je te taquine
The English phrase "just kidding you" can be translated into French as je te taquine.
A phrase used to tell someone that you are teasing them or joking with them.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase je te taquine is composed of je (I), te (you) and taquine (tease/teasing).
Which one should you use?
While je te taquine implies a playful teasing of a person, je plaisante is a more general way to say "I am joking" without necessarily targeting a person with the teasing. For a colloquial way to say you are "pulling someone's leg," you can use je te fais marcher.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the phrase Je te niaise is used to mean "I'm teasing you."
How does it change in a sentence?
Use je vous taquine instead of je te taquine when speaking to someone you do not know well or to a group of people.
Did you know?
- If you use the colloquial je te fais marcher, you are literally telling the person 'I am making you walk', which is a colorful way to describe pulling someone's leg.
- While taquiner means to tease, it originally referred to the act of gently picking at something or using a small hook to move things.
- The Quebecois phrase Je te niaise comes from the word niais, which historically described a simpleton or a gullible person.
Examples in context
- Ne le prends pas mal, je te taquine !Don't take it badly, I'm just kidding you!
- Ne t'inquiète pas, je te taquine.Don't worry, I'm just kidding you.
- Je te taquine, ne le prends pas mal.I'm kidding you, don't take it badly.
Example conversation
Emma tells Hugo a fake piece of news to see his reaction.
- EmmaHugo, j'ai entendu dire que tu as raté ton examen.Hugo, I heard that you failed your exam.
- HugoQuoi ? C'est pas vrai !What? That's not true!
- EmmaMais non, je te taquine.No, I'm just kidding you.
- HugoTu m'as fait peur, Emma.You scared me, Emma.
