冗談 =じょうだん = joudan = jokes

 

「冗談はさておき、今日は試験をします。」

= Joudan wa sateoki, kyou wa shiken wo shimasu.

= All jokes aside, I am going to give you an exam today.

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Hi everyone!

Today we’re going to learn some joke related expressions using 冗談 ( = じょうだん = joudan = a joke), but this lesson is not a joke. 😉

When you say something as a joke, you say

＊冗談です。/ (Casual) 冗談! ・冗談だよ。= Joudan desu/ Joudan ! ・Joudan dayo. /

= It’s a joke. / I am kidding. / Just joking. 

Often we repeat it twice like this. 冗談、冗談 ( = Joudan, joudan)

Ex. 今のは、冗談ですよ。・/ (Casual) 今のは、冗談だよ。

= ima no wa, joudan desu yo. / ima no wa, joudan dayo.

= It was a joke. (What I just said was a joke. ) / I was kidding. 

Ex. 明日、試験をします。なんてね。今のは冗談! 

= Ashita, shiken wo shimasu. Nantene. Ima no wa joudan.

= We are going to have an exam tomorrow. Just kidding.

Note: なんてね = nantene / な～んて = naante also means “just kidding” 

You can just say なんてね ( nantene) ・な～んて ( = naante) with or without 冗談 ( = じょうだん = joudan)

Verb: 

冗談を言う = じょうだんをいう = joudan wo iu = to tell a joke

冗談で言う = じょうだんでいう = joudan de iu = to say something as a joke

Ex. 彼は、いつも冗談ばかり言っている。

= Kare wa, itsumo joudan bakari itteiru.

= He is always kidding around. 

Ex. 冗談ばかり言ってないで真面目に聞きなさい。

= Joudan bakari ittenai de majime ni kikinasai.

= Stop fooling around and listen to me more seriously. 

Ex. A: 「来月から一人暮らしを始めようと思っているんだ。」

= Raigetsu kara hitori gurashi wo hajimeyou to omotteirun da.

= I am thinking about living on my own from next month.

B:「またまた～! 冗談ばっかり」

= Matamata~ joudan bakkari.

= You are joking, right?/ Here you go again.

Note: またまた～ ( = matamata ) is another casual expression to say “You are joking.”

「これは、冗談じゃないよ。本気なんだ。」

= Kore wa, joudan ja nai yo. Honki nanda.

= This is not a joke. I am serious. 

Ex. そんなこと冗談で言っちゃだめだよ。(casual)

= Sonna koto joudan de iccha dame dayo.

= You shouldn’t say things like that as a joke. 

Ex. 冗談やめて！

= Joudan yamete!

= Enough with the jokes!/ Don’t be silly. / Stop joking! 

Ex. 僕が彼女のことを好きなんて、冗談きついよ。

= Boku ga kanojo no koto wo sukinante, joudan kitsuiyo.

= You think I like her? That is not funny anymore. 

When you hear something wrong, unacceptable and you get annoyed or angry, you say

* 冗談じゃない 

= Joudan janai.

= Don’t be silly! / There is no way.

Ex. A:「彼、お金がないんだって。また貸してあげたら？」

= Kare, okane ga nain datte. Mata kashite agetara?

= I heard he is broke. Why don’t you lend him some money again?

B:「冗談じゃないよ。この間、貸したばかりなのに。」

= Joudan janai yo. Kono aida, kashita bakari nanoni.

= No way! / Are you kidding me? I just lent him money. 

Ex. 弟に自転車をあげるなんて冗談じゃない！

= Otouto ni jitensha wo agerunante joudan janai.

= There is no way I am going to give my bike to my little brother.

Variations:

These are stronger/more blunt expressions

(You only hear these when someone is super angry and ready to fight) 

★冗談も休み休み言って・(male speech/blunt ) 言え

= Joudan mo yasumi yasumi itte/ ie.

(The literal meaning) to tell a joke while taking a break.

= Enough with the jokes!/ Give me a break! 

★冗談は顔だけにして

= Joudan wa kao dake ni shite.

= (The literal meaning)  Keep the joke just with your face. /Just make your face the only joke and stop joking. 

