is this funny? And notice, you got the joke, which means you understood, which is fine. You can say understood, but native speakers often use get. I don't get it. I don't get it. But you understood this because a piece of cake is an idiom that means very easy. But the student ate his homework because the teacher said it was a piece of cake. Hahaha. Get it? So I chose that one because I know you would understand it because most of my students know the idiom to be a piece of cake. Exactly. Very easy, but not edible. So, you can tell this joke to your friends who are learning English. All right. The next joke. This is one that I heard a lot when I was a little kid. It might have been the first joke that I heard. Aside from knock-knock jokes, which are very common. Okay. Why was six afraid of seven? Now, this is one that might be because of delivery and pronunciation. Why was six afraid of seven? Because seven ate nine. Remember, a native speaker isn't going to hand you a piece of paper. You're not going to see on the screen. It's going to be verbal. Because seven ate nine. Because seven ate nine. Because seven ate nine. Now, eight, the number sounds exactly like eight. Of course. The past simple of the verb eat. So, that's why six was afraid of seven. Because seven ate the number nine. Get it? Get it? So, this is an excellent example of delivery and pronunciation. Because seven ate nine. Now, remember, you're not going to write this in a text message. You're going to deliver this verbally. Okay. Good job, everyone. Oh, my goodness. Exactly. Let's keep going. Yes. Seven is the victim here. I'm glad you think it was an easy joke. How about this one? I like this one. What did one ocean say to the other ocean? What did one ocean say to the other ocean? Nothing. It just waved. Do you get this one? It just waved. Now, of course, this is a play on words. Because we have wave, that means two different things. All wave, of course, is an ocean wave. And then, wave, of course, means to go like that. So, one ocean did not verbally say anything to the other ocean. That's why it's nothing. It just waved. Now, again, remember, you're not going to see the text of these jokes. It's going to be verbally. It just waved. Okay. See? Now, you have a lot of jokes you can tell your friends. You're very welcome. Hello. All the way to Brazil. Let's go on to our next one. And before we do, are you enjoying this lesson? If you are, put yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Put a laugh emoji. Put a laugh emoji in the comments. Of course, like this lesson. Subscribe so you're notified every time I go live as well. And I have this free speaking guide for you where I share six steps on how to speak English fluently and confidently. You can find it in the description or you can go to my website and download it for free. And if you want to keep learning real English so you get the joke, so you laugh, well, then you can keep learning with me in my program, the Finely Fluent Academy. You can find the link in the description as well. All right. It seems like everyone's enjoying the lesson. So, let's keep going. Let's keep laughing. Laughing. Hello. Hello. Let's go. Why was the math book sad? Why was the math book sad? Because it had too many problems. Okay. Do you get this one? Because it had too many problems. So, of course, a math book contains problems. The calculations that you have to solve by doing the math, we call those a problem. It's an exercise. For English, we might call it a practice exercise or simply homework, write an example sentence. But when you have to add numbers, divide numbers, we call that a problem. Now, a problem is also, of course, a difficulty in your life, which is why the math book is sad because it has too many problems. So, this is a play on words. We're taking something like problems that has two different meanings, a calculation that you must solve and a difficulty in your life. This is a good joke. I told my computer I needed a break and now it won't stop sending me Kit Kats. Does anyone get this joke? If you do, share why it's funny in the chat as well. Okay. Yeah, exactly. You're here like a math book. Let's keep going. Yes, a lot of problems, exercises to solve. How about this one? What do you call a bear with no teeth? What do you call a bear with no teeth? Let's see if you can do it without the text reference. What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear. A gummy bear. Oh, do you know why this is funny? Good guess. Good guess. A gummy bear. This isn't actually that funny, to be honest. Now, a lot of the times when we say jokes, it's not, I'm not going to sit here and laugh for 15 minutes. It's just, I might, I might smile. So, these are gummy bears in the top left. They're candy