đùa thôi
[ʔɗuə˨˩ tʰoj˧˧]word by word
The English phrase "just kidding" is translated into Vietnamese as đùa thôi.
đùa thôi is used to indicate that you were not being serious and that what you said was only a joke. It is often used as a standalone reaction once you realize a joke might have been taken too seriously or may have caused offense.
Meaning: I wasn’t serious, it was only a joke (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of đùa, which means "to joke" or "to tease" and the particle thôi, which functions here to mean "only" or "just".
Which one should you use?
You can vary the nuance of this expression by changing the final particle. Using đùa thôi mà softens the tone to make it sound more natural and less blunt in casual conversation. In contrast, replacing thôi with đấy to form đùa đấy changes the meaning to a more assertive "I'm kidding" or "I'm joking".
Did you know?
- While đùa thôi means 'just kidding', the word đùa can also describe the act of flirting when used in specific romantic contexts.
- The word thôi in đùa thôi shares an ancient root with the Chinese character 退, which means 'to retreat' or 'to withdraw'.
- Depending on the tone, thôi can be used to express resignation, similar to saying 'that's it' or 'I give up' in English.
Examples in context
- Tôi chỉ đùa thôi.I'm just kidding.This sentence demonstrates how to use đùa thôi to say "I'm just kidding".Tatoeba #13173476 by leucammieuvu, translation #398513 by CM
- Tôi nghĩ tôi hát rất giỏi. Chỉ đùa thôi!I think I sing very well. Just kidding!
- Đừng giận, tôi đùa thôi.Don't be mad, I'm just kidding.
- Tôi nói đùa thôi mà.I was only joking.
Example conversation
Mai tells Minh a fake surprise to see his reaction.
- MaiMinh ơi, ngày mai mình nghỉ học nhé!Minh, we have no school tomorrow!
- MinhThật sao? Tuyệt quá!Really? That's great!
- MaiĐùa thôi, vẫn phải đi học bình thường.Just kidding, we still have to go to school normally.
- MinhMai làm anh thất vọng quá.Mai, you really disappointed me.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (đùa, thôi) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries thôi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