= Enough with the jokes!/ Give me a break!

★冗談半分 = じょうだんはんぶん = joudan hanbun 

= half joking・half in jest

（Similar expression: 面白半分 = おもしろはんぶん = omoshirohanbun = for fun)

→冗談半分で

= じょうだんはんぶんで

= joudan hanbun de 

= to do something half jokingly/not seriously

Ex. 冗談半分で作った動画がバズった。

= Joudan hanbun de tsukutta douga ga bazutta.

= The video I made half-jokingly went viral. 

Note: バズる = bazuru= (slang) to go viral

★冗談でも = じょうだんでも = joudan demo = even a joke

Ex. 2人で入学試験に落ちたらどうする？

= Futari de nyuugaku shiken ni ochitara dou suru?

= What are you going to do if both of us fail the entrance exams?

B: そんなこと冗談でも言わないで。（It sounds a little feminine) 

= Sonna koto joudan demo iwanai de.

= Don’t even joke about that!

★冗談が通じない

= じょうだんがつうじない

= joudan ga tsuujinai 

= not to get a joke/ can not take jokes

Ex. A: 彼女に太ったって冗談で言ったのに、通じなかったよ。

= Kanojo ni futotatte joudan de itta noni tsuujinakatta yo.

= I jokingly asked her if she put on some weight, but she didn’t get it. (She didn’t take it as a joke. )

B: 冗談でもそんなこと言っちゃだめだよ。

= Joudan demo sonna koto iccha dame dayo.

= You shouldn’t have said that even a joke. 

Ex. 彼は冗談が通じない真面目な人だから話し方に気をつけて。

= Kare wa joudan ga tsuujinai  majime na hito dakara hanashikata ni ki wo tsukete.

= He is a serious person who doesn’t really get jokes so be careful when you talk to him.

★冗談はさておき

= じょうだんはさておき

= Joudan wa sateoki 

= (All) joking aside, enough with jokes

You can also say

→★冗談は別にして 

= じょうだんはべつにして 

=  Joudan wa betsu ni shite

= (All) joking aside, enough with jokes

→★冗談は抜きにして 

= じょうだんはぬきにして 

=  joudan wa nuki ni shite 

= (All) joking aside, enough with jokes

You say these after making or hearing some joke.

Ex. A:「もう仕事をやめてハワイに移住しようかな。」

= Mou shigoto wo yamete Hawai ni ijuu shiyou kana.

= I am thinking about quitting my job and moving to Hawaii…

B:「冗談はさておき、プレゼンの資料明日までに用意しておいてね。」

= Joudan wa sate oki, purezen no shiryou ashita made ni youi shite oitene.

= Enough with the jokes. Prepare the presentation materials by tomorrow, OK?

Ex. マギー先生は、犬だけど、「ワンダフルな」先生ですよ。冗談は別にして

何かいい日本語のテキストはありませんか？

= Maggie Sensei wa, inu dakedo “Wandafuru na” sensei desu yo. Joudan wa betsu ni shite nani ka ii nihon no tekisuto wa arimasen ka?

= Maggie Sensei is a dog, but I think she is a “wonderful” (WAN-derful) teacher. Jokes aside, do you know any good Japanese textbook?

(This WANDderful is a pun on:  ワン= wan= is a barking sound = Bow-wow　🐶)

★冗談抜きで = じょうだんぬきで = joudan nuki de = I am serious/seriously/ very ~ 

Ex. このお菓子、食べてみて。冗談抜きで美味しいから。

= Kono okashi, tabete mite. Joudan nuki de oishii kara.

= Try this snack. No kidding. It is so good! 

Ex. わあ、このバッグ、冗談抜きで　ずっと欲しかったんだ。ありがとう！

= Waa, kono baggu, joudan nuki de zutto hoshikattanda. Arigatou.

= Wow! I’ve always wanted to this bag. I mean it.  Thank you!! 

***

マギー先生より = Maggie Sensei yori = From Maggie Sensei

冗談抜きで試験は難しいからしっかり勉強してね。

= Joudan nuki de shiken wa muzukashii kara shikkari benkyou shite ne.

= Seriously the exam is difficult so study hard, OK? 

***

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