that kids eat and they're in the shape of a bear and they're just candy. Now, gums are this part above your teeth, but babies don't have teeth, right? So, they just have gums. So, here is a picture of a bear with no teeth. So, all you see is the gums. So, that's why it's a gummy bear. It's really not that funny. Oh, you still eat gummy bears. All right. See, this would be the more literal meaning. Yes, you would call it a toothless bear. That is literally. And then the joke is there's already this very popular candy called gummy bears and then these are your gums. So, a gummy bear. Okay. Our next one. What did one hat say to the other? Now, to be honest, it took me a second to understand this joke. I didn't quite get it at first. What did one hat say to the other? You stay here. I'll go on ahead. I'll go on ahead. Because the reason why I didn't understand it at first is because I read it. And when I read it, I didn't hear how it's supposed to sound in pronunciation. Because remember, you're not going to read to say them and say you stay here. I'll go on ahead. I'll go on ahead. Because that's what a hat does. It goes on ahead. But it's a joke because there's an alternative meaning to this. So, to go on ahead. Ahead. You go ahead. I'll stay here. You go ahead. So, to go before another person. So, let's say this hat is going to go on the path and then the blue hat is going to stay. But it's a play on words because ahead sounds like a head and a hat goes on a head. So, you use the exact same meaning. To go on ahead. But there's two different meanings. So, remember, this will be delivered verbally. You stay here. I'll go on ahead. That's what one hat said to another. So, that's the importance of the delivery of why a joke might not be funny when you read it, but then the delivery of it can make it sound funny. So, let's move on to this one. Why do cows wear bells? Why do cows wear bells? Because their horns don't work. This is a funny one. You can use this with your friends, with people learning English, because maybe the vocabulary is more obvious because you might know what a horn is. Honk, honk, a horn. But then these are also called the horns of an animal. But of course, they don't work, right? The horns don't produce sound. So, that's why the cow has to wear a bell to make a sound because their horns don't work. This is a good one. I like this joke. Why do cows wear bells? Because their horns don't work. Remember, you have to use it verbally. It won't be funny in written form. Ah, see? And this is why jokes can be difficult for students because you need to understand the vocabulary. So, yes, this part of the cow or an animal in general, we call those horns, horns. There are actually different words. On a deer, they're called antlers. They're not called horns. So, the vocabulary changes depending on the animal. Okay, but yes, that joke got me, which means you didn't understand it, right? There we go. He's laughing. Yes, cow's horns don't work. So, they have to wear a bell. Exactly. Okay, I like that one. How about this? We'll go on to intermediate. And when we get to advanced, I'm not going to show you the joke. You have to listen to my pronunciation. I used to be a banker, but I lost interest. This is a good one. I think most native speakers would chuckle at this one because remember, these jokes aren't that funny. You're just going to get a little bit of a chuckle. A chuckle. I used to be a banker, but I lost interest. This sounds like something Jerry Seinfeld might say, but I lost interest. Why is this funny? Does anyone know? We're at intermediate. So, who knows why this is funny? I used to be a banker. A banker is a job title of someone who works in the banking industry. The person is no longer a banker. And yes, in the banking industry, interest represents money that you earn for clients on investments, for example. But interest can also mean, I'm just not interested in that class. I'm not interested in that topic. I lost interest. I used to paint, but I lost interest. So, interest, of course, is money you earn on savings. Hopefully you're earning it right now. But to lose interest can mean to stop being interested in something. I lost interest. I lost interest. Okay. So, he was a banker, but then he just lost interest. He was not interested in it anymore. He was no longer interested. So, this is a good joke. I like this one. Definitely. Yeah, this is a good one. Use this with your friends. And remember, it's about delivery. I used to be a banker, but I lost interest. You have to deliver it with a little bit of interest. Get it? Interest. We call that the punchline. The punchline is the part that makes it funny. So, you have to deliver it successfully as well. The punchline. How about this one? Why