was playing; was joking
Eu só estava brincando, o que quer dizer homem.
I was just kidding. What does “man” mean?
— Yojimbo, o Guarda-Costas (1961)
Pensei que você estava brincando.
I thought you were joking.
I was just kidding.
Tom não estava brincando.
Tom wasn’t joking.
O Tom não estava brincando.
Tom wasn't kidding.
Ela estava brincando com as crianças e pararam na manifestação.
She was playing with the children, and they stopped at the demonstration.
— Conflito das Águas (2011)
Tom estava brincando com o cachorro de Mary.
Tom was playing with Mary's dog.
O gato estava brincando com um rato vivo.
The cat was playing with a live mouse.
No início, eu achava que Tom estava brincando.
At first, I thought Tom was joking.