Echar unas risas

Question

This doesn't mean to burst out laughing but rather just to have a good time, have some fun, like "¿Quien quiere echar unas risas?" He wants to have a good time? Or does it mean burst out laughing or both?

Seems like "laughing" isn't a word in the sense I would think, but is just "risa" or "risada"

Gracias.

Edit: So how would you say burst out in laughter if not echar unas risas? Sorry about the rambling, hard to concentrate with that African Cats ad playing loudly over everything else.

Answer 1

This is a good example of the type of question that prompted my post about Two Kinds of Spanish.

Slang and idiomatic uses are incredibly diverse, not always (rarely?) logical, and not necessarily consistent.

"Echar unas risas" is the sort of expression that, given the right context, can easily be understood by most native Spanish speakers. But that does not mean that it is a standard or widely used expression, nor that everyone would use it.

The same holds true for English, of course. For example, the expression "For a lark" is far more common in England than in the US. US English speakers probably know what it means - but it is an expression that will most likely draw blank looks from English learners.

There are many ways to say something like "burst out laughing". As Deanski points out, "echarse a reír" is possibly the most common standard Spanish way to say this. But you shouldn't be surprised if you hear things like: "carcajearse", "reventar de la risa", "tene un ataque de risa", "cag**se de la risa", "reírse a mandíbula batiente", etc, etc.

Answer 2

We want to say "echar unas risas", it is a type of joke. It is like when you say: well, let's do "ja, ja, ja". Or "let's laugh", why not?

Then, you want to sound funny. I always smile when someone says that.

Answer 3

It depends.

Echar risas doesn't mean only "echarse a reír.

I have heard people from Central America up to say echar risas like let's tell jokes or have a nice time laughing (by telling jokes).

Answer 4

I know "to burst into laughter" as "echarse a reír."

Answer 5

if is a questions, is a slang way to say: who wants to have fun? if you are just explaining or telling what happened, is similar as say we have had a real good time, we have had fun, and also includes the fact that you have laughed.