# How tall is a smurf? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 9, 2001, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596 "2001-08-09T15:02:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2001, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/1 "2001-08-09T15:02:48Z")
Hi folks this is my first thread so I hope you don’t think I’m too weird for asking; How tall is a smurf? How did you come to that conclusion? Now I know this thread is geared more towards the genX crowd so if your saying to yourself “what the hell is a smurf?!” then your probably too old or too young to even care what a smurf is. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2001, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/2 "2001-08-09T15:04:46Z")
Three apples high. NEXT!! ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2001, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/3 "2001-08-09T15:05:43Z")
Well, if you’re both standing, Smurfette is **just** the right height. And you can park your beer on her head, too. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2001, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/4 "2001-08-09T15:11:18Z")
According to the story that went along with the Smurfs[sub]tm[/sub], they stand three apples high. But, comparing that with the cartoon, Gargamel must like 8 feet tall, since they were about ankle-high on him. ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2001, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/5 "2001-08-09T15:27:06Z")
Maybe they were crabapples. ---
**Author:** ![Shogun\_Haircut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Shogun\_Haircut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shogun_Haircut)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2001, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/6 "2001-08-09T15:53:16Z")
id say about three or four inches tall ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2001, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/7 "2001-08-09T15:59:46Z")
3 apples… So that’d be about 6 inches? _bad with measurments_ ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2001, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/8 "2001-08-09T16:09:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Speaker for the Dead \* > \*\*3 apples… So that’d be about 6 inches? _bad with measurments_ \*\* Depends on the type of apples. ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2001, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/9 "2001-08-09T16:16:22Z")
Are they African or European apples? ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2001, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/10 "2001-08-09T16:21:52Z")
I… don’t know! ---
**Author:** ![Searching\_For\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@Searching\_For\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Searching_For_Truth)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2001, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/11 "2001-08-09T16:30:59Z")
**Francesca** , definitely European. About to your knees, I would think. Convenient and easily compactable…I’d say you could fit at least 6 in an average car trunk. I fit into car trunks… ---
**Author:** ![Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Bottle\_of\_Smoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bottle_of_Smoke)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2001, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/12 "2001-08-09T17:02:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Speaker for the Dead \* > \*\*So that’d be about 6 inches? _bad with measurments_ \*\* There’s a joke in there but it’s just too easy… ---
**Author:** ![Louie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Louie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Louie)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2001, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/13 "2001-08-10T03:57:56Z")
According to [this picture](http://www.geocities.com/louie82681/pics/smurf.jpg), a smurf is a little more than 3 apples high. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Louie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Louie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Louie)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2001, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/14 "2001-08-10T04:07:51Z")
If that link doesn’t work, then [go here](http://www.geocities.com/louie82681/pics), then click on the smurf link. ---
**Author:** ![Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Daniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2001, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/15 "2001-08-10T06:03:48Z")
They say “three apples high” enough to get it drilled into anyone’s brain . . . which means that those were some damn big mushrooms they used to live in. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2001, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/16 "2001-08-10T06:06:01Z")
I always pictured them being about 8 inches high. So…anyone want to debate if smurfs are humaniods or animals? Around 50 people had opinions on that when we argued about it on another board 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2001, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/17 "2001-08-10T06:29:43Z")
Um…they’re kinda humanoid by definition… Bilateral symmetry, two arms, two legs, head on top, upright posture… ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2025, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/18 "2025-07-15T11:58:29Z")
So I’m googling for references to Smurfs being three apples high and one of the hits is this thread. And it is the first thread started by a surviving Charter member. Pretty historic! ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2025, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/19 "2025-07-15T12:12:47Z")
> **[The Problem With Smurfs](http://www.kleefeldoncomics.com/2019/12/the-problem-with-smurfs.html)** > > Sean Kleefeld's daily thoughts about comics and the comic industry. “_Historically, they’re described as being “three apples high.” It comes from Peyo’s original stories where he described them (in French) as “haut comme trois pommes.” That literally translates as “as high as three apples.” However, what didn’t make it into English is that that phrase was not necessarily meant to be literal. It’s a French idiom that just means someone is small; often it’s applied to children who are small for their age. An English equivalent might be “knee-high to a grasshopper.”_” ---
**Author:** ![FrenchDunadan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frenchdunadan/32/5449_2.png) [@FrenchDunadan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FrenchDunadan)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2025, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596/20 "2025-07-15T15:52:16Z")
In the comics they’re between 5 and 15 cm (2 to 6 inches), depending of the album. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-tall-is-a-smurf/75596.md?page=2)