סתם בצחוק
stam betsḥoq
In Hebrew, "just kidding" is said as סתם בצחוק (stam betsḥoq).
The phrase סתם בצחוק is used to clarify that a previous statement was not meant to be taken seriously.
Meaning: I wasn’t serious, it was only a joke (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word סתם (stam) means "just", "simply" or "for no reason".
How does it change in a sentence?
The word סתם can stand alone to mean "just" or "for no reason", and it is often used to dismiss a previous statement as unimportant.
How do you pronounce it?
stam betsḥoq
Did you know?
- The word סתם is so versatile in Israeli slang that it can be used to describe a person who is 'just okay' or 'mediocre' when someone asks for an opinion.
- The word סתם shares its origin with the Arabic word صتم, which relates to closing or sealing something.
- In a conversation, saying סתם immediately after a statement can act like a 'delete' button, effectively erasing the previous sentence from the record.
Examples in context
- אני אמרתי את זה סתם בצחוק.ani amarati et ze stam betzachok.I said that just kidding.
Example conversation
Ido tells Noa he lost her keys to prank her.
- עידו Idoנועה, איבדתי את המפתחות שלך!Noa, ibadti et ha-maftahot shelakh!Noa, I lost your keys!
- נועה Noaמה? איך יכולת לאבד אותם?!Ma? Eikh yakholta le-abed otam?!What? How could you lose them?!
- עידו Idoהנה הם, סתם בצחוק.Hine hem, stam be-tzkhok.Here they are, just kidding.
- נועה Noaעידו, זה לא היה מצחיק בכלל.Ido, ze lo haya matzkhik bikhlal.Ido, that wasn't funny at all.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries סתם, CC BY-SA 4.0.
