Japanese phrase
冗談です。 jō dan de su
Meaning
I was joking.
When to use it
Says that a previous remark was not serious. This casual phrase can soften an unexpected claim and make clear that it was playful.
Example dialogue
宝くじが当たったんです。 takara ku ji ga a ta tta n de su
I won the lottery.
本当ですか？冗談です。 hon tō de su ka jō dan de su
Really? I was joking.