just kidding
fixed phrase.you say this to show that what you just said was a joke and not serious.
fixed phrase.a conversational formula used to signal that a preceding statement was intended as a joke, irony, or sarcasm rather than a literal truth.
“I'm moving to Mars next week—just kidding!”
“He told his sister he had eaten all her chocolate, but then said 'just kidding' when she looked upset.”
“The speaker made a sharp remark about the local government but quickly added 'just kidding' to soften the blow for the officials in the audience.”
usually placed at the end of a sentence or as a standalone interjection immediately following a joke.
teach this alongside 'only joking' (British English) and 'I'm just pulling your leg' (idiomatic) to show different ways of clarifying intent.
the present participle 'kidding' is required to show the ongoing state of joking; 'kid' is a noun or a base verb.