冗じょう談だん半はん分ぶん

noun

half joking; half in jest

Used when something is said or done partly as a joke, implying the speaker is not entirely serious. Often appears in adverbial phrases like 冗談半分に.

• 彼かれは冗じょう談だん半はん分ぶんに「辞やめる」と言いった。

  He said he would quit, half joking.

• その提てい案あんは冗じょう談だん半はん分ぶんだったが、意い外がいにも採さい用ようされた。

  The suggestion was half in jest, but surprisingly it was adopted.