Knock knock jokes are actually quite popular in Spanish and they follow much the same logic as the typical American versions we know and love, the main difference being that they all begin with the words “toc toc” (Spanish onomatopoeia for knocking on a door).
This type of joke is based on witty wordplays, so the Spanish versions are NOT translations of English jokes, but puns that only really make sense in Spanish.
Anyway, I’ve collated 12 of the very best Spanish knock knock jokes. Most of them are aimed at children, but I’ve also found a few for adults, so you’ll be able to coax a laugh from pretty much everyone!
Let’s get to it!
Kid-friendly knock knock jokes in Spanish
Jokes using first names / surnames
1 Abraham = ‘Abran’ (or ‘open’ in English)
In Spanish, the ‘h’ in the name Abraham is silent, resulting in a sound similar to that of ‘abran’, which is the third-person plural imperative form of the verb ‘to open’.
Toc, toc.
¿Quién es?
Abraham.
No, no abro; primero dígame quién es.
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Abraham. / Open up.
No, I’m not opening until you tell me who you are.
2 Juan = ‘One’ in English
Spanglish jokes (i.e., jokes that mix words and sounds from the Spanish and English languages) are very popular in Spanish-speaking countries, especially in Mexico.
The ‘j’ in the name Juan has a very soft sound in Spanish, so – even though it might seem like a bit of a stretch – in this joke, it’s compared to the pronunciation of the number ‘one’ in English.
This is actually a very popular joke amongst children, and it usually cracks them up, especially if they’re studying the numbers in English, which is pretty common in private schools across Mexico.
Unos músicos llegan a la fiesta de cumpleaños donde van a tocar
Toc, toc.
¿Quién es?
Juan.
¿Qué Juan?
¡Juan, two, three!
Some musicians arrive at a birthday party at which they’re going to play
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Juan (pronounced similarly to ‘one’).
Juan who?
Juan, two, three!
3 Tomás = ‘Tomás’, or ‘drink’ (Argentina and Uruguay)
The name Tomás (“Thomas” in English) has an accent on the last syllable, and so does the second-person singular conjugation (present tense) of the verb ‘tomar’ (‘to drink’): ‘tomás’ (or ‘you drink’) … but ONLY in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay – the rest of the Spanish-speaking world writes it without an accent and stresses the first syllable instead of the last!
Toc, toc.
¿Quién es?
Tomás.
¿Qué Tomás?
Una cerveza, por favor.
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Tomás*.
Tomás who? / What do you drink?
I’ll have a beer, please.
Erika’s note – ‘tomar’ actually has quite a few more meanings in Spanish than just ‘to drink’! Dive into our article on ‘tomar’ and ‘beber’ if you’d like to know more!
4 Lola = Lo’ (abbreviation of ‘los’ used in several Spanish-speaking regions) + la
There are MANY regions in the Spanish-speaking world (both in Spain and Latin America) that skip the ‘s’ sound at the end of certain words.
You’ll encounter this in Caribbean countries, as well as Mexican coastal cities, several parts of Colombia, rural towns in Spain … all across the Spanish-speaking world really!
This joke taps precisely into this habit! Let’s take a look –
Toc, toc.
¿Quién es?
Lola.
¿Cuál Lola?
¡Lo’ladrones! ¡Abre o tumbamos la puerta!
Knock, knock.
Who is it?
Lola.
Lola who?
The (‘los’, which is pronounced in the above example without an ‘s’) thieves (ladrones)! Open up or we’ll knock down the door!
5 Silva = ‘silba’ (or ‘whistles’ in English)
In Spanish, ‘b’ and ‘v’ are pronounced EXACTLY the same way, which results in the surname Silva sounding like ‘silba’ (the third-person present conjugation of the verb ‘silbar’, or ‘to whistle’).
Toc, toc.
¿Quién es?
La familia Silva …
Lo hemos intentado varias veces, pero no logramos silbar.
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
The Silva family. / (Can the) family whistle?
We’ve tried several times, but we couldn’t whistle.
6 Talandas = (‘qué’) ‘tal’ + ‘andas’ (‘how are you’)
‘Talanda’ (and also ‘Talandas’) is a surname originally from the Iberian Peninsula, but its similarity to the last two words of the phrase ‘¿qué tal andas?’ (or ‘how are you doing?’ in English), makes it the perfect target for a silly pun.
Toc, toc.
¿Quién es?
Talandas.
¿Qué Talandas?
Yo, muy bien, ¿y tú?
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Talandas.
Talandas who? / How are you doing?
I’m doing fine, and you?
Erika’s top tip – ‘qué tal’ is an extremely popular greeting in the Spanish-speaking world!
Other jokes with homophones or similar sounding words
7 ‘Pasas’ (or ‘to enter’) = ‘Pasas’ (or ‘raisins’)
It’s also common to crack jokes with homophones or similar sounding words, such as is the case with this one.
‘Pasas’ is both the word for ‘raisins’ in Spanish AND the verb ‘pasar’ (‘to enter’) in the second-person singular (present tense) –
Toc, toc.
¿Quién es?
Vendo uvas.
¿Y pasas?
Pues si me abre la puerta, sí.
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
I sell grapes.
And raisins? / And (will) you come in?
Well, sure, if you open the door.
Irony in knock knock jokes
8 A lousy fortune teller
Some jokes contain less wordplay and more sarcasm / irony!
Un señor visita a un adivino y llama a la puerta
Toc, toc.
¿Quién es?
¡Pues mira nada más, qué adivino tan malo!
A gentleman visits a fortune teller and knocks on the door
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Well, you’re not a great fortune teller!
9 The joke that never was
There’s always that one person who spoils the fun for everyone …
Toc, toc.
¡Pase!
Ya me arruinaste el chiste.
Knock, knock.
Come on in!
You ruined my joke!
Adult knock knock jokes in Spanish
10 When psychology meets knock knock jokes
Although most knock knock jokes in Spanish are aimed at children, there are also a few cheeky alternatives for adults.
Toc, toc.
¿Quién es?
Toc, toc.
¿Quién es?
Toc, toc.
¿QUIÉN ES?
Disculpa, es que tengo Trastorno Obsesivo Compulsivo.*
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Knock, knock.
WHO’S THERE?
Sorry, I’ve got Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
*Erika’s note – ironically, the Spanish acronym for this disorder is actually T.O.C. This coincidence was exploited to great comic effect in the Spanish comedy “Toc Toc” by Vicente Villanueva.
11 ‘Tuma’ = ‘Tu’ + ‘ma’ (‘your mom’)
‘Tuma’ is not an actual name, but this is a popular joke nonetheless!
Toc, toc.
¿Quién es?
Tuma.
¿Tuma qué?
¡Tu mamá en tanga!
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Yourma (i.e., your mum).
Yourma who?
Your mom in a thong!
12 A not-so-romantic joke
You’re gonna find several versions of this joke; everyone customizes it with their favorite beverages, food, and the likes –
Toc, toc.
¿Quién es?
El amor de tu vida.
¡Mentira! ¡La cerveza no habla!
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
The love of your life.
That’s a lie! Beer can’t speak!
Final thoughts
So, there you have it! I really hope I’ve helped you add to your repertoire of Spanish jokes!
Hopefully you’ll try them out next time you hang out with your Spanish-speaking friends. I’m confident they’ll appreciate them (even if they’re a bit silly!) and maybe even tell you some of their own.
Oh, and if you wanna know more about Mexican humor, then head on over to our list of rib-achingly funny Mexican jokes! You’re in for a treat!
¡Hasta la próxima!