Pretend in Different Languages
Discover 'Pretend' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Pretend
Afrikaans voorgee | ||
Albanian pretendoj | ||
Amharic ማስመሰል | ||
Arabic تظاهر | ||
Armenian ձեւացնել | ||
Assamese ভাও জোৰা | ||
Aymara munaña | ||
Azerbaijani iddia | ||
Bambara ka kɛ i na fɔ | ||
Basque itxurak egin | ||
Belarusian прыкідвацца | ||
Bengali ভান করা | ||
Bhojpuri बहाना बनावल | ||
Bosnian pretvarati se | ||
Bulgarian преструвам се | ||
Catalan fingir | ||
Cebuano magpakaaron-ingnon | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 假装 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 假裝 | ||
Corsican finta | ||
Croatian pretvarati se | ||
Czech předstírat | ||
Danish lade som om | ||
Dhivehi ކަމެއް ވީކަމަށް ހެދުން | ||
Dogri ब्हान्ना करना | ||
Dutch doen alsof | ||
English pretend | ||
Esperanto ŝajnigi | ||
Estonian teeselda | ||
Ewe wᴐ abe | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) magpanggap | ||
Finnish teeskennellä | ||
French faire semblant | ||
Frisian pretend | ||
Galician finxir | ||
Georgian ვითომ | ||
German so tun als ob | ||
Greek προσποιούμαι | ||
Guarani ñembotavy | ||
Gujarati ડોળ કરવો | ||
Haitian Creole pretann | ||
Hausa riya | ||
Hawaiian hoʻokohukohu | ||
Hebrew להעמיד פנים | ||
Hindi नाटक | ||
Hmong ua txuj | ||
Hungarian színlelni | ||
Icelandic þykjast | ||
Igbo mee ka hà | ||
Ilocano iyarig | ||
Indonesian berpura-pura | ||
Irish ligean | ||
Italian fingere | ||
Japanese ふりをする | ||
Javanese ndalang | ||
Kannada ನಟಿಸು | ||
Kazakh түр көрсету | ||
Khmer ធ្វើពុត | ||
Kinyarwanda kwitwaza | ||
Konkani तड्डकां सांगप | ||
Korean 체하다 | ||
Krio mek lɛk | ||
Kurdish bervedanîn | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) نواندن | ||
Kyrgyz түр көрсөтүү | ||
Lao ທຳ ທ່າ | ||
Latin simulare | ||
Latvian izlikties | ||
Lingala kosala neti | ||
Lithuanian apsimesti | ||
Luganda okwekoza | ||
Luxembourgish maachen wéi | ||
Macedonian преправам | ||
Maithili बहाना | ||
Malagasy mody | ||
Malay berpura-pura | ||
Malayalam നടിക്കുക | ||
Maltese taparsi | ||
Maori faahua | ||
Marathi ढोंग | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯇꯧꯁꯤꯟꯅꯕ | ||
Mizo tider | ||
Mongolian жүжиглэх | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ဟန်ဆောင် | ||
Nepali बहाना | ||
Norwegian late som | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) yerekezerani | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଛଳନା କର | | ||
Oromo fakkeessuu | ||
Pashto tendtend | ||
Persian وانمود کردن | ||
Polish stwarzać pozory | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) fingir | ||
Punjabi ਵਿਖਾਵਾ | ||
Quechua tukuy | ||
Romanian pretinde | ||
Russian притворяться | ||
Samoan faʻafoliga | ||
Sanskrit व्यपदिशति | ||
Scots Gaelic cuir a-mach | ||
Sepedi ikgakantšha | ||
Serbian претварати се | ||
Sesotho iketsa | ||
Shona kunyepedzera | ||
Sindhi ناٽڪ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) මවාපානවා | ||
Slovak predstierať | ||
Slovenian pretvarjati se | ||
Somali iska dhigid | ||
Spanish pretender | ||
Sundanese pura-pura | ||
Swahili kujifanya | ||
Swedish låtsas | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) magpanggap | ||
Tajik вонамуд кардан | ||
Tamil பாசாங்கு | ||
Tatar күрсәтү | ||
Telugu నటిస్తారు | ||
Thai แสร้งทำ | ||
Tigrinya ኣምሰለ | ||
Tsonga encenyeta | ||
Turkish numara yapmak | ||
Turkmen öňe sür | ||
Twi (Akan) hyɛ da | ||
Ukrainian вдавати | ||
Urdu دکھاوا | ||
Uyghur قىياپەت | ||
Uzbek go'yo | ||
Vietnamese giả vờ | ||
Welsh esgus | ||
Xhosa zenzisa | ||
Yiddish פאַרהיטן | ||
Yoruba dibọn | ||
Zulu ukuzenzisa |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The Afrikaans word "voorgee" derives from the Dutch "voorgeven" (to pretend), which shares the same root as "geven" (to give) |
| Albanian | The word "pretendoj" in Albanian comes from the Latin word "praetendere", meaning "to stretch out or forth". |
| Amharic | The word "ማስመሰል" is also used to mean "to show" or "to indicate". |
