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How to Say “Just kidding” in Chinese

开玩笑的
kāi wánxiào de
Just kidding · trad. 開玩笑的
A young person playfully pokes another, then smiles to show they were just joking, illustrating “just kidding” in Chinese: 开玩笑的 (kāi wánxiào de)

开玩笑的 (kāi wánxiào de) means "just kidding" or "joking". Speakers use it to clarify that something said was not serious, often to defuse a potentially awkward or offensive statement.

What does 开玩笑的 (kāi wánxiào de) mean?

开玩笑的 (kāi wánxiào de) means “just kidding” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “make joke's.”

When to use it

Informal and casual. It's used among friends or in relaxed settings. To explicitly state "I was just kidding," you can say 我是开玩笑的 (wǒ shì kāi wánxiào de).

How to pronounce it

Sounds like “kai wahn-SHYAO duh.” The 'de' is usually said lightly, almost like "duh."

Other ways to say it

  • 开玩笑呢kāi wánxiào necrack a joke / joke
  • 只是开玩笑zhǐshì kāi wánxiàojust joking
  • 别当真bié dàngzhēndon't take it seriously

Examples

我刚才说的是开玩笑的,别生气。
wǒ gāngcái shuō de shì kāi wánxiào de, bié shēngqì.
What I just said was a joke, don't be angry.
别当真,我只是开玩笑的。
bié dàngzhēn, wǒ zhǐshì kāi wánxiào de.
Don't take it seriously, I'm just kidding.
他总是喜欢开玩笑。
tā zǒngshì xǐhuan kāi wánxiào.
He always likes to joke.
Pro tip: The '的' (de) at the end makes it function like an adjective or a phrase modifying an implied "thing" or "statement," meaning "it's a joke." Without '的', 开玩笑 (kāi wánxiào) is the verb "to joke."

Related phrases

你觉得怎么样? · What do you think我觉得很好 · I think it's good别开玩笑了 · Stop joking
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