шутил

шутил

"Joked" or "was joking."

Here, "шутил" is used to indicate that someone made a joke in the past to lighten the mood.

Он шутил, чтобы разрядить напряжённую обстановку.

He joked to ease the tense situation.

In this context, "шутил" implies past humorous communication, contrasting with seriousness.

Я думал, он серьёзен, но оказалось, что он просто шутил.

I thought he was serious, but it turned out he was just joking.

Here, "шутил" illustrates the use of humor as an initial response in a past situation before providing a sincere answer.

Когда мы спрашивали о причине его опоздания, он сначала шутил, затем ответил серьёзно.

When we asked about the reason for his tardiness, he first joked, then replied seriously.