| Arabic | تظاهر originally meant 'to help' and now has the additional meaning 'to pretend'. |
| Armenian | } |
| Azerbaijani | The word "iddia" also means "claim" or "assertion" in Azerbaijani. |
| Basque | The Basque word 'itxurak egin' literally translates to 'to make a face' or 'to make a gesture'. |
| Belarusian | "Прыкідвацца" in Belarusian can also mean "to measure", "to try on", "to figure out", or "to plan. |
| Bengali | "ভান করা" is derived from the Sanskrit word "bhrānt" which means "deceived" or "deluded". |
| Bosnian | The word 'pretvarati se' comes from the Slavic root 'tvoriti', meaning 'to create' or 'to form'. |
| Bulgarian | The verb "преструвам се" also means "to be disguised". Its etymology is unclear, possibly from the Greek word "προσποιέω" (prospopoieo). |
| Catalan | The word "fingir" in Catalan has been derived from the Latin verb "fingere", meaning "to form" or "to shape". |
| Cebuano | The Cebuano word "magpakaaron-ingnon" also means "to act like" or "to behave like something or someone." |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 假装 comes from 假 (‘false’) and 装 (“act, dress to be”). So it originally meant |
| Chinese (Traditional) | "假"的本义为“借”，引申为“假的、不真实的”，“裝”本义是“装入、装着”，二者连用表示“假装、伪装”之意。 |
| Corsican | The word 'finta' in Corsican can also mean 'feint' or 'ruse', suggesting a subtle or deceptive action. |
| Croatian | In addition to 'pretend', 'pretvarati se' can also mean 'disguise oneself'. |
| Czech | The Czech word "předstírat" comes from the Proto-Slavic word *pьrьdstiraǫti, meaning "to spread out". |
| Danish | The etymology of the word "lade som om" is uncertain. One theory is that it comes from the Old Norse verb "láta", meaning "to let", and the preposition "som", meaning "as if". Another theory is that it comes from the German verb "laden", meaning "to load" or "to pretend". |
| Dutch | The Dutch "doen alsof" is a calque from a French phrase that means literally 'do as if'. |
| Esperanto | The Esperanto word "ŝajnigi" derives from the Polish "szyn" meaning "shine", suggesting an appearance that is not real. |
| Estonian | The word 'teeselda' is derived from the German 'täuschen', meaning 'to deceive'. |
| Finnish | The word 'teeskennellä' is derived from the Swedish word 'teisken' meaning 'to do something feigned or unreal'. |
| French | Semblant (Old French) means "appearance" or "outward show, |
| Frisian | In Frisian, "pretend" also means "to make a claim". |
| Galician | Finxir derives from Latin "fingere" and can also mean "to feign" or "to simulate" |
| Georgian | The Georgian word ვითომ, meaning "pretend," is also used as an adverb meaning "as if" or "supposedly." |
| German | "So tun als ob" originates from a medieval legal term meaning "to act as if" |
| Greek | In its ancient form, προσποιέομαι means to add something; in the middle form, it means to pretend; and in the new form, it means to appear. |
| Gujarati | The Gujarati word “ડોળ કરવો” finds its origin in the Sanskrit term "dolan," meaning "to swing" or "to shake." |
| Haitian Creole | The word "pretann" in Haitian Creole has an alternate meaning of "to imitate" or "to mock". |
| Hausa | The Hausa word "riya" can also mean "to mimic" or "to show off" |
| Hawaiian | "Hoʻokohukohu" in Hawaiian also means "to deceive," "to lead astray," or "to delude." |
| Hebrew | The verb לHEַעֲמִיד פָּנִים (lahaamid panim), "pretend," contains within it the word פָּנִים (panim, "face"), hinting at the concept of putting on a particular face or expression that conceals one's true feelings or intentions. |
| Hindi | नाटक (pretend) is derived from Sanskrit नाताक (nṇatakam), meaning 'a dance, drama, or play'. |
| Hmong | The Hmong word "ua txuj" can also mean "imitate" or "mock". |
| Hungarian | "Színlelni" (pretend) is also used in the context of stage acting, meaning "to play a role". |
| Icelandic | The Icelandic verb "þykjast" evolved from the Proto-Germanic *þūnkjaną meaning "to seem, appear, or think". |