don't skeletons fight each other? Why don't skeletons fight each other? So, get a mental image of a skeleton because they don't have the guts. Oh, this is a good one too because they don't have the guts. So, here, a skeleton is just bones. Guts are the organs inside your body. It's a more informal way of referring to them. But there's an expression to have the guts. The expression is to have courage. So, maybe you say, I didn't have the guts, which means the courage to ask my boss for a raise. Thank you so much, Ariel, for your support. So, this is a great expression. Maybe you're thinking, I had this really great idea, but I didn't have the guts to share it publicly. I didn't have the guts. I didn't have the courage. Oh, I'm glad it made you laugh. So, again, deliver it. Why don't skeletons fight each other? Because they don't have the guts. You have to deliver the punchline. Okay, let's keep going. How about this one? Why don't scientists trust atoms? Why don't scientists trust atoms? And you always want to leave a second or two for the person to actually try to think of the answer, and then you deliver the punchline. The punchline, remember, is what makes it funny. So, here's the punchline. Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything. Because they make up everything. Get it? Get it? I don't have guts to ask a girl for dating. Yes. I don't have the guts to ask a girl out on a date. Or just simply to ask a girl out. To ask a girl out. Yeah. The pronunciation of Adam and the name Adam, Adam and Eve, are exactly the same in American English, because we pronounce the T between vowels as a soft D. Adam. And the stress is on the first part. So, the pronunciation of Adam is exactly the same as the name Adam. So, in verbal English, in spoken English, I put the wrong one away. Without that, you may think I'm talking about the person named Adam. Why don't scientists trust atoms? But it's in the plural. So, maybe that would give it away. Thank you so much for your support. Yes. And make up, of course, has two meanings, right? Make up can mean form or constitute something. For example, women make up 30% of the team. Women constitute 30% of the team. 30% of the team is women. Women make up 30% of the team. Adams make up matter. Matter is made from atoms. Adams make up matter. But make up also means to invent something that isn't true. He made up an excuse. He didn't have the guts to ask a girl out. So, he made up an excuse and left the party. For example, Adam Sandler. Clever, clever, clever. Exactly. I'm not familiar with a name, Adams, but it could be possible. Maybe it's a last name. Okay. So, that's why scientists can't trust atoms because they make up everything. For example, my dog ate my homework, which is a very lame excuse. It's an excuse that we use as a joke when we don't have a real excuse for not submitting our homework. You say something like my dog ate my homework because that's not actually true. He made that story up. Those atoms, they're always making up everything. Okay. So, this is a good one, but perhaps this is more advanced because this is where you really have to understand, well, for one, vocabulary, pronunciation differences, and the meaning of words. But I like this joke. I think it's funny. Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything. A native speaker would definitely laugh at this joke. Okay. Why did the scarecrow win an award? Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. This one is pretty advanced because you have to understand a lot of vocabulary. A native speaker would like this joke. So, this is a scarecrow on the left-hand side. It's the shape of a human that farmers put in fields to literally scare crows. Crows are a type of bird in North America. I'm sure they are other places as well, but in North America that eat crops and they can be quite destructive for farmers. Because they eat the fruit, they eat the berries, they eat the crops, they eat the vegetables. So, why did the scarecrow, this is a scarecrow, win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. Now, to be outstanding in one's field is an expression to mean extremely good at their job. So, on the right, we have this man holding an award. Why? Because he's outstanding. He's really good. He's great. He's excellent. So, he won an award. But this scarecrow is literally out, which is the opposite of in, and he's standing. And where is he standing? In his field. But a field can also mean your area of work. So, this is an advanced joke. It's definitely funny, but it might be difficult for you to understand. So, let's try it again. Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. That's a great one when you get to that advanced level. Okay. It's a hard one. You need to know a lot of vocabulary for this one. Exactly. No, it's not a real person. Exactly. A scarecrow is just sticks. Sticks and you put a shirt or a hat to make it look like a real person because the crows will think it's a person and they will not go near that area. That's the logic. I don't know how effective it is, but that's the logic. Okay. My wife told me to stop impersonating a flamingo. So, I had to put my foot down. This is a good one. And it's funny because my husband used this expression. He didn't tell the joke. He used the expression in the joke just yesterday after I created this lesson and that made me laugh. So, the expression is to put one's foot down. Now, my husband did a lot of work on Sunday around the house and then I asked him to do one more thing and then he's like, I'm not doing that today. I'm putting my foot down because he had already done a lot of chores and I wanted him to do one more. He's like, I'm putting my foot down. So, when you put your foot down, it means that you firmly say no and you refuse to accept something. So, usually we say no, and then you might add on this expression to let the person know that you're firm. You're not going to change your mind. To impersonate means to copy or imitate. So, if the husband was impersonating a flamingo, it means he was standing in this position and a flamingo stands with one leg raised. So, to literally put his foot down because he had to stop impersonating the flamingo, but then if he put his foot down using the expression, maybe he refuses to stop impersonating the flamingo and then he puts his foot down. So, how to use this expression? Perhaps my daughter begged me to let her go to the party, but I put my foot down, which means I said no to my daughter and then I was firm in my decision and I refused to change my mind. I'm putting my foot down. So, maybe if you said, Jennifer, you should make the lessons two hours instead of one hour and everyone in the comments is, please, please, please. And I have to say, no, I'm not doing a lesson for two hours. I'm putting my foot down, which means stop asking me. I'm not going to change my mind. So, it's a great expression. Husbands and wives use it with each other. Parents use it with their children. It's not as commonly used in the workplace, to be honest, but it's possible. All right, let's keep going. I got fired from the calendar factory. And then you have to say, why? I got fired from the calendar factory. All I did was take a day off. This is a good one. I like this joke. Maybe easier to understand because you know what a calendar looks like. You know there are days on a calendar. Now, this is a joke because there are two different meanings for take a day off. To take a day off means that you don't work for one day. Now, it can be paid. It can be unpaid. It just depends on your agreement with your work. So, you might say to your team, I'm taking Friday off. You're not working on Friday. Again, it might be paid. It might be unpaid. But to take off also means to remove. So, take off my rings, take off my earrings. Now, we have a calendar here. How many days are in January? 31. Not 30. So, imagine you bought a calendar and it only had 30 days. The person who made that calendar would be fired, which means you don't have a job anymore. Because you made a mistake. You took a day off January. But it also means you just did not work for one day. This is a good joke. Okay, this is a good example. I asked Jennifer for free VIP class, but she put her foot down. She put her foot down. Make sure that the foot is possessive to the subject. She put her foot down. But excellent example. Well done. Yes, exactly, Natalia. 31 days. This is a good joke. Take a screenshot of this. Use this with your friends. I got fired from the calendar. I got fired from the calendar factory. All I did was take a day off. Remember, your delivery. Make sure you get your delivery. Oh, I'm glad you're enjoying them. Yes, exactly. That's why he got fired. Or is it because he just did not work for one day? Exactly. That's what makes it funny. You got it. Exactly. I'm glad you like this one. All right. She put her foot down. Exactly. Let's go on to advanced. Now, I'm not going to show you the text of the punchline at the beginning. Let's see how you do. I'll say it verbally. I'll show you after, but I'll say it verbally at first. See if you understand. Oops, that one I did show you. Sorry. I fired my massage therapist. She rubbed me the wrong way. She rubbed me the wrong way. So, this is similar to the calendar factory one, but maybe the vocabulary is more advanced. Because take off, most students know what that means, take off. But to rub someone the wrong way, that's a more advanced expression. Yeah, a little bit spicy. So, to rub someone, that's