أمزح فقط
'amzahu faqat
The English phrase "just kidding" can be said in Arabic as أمزح فقط ('amzahu faqat).
This phrase is used to indicate that you were not being serious and that your previous statement was intended as a joke.
Meaning: I wasn’t serious, it was only a joke (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase أمزح فقط is composed of the verb amzahu (I am joking) and the adverb faqat (only/just).
Which one should you use?
You may also use لقد كانت مزحة to mean "It was just a joke" or عذراً، كنت أمزح to mean "Sorry, I was joking." In many spoken dialects, the formal أمزح فقط is replaced by the shorter, more natural بمزح.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many spoken dialects, the formal أمزح فقط is replaced by the shorter, more natural بمزح.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase أمزح فقط, the verb amzahu is in the first-person singular present tense.
How do you pronounce it?
'amzahu faqat
Did you know?
- To signal they are not serious, some Arabic speakers use a phrase meaning 'I am playing with you' rather than a word for 'joking'.
- In many Arabic cultures, the concept of 'joking' is closely linked to the idea of 'lightness' as a contrast to the 'heaviness' of serious life burdens.
- The word for 'joke' in Arabic, مزحة, can be linguistically linked to the idea of 'shuffling' or 'moving' things, much like rearranging the truth.
Examples in context
- كنت أمزح فقط.kuntu amzah faqat.I was just kidding.
- لا تغضب، أنا أمزح فقط.la taghdab, ana amzah faqat.Don't be angry, I'm just kidding.
Example conversation
Maryam tells Omar a fake surprise to trick him.
- مريم Maryamعمر، لقد فقدت مفاتيح السيارة!Omar, laqad faqadtu mafatih as-sayyara!Omar, I lost the car keys!
- عمر Omarماذا؟ أين بحثت عنها يا مريم؟Madha? Ayna bahathti anha ya Maryam?What? Where did you look for them, Maryam?
- مريم Maryamأمزح فقط! المفاتيح في حقيبتي.Amzah faqat! Al-mafatih fi haqibati.Just kidding! The keys are in my bag.
- عمر Omarلقد أخفتني حقاً!Laqad akhaftini haqqan!You really scared me!