| Igbo | Mee ka hà' is a phrase used to describe someone who is pretending to be something they are not. |
| Indonesian | The word "berpura-pura" can be associated with a sense of pretense, especially in the context of one's actions and intentions. |
| Irish | The word "ligean" in Irish can also mean "a lie" or "a falsehood". |
| Italian | The Latin origin of "fingere" alludes to shaping and molding, suggesting the creation of a false reality. |
| Japanese | The word "ふりをする" (pretend) originally meant "to shake" or "to wave" in Japanese. |
| Javanese | Ndalan in Javanese is also the word for "path" or "road". The phrase "ndalan lurus" literally means "straight path" but idiomatically means "honest" or "upright". |
| Kannada | ನಟಿಸು in Kannada can also mean "to play (of a musical instrument)" or "to imitate". |
| Kazakh | In Kazakh, "түр көрсету" can also mean "to make a demonstration" or "to show off." |
| Khmer | The Khmer word "ធ្វើពុត" can also mean "to imitate" or "to copy". |
| Korean | The word '체하다' can also mean 'to look like' or 'to resemble'. |
| Kurdish | The verb "bervedanîn" is the Kurdish for "pretendre" in French or "pretendere" in Italian, but it is derived from the Kurdish word "berd" or the French word "vert", which means "green". |
| Kyrgyz | The word "түр көрсөтүү" in Kyrgyz can also mean "to perform a theatrical play" or "to behave in a certain way to make an impression on someone." |
| Lao | "ທ(ໍ)າ ທ່າ" (tham-tha) is also used to describe the way a person carries himself or herself, suggesting a sense of elegance or poise. |
| Latin | The Latin word "simulare" also means "to imitate" or "to resemble". |
| Latvian | The Latvian word "izlikties" is derived from the word "izlikums", which means "bend" or "curve". This suggests that pretending involves bending or changing one's behavior or appearance. |
| Lithuanian | The word "apsimesti" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *me- "to measure", and originally meant "to take on a role or appearance". |
| Luxembourgish | The word "maachen wéi" is also used in the sense of "to make believe" or "to imagine". |
| Macedonian | The word "преправам" comes from the Old Church Slavonic word "прѣправамъ", which means "to make ready" or "to prepare." |
| Malagasy | The word "mody" in Malagasy also means "to try" or "to put to the test." |
| Malay | The word "berpura-pura" is the passive form of the verb "pura-pura", which means "to mimic" or "to take on the appearance of" something else. |
| Malayalam | നടിക്കുക's other meanings include 'to walk,' 'to behave,' and 'to act in a play' |
| Maltese | The word “taparsi” in Maltese comes from the Arabic word “taşâwur” which means “to imagine”. |
| Maori | The word 'faahua' can also mean 'mockery' |
| Marathi | The Marathi word "ढोंग" also means "hypocrisy" or "falsehood". |
| Mongolian | The word "жүжиглэх" can also mean "to play" or "to amuse oneself". |
| Nepali | The word "बहाना" is derived from the Sanskrit root "वहन" (to carry) and means "to carry a burden" or "to make an excuse." |
| Norwegian | "Late som" means "pretend" in Norwegian, but also "act as" or "give the impression of" in a more neutral sense. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word 'yerekezerani' comes from the word 'yerekeza', meaning 'to show', suggesting that pretending involves presenting a different or deceptive appearance. |
| Pashto | Tendtends are also called sham battles or mock fights, and are commonly used in training exercises. |
| Persian | The word "وانمود کردن" (pretend) is derived from the Middle Persian "wanumudan" (to show) and is related to the Avestan "van" (to see). |
| Polish | "Stwarzać pozory" derives from the word "stworzyć" (to create), signifying the act of "creating an appearance" or "making something seem real. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In Portuguese, "fingir" can also mean "to fake" or "to dissimulate". |