what a massage therapist does. Literally rubs your body. Now, you can use the word massage, but you can also say rub. Sometimes even we call it with your significant other, you might say, can you give me a back rub, a back rub? And then the person rubs your back, massages your back. Okay. Now, the wrong way means the massage therapist was not good at massaging, but to rub someone the wrong way is also an expression that means to annoy or irritate. So, you might say something about John just rubs me the wrong way. Not really upset or make angry, just annoy or irritate. Like he's not doing anything wrong, it's just, I don't know, John just rubs me the wrong way. Maybe it's the sound of his voice. Maybe it's the fact he's always telling these cheesy jokes that aren't even funny. So, you're not mad, you're not angry, you're just slightly annoyed. So, there is a difference between angry, upset and annoy. And that's the important thing. That's the nuance of vocabulary. To rub someone the wrong way means to annoy. Something about John just rubs me the wrong way. Okay. So, this is a good one. I fire my massage therapist, she rubbed me the wrong way. A native speaker would like this one. Maybe a little more advanced for a student. Now, let's see if I can do this without showing you the punchline. Did you hear about the restaurant on the moon? I did again. Here we go. Wrong button. Did you hear about the restaurant on the moon? Great food, but no atmosphere. That's the punchline. I'll say it again. Did you hear about the restaurant on the moon? Great food, but no atmosphere. This is a good one. Great food, but no atmosphere. So, atmosphere in space represents the gases surrounding a planet. The moon literally has no atmosphere, which is why you can't breathe and you have to wear the space suit. Now, the atmosphere of a restaurant is the feeling, the mood. When you walk in and you look around and you say, it's really nice in here. That's because of the atmosphere. So, on the upper picture, the top left, we have a restaurant with nice lighting, nice flooring, a lot of plants. I would walk in and say, it's really nice in here. I like the atmosphere. I like the atmosphere. Now, the bottom right, this restaurant, it might have delicious food, but there's no lighting. The flooring looks terrible. There's no plants. It's dark. It's dingy. I'd say, oh, the atmosphere in here is terrible. Terrible atmosphere. So, no atmosphere is the bottom right. Exactly. There's a double meaning. There's a double meaning, or it could be because of pronunciation. Yeah. Ambiance is another replacement for atmosphere. You can say environment as well. Ambiance, atmosphere. The feel, you could even say that. The vibe, a casual way, the vibe. Oh, I really like the vibe. Oh, it's got a good vibe. That's a really common one. Yeah. The feel. Exactly. The vibe. Yeah. Between the lines, reading between the lines. Exactly. Oh, I'm so glad it's your first time. Welcome. Welcome. So, this is a good joke. Did you hear about the restaurant on the mood? Great food, but no atmosphere. How about this one? I told my suitcase, we're not going on vacation this year. I told my suitcase, we're not going on vacation this year. Now, I'm dealing with emotional baggage. A native speaker would like this joke. Yeah. Carrying, you could definitely use carrying as well. Now, I'm dealing with emotional baggage. So, this is a good one because what's another word for suitcase? Baggage. But emotional baggage, this is a very common term used in casual English. Emotional baggage represents any sort of painful experiences, problems, or drama from the past, but that still affects you today. So, when you begin a new relationship, you might say, you know, John's a great guy, but he has so much baggage. So, he has a lot of situations from his past that are still affecting him today. So, because of that, it's difficult for me to start a relationship with John because I have to now be part of all of these past experiences. So, do I want to do that? So, it's something we use a lot in relationships, especially when we're starting a new relationship. I told my suitcase, we're not going on vacation this year. Now, I'm dealing with emotional baggage. So, now your suitcase is going to resent you because you didn't go on vacation. It's a good one. Yeah. Situations from the past that affect you now and negative situations, drama, bad feelings. Exactly. How about this one? Okay. This is heavy on pronunciation. I'm giving you a clue. What do you call cheese that isn't yours? What do you call cheese that isn't yours? That's nacho cheese. This one might be hard for a non-native student because it's all about pronunciation. Nacho, nacho cheese. So, what you see in the image, these are nachos. The