je rigole
The English phrase "I am joking" is translated into French as je rigole.
je rigole is used to tell someone that you are not being serious about what you just said.
Which one should you use?
While je rigole is very common in spoken French, je plaisante is more appropriate for written or polite contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are several ways to express this depending on the situation. je plaisante is a more formal way to say "I am joking" than je rigole. je rigole is an informal, colloquial way to say it. For a slang, informal tone, you can use je déconne, which can mean "I am joking" or "I am messing around".
How does it change in a sentence?
To say "I was joking" in the past tense, use the imperfect form je rigolais.
Did you know?
- The word rigole actually shares its roots with 'rille', which refers to a small water channel or gutter, also following the concept of a 'straight line' or 'track'.
- If you want to sound more sophisticated or literary when saying you are joking, you might use the verb badiner, which implies a playful, witty sort of joking.
- Be careful with the expression ne te moque pas de moi, which can mean 'don't joke with me' but often carries the harsher tone of 'don't mock me'.
Examples in context
- Je te trouve très drôle… je plaisante, évidemment!I find you very humorous… I am joking, of course!
- J'ai oublié d'apporter mon cartable… mais c'était une blague!I forgot to bring my backpack… but it was a joke!
- Ton chien a mangé mon devoir! Non, je rigole, c'était pour rire.Your dog ate my homework! No, I'm kidding, it was for laughs.
- Tu n'as pas fait tes devoirs? Ah, je déconne!You didn't do your homework? Ah, I'm joking!
- Il va pleuvoir demain… ou peut-être que je rigole!It's going to rain tomorrow… or maybe, I'm just joking!
- Ne t'inquiète pas, je rigole.Don't worry, I am joking.
- Je rigole, c'est une blague.I am joking, it's a joke.
- Ah, je rigole, ne te fâche pas !Ah, I am joking, don't get angry!
Example conversation
Lucas tells Léa that he lost her favorite book.
- LucasLéa, j'ai perdu ton livre préféré.Léa, I lost your favorite book.
- LéaQuoi ? Tu plaisantes ?What? Are you kidding?
- LucasNon, je rigole, il est sur la table.No, I am joking, it is on the table.
- LéaTu m'as vraiment fait peur !You really scared me!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, rigole, CC BY-SA 4.0.