| Romanian | The word "pretinde" also means "to pretend" in French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Catalan. |
| Russian | "Притворяться" is derived from "творить", meaning "do or create", and means literally "to appear or create something different." |
| Samoan | The Samoan "fa'a" often denotes causation, as in "fa'a"ma"i" (make ill) or "fa'a"gogo" (cause to tremble). |
| Scots Gaelic | The Scots Gaelic phrase "cuir a-mach" may also refer to putting something away, especially in a closet. |
| Serbian | The verb "pretvarati se" can also mean to "disguise oneself" or to "feign". |
| Sesotho | In the Sesotho language, "iketsa" can also mean "to imitate" or "to act like someone else." |
| Shona | The word "kunyepedzera" can also be used to mean "imitate or "act like" someone or something. |
| Sindhi | "नाटڪ" also means "play" in Sindhi. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මවාපානවා' can be broken down into two words: 'මව', meaning 'false', and 'පානවා', meaning 'to hold or wear'. Thus, it can also mean 'to hold or wear something false' or 'to present a false appearance'. |
| Slovak | Slovak "predstierať" comes from Proto-Slavic, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *strajanan "to spread, extend, cover". |
| Slovenian | The Slovenian word "pretvarjati se" derives from the Proto-Slavic verb *pretvoriti, meaning "to transform" |
| Somali | The Somali verb "iska dhigid" also means "to refuse" or "to deny", and is derived from the verb "dhigi" meaning "to put". |
| Spanish | Spanish "pretendiente" (pretender), from Latin "praetend-ere": "to stretch out, expose, set forth." |
| Sundanese | The Sundanese word "pura-pura" can also mean "to behave as if"} |
| Swahili | The word "kujifanya" is derived from the verb "kujifanya", which means "to cause oneself to do something"} |
| Swedish | The word "låtsas" is derived from the Old Norse word "látaz", meaning "to look as if". It can also mean "to seem" or "to appear". |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The root word "pagpangap" has alternate meanings such as "a shield to protect oneself" or "an object that provides protection" |
| Tajik | Вонамуд кардан can also mean "play the роль, personate, represent, impersonate, depict, copy, simulate, mock, imitate, or ape." |
| Thai | The word 'แสร้งทำ' in Thai can be used to describe both pretending to do something and doing something carelessly or without purpose. |
| Turkish | The Turkish expression "numara yapmak" literally translates to "to do a number," which suggests manipulating others for personal gain. |
| Ukrainian | "Вдавати" also means "to push" or "to force in". In that sense, it is a cognate of the German word "geben" (to give). |
| Urdu | The word also refers to the act of ostentation or display of wealth or belongings. |
| Uzbek | The word "go'yo" in Uzbek can also mean "to pretend" or "to imagine". |
| Vietnamese | "Giả vờ" có thể có nghĩa là "làm ra vẻ" hoặc "làm như thật". |
| Welsh | The word 'esgus' (pretend) is also used in Welsh to mean 'make-believe' or 'feign'. |
| Xhosa | The word "zenzisa" in Xhosa is derived from the stem "zenz-," meaning "to resemble" or "to imitate," and is often used to indicate feigning an action or behavior. |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word "פאַרהיטן" is derived from the German word "verhüten", which means "to prevent". |
| Yoruba | The word "dibọn" in Yoruba also means "to deceive" or "to mislead". |
| Zulu | The word "ukuzenzisa" means both "to pretend" and "to behave in a self-important way" in Zulu. |
| English | 'Pretend' stems from the Latin word 'praetendere', meaning 'to stretch out before or in front'. The word's evolution through Old French resulted in its current meaning of 'to feign or simulate'. It originally held connotations of 'claiming' or 'asserting', rather than its modern association with deception. |