pronunciation is nacho, nacho, nacho, nacho, nacho, nacho. Okay. So, you'll say, I'll have the nachos, nachos, which are just chips with cheese and some veggies on top. You might serve it with guacamole, salsa, pico de gallo, sour cream, nachos. Now, not your. So, a very, very slang, informal pronunciation of not your is nacho. That's nacho cheese, but it's very slang and it's not standard pronunciation. Okay. So, a native speaker would be able to hear the similarities in the pronunciation of nacho and the very slang, that's not your car. That's not your man. That's my man. So, very, very slang pronunciation. Very casual. Now, a native speaker would understand the similarities of those and instantly get it. It's really not that funny, but it's just one of those things you might smile or chuckle at. But that could be a difficult one for a student. And that's why we're at advanced. But I wanted to share this because a lot of jokes are because of these pronunciation changes. Now, this is another one that's similar to a pronunciation change. How about this? What do you call fake spaghetti? What do you call fake spaghetti? What do you call fake spaghetti? An impasta. An impasta. Duh, duh, duh. Okay. So, the joke is an impasta, but you have to say it an impasta. Now, pasta is, of course, noodles. Pasta. Spaghetti is an example of pasta. But fake, what's the word for fake? We already heard this in another joke. Well, impersonating, when the guy was impersonating a flamingo, imposter. An imposter is a person pretending to be someone or something else. You're an imposter. You're not the actual CEO of the bank, you're an imposter. So, an imposter. Now, imposter plus pasta, the pronunciation is close enough that you can combine them together and say impasta, imposter, impasta. And in some dialects of American English, for example, if you've ever spent time in Boston, in Boston, they really pronounce O-R as more of an ah. Like a very common dish in Boston is clam chowder. If you ever want amazing clam chowder, go to Boston. But they don't call it clam chowder. What do they call it? Chowder. Chowder. That's a, they generally pronounce chowder in Boston because they have quite a dialect. So, impasta maybe sounds like the way someone from Boston might pronounce it. So, an American would instantly associate that pronunciation change. Impasta, impasta. Oh, not very funny. But there you go. Now you have a pronunciation-based joke. Now, this plate, this image, why did I share this image? Because this is fake spaghetti. It's an imposter. This isn't spaghetti. This is zucchini. This is zucchini that looks like spaghetti. So, this is an imposter. It's not spaghetti. It's zucchini. Oh, it's an impasta. And that's our class today. So, did you laugh? Yeah, zoodles. Exactly. Good job. Zucchini noodles. There's a word for it. Zoodles. I've actually never had them because I just love pasta so much. I don't want zucchini. I want pasta. So, I've never had zoodles. But there you go. It's an impasta. All right, everyone. Hopefully, you enjoyed. Hopefully, you laughed a little. If you're going to share these jokes with your friends, you can start with that first one, the piece of cake. That's a good one to start with. And then there were some other good ones as well. And you can get this free speaking guide where I share six tips on how to speak English fluently and confidently. This is absolutely free. You can just find the link in the description or go to my website and you can download it. Oh, I'm so glad you laughed. That's awesome. Not a lot. That's okay. It's not easy. These jokes are pretty difficult. I can't imagine understanding jokes in a foreign language. My level of foreign languages is certainly not high enough to understand humor. That would be a difficult one. Yeah, the atmosphere was a good one, for sure. All right. And remember, if you want to keep studying native English, if you want to feel more confident with native English, that's exactly what we do in my program, the Finely Fluent Academy, where you will become my personal student. So, you can find the link in the description as well. And if you enjoyed this lesson, remember, put yes, yes, yes, put a laugh emoji in the comments as well. So, I know you enjoyed it. And the atmosphere one, that was a good one. Jokes are difficult. Just consider this a fun lesson. I don't know if this is something you need to aspire to because really, understanding humor is extremely advanced. But maybe there's one or two jokes that you can learn from and feel free to share it with others as well. I'm so glad you enjoyed the lesson. And yes, have a nice week, everyone. All right. Tell some of these jokes to your friends, and I will see all of you in the next one. Bye. That's nacho cheese.