fue una broma
/fwe una bɾoma/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'it was a joke' is translated into Spanish as fue una broma.
This phrase is used to explain that something said or done was not serious and was intended to be funny. If you want to convey that you were simply joking, you can also use the expression Solo estaba bromeando.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of fue (it was), una (a) and broma (joke).
Which one should you use?
Use es una broma if you are explaining a current situation in the present tense, whereas fue una broma refers to a past action. Additionally, in many Spanish-speaking contexts, the article una is often omitted in the idiomatic expressions era broma or fue broma.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, Uruguay and Chile, the informal phrase Era una joda is a common way to say 'It was a joke'. In Mexico, Era puro relajo is a casual way to say 'It was all a joke'.
How does it change in a sentence?
While fue una broma refers to a specific completed event, era una broma can be used to describe the ongoing nature or state of the joke in the past.
Did you know?
- While broma means 'joke' today, it comes from the Byzantine Greek word brôma, which referred to 'food' or 'shipworms'.
- In the Southern Cone, using the word joda instead of broma can shift the meaning from a simple joke to a wild party or a complete mess.
- In Mexico, the word relajo used in era puro relajo literally means 'disarray' or 'lack of order', treating a joke as a form of playful chaos.
Examples in context
- Fue una broma.It was a joke.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase fue una broma.Tatoeba #1591094 by teskmon, translation #1577663 by rbbrbb
- No te enfades, fue una broma.Don't be angry, it was a joke.
- Lo siento, fue una broma pesada.I'm sorry, it was a bad joke.
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are talking after a misunderstood comment.
- Javier¿Por qué estás seria, Lucía?Why are you serious, Lucía?
- LucíaMe has asustado mucho.You scared me a lot.
- JavierPerdona, fue una broma.Sorry, it was a joke.
- LucíaVale, no pasa nada.Okay, it's fine.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries broma, una, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
