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Prepositions after adjectives

funny in, funny about or funny to?

Funny about is a fixed expression for something strange or suspicious. Funny to often introduces a person's reaction.

Quick answer

How do you use funny with prepositions?

Use funny about for something strange or suspicious. Use funny to before a person reacting to something. Funny in usually appears in longer phrases such as funny in a way.

There is something funny about this story.
It sounds funny to me.
The ending was funny in a dark way.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
funny about + noun

Describing something strange

Use about for unusual or suspicious details.

There is something funny about his explanation.
2
funny to + person

Showing personal reaction

Use to before the person who finds something amusing or strange.

The joke was funny to the audience.
3
funny in + way/respect

Limiting the sense

In often appears with phrases like in a way or in some respects.

The film was funny in parts.
4
funny-looking

Describing appearance

Funny can combine with participles in compound adjectives.

They saw a funny-looking animal.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
funny about
There is something funny about that email.
Suggests suspicion or strangeness.
funny to
The comment was funny to me.
Shows who reacted.
funny in
The scene was funny in an awkward way.
Limits the type of humour.
funny with
She is funny with children.
With refers to behaviour around people, not a fixed complement.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using about for the person reacting

Use to before the person who finds something funny.

✕ The joke was funny about me. ✓ The joke was funny to me.

Using in without a clear phrase

Funny in usually needs a phrase such as in a way or in parts.

✕ The film was funny in. ✓ The film was funny in parts.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. There is something funny ___ this situation.
2. The cartoon was funny ___ the children.
3. The ending was funny ___ a strange way.

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Frequently asked questions

Does funny always mean humorous?

No. It can also mean strange or suspicious.

Can I say funny to me?

Yes. It means you personally find something amusing or odd.

Is funny about informal?

It is common in everyday spoken and written English.

face-to-face-with-in-at-for, to "fair to" or "fair in"? faithful to, in, of, with or for? falling of, in, out, into or off? "false in" or "false to"? famed for, as, in or throughout? familiar with, to, from or in? famous for, in, of, by or as? fanatical about, in, as, for or of? "fantastic for" or "fantastic in"? far from, in, to, for or with? fascinating to, about, in, for or as?

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