A simple cartoon character holding a bright, smiling theatrical mask in front of their face, while their visible eyes above the mask look genuinely tired, illustrating the act of pretending.

fingiendo

fin-HYEN-doh

Verb form (Gerund)A2irregular (spelling change) ir

pretending?Currently acting falsely

Also:feigning?Showing a false appearance,faking?Misrepresenting something

Quick Reference

infinitivefingir

gerundfingiendo

past Participlefingido

📝 In Action

Ella está fingiendo que no le importa el resultado.

She is pretending that the result doesn't matter to her.

Estuvimos fingiendo toda la noche para no arruinar la sorpresa.

We were pretending all night so as not to ruin the surprise.

Él entró a la oficina fingiendo una sonrisa.

He entered the office faking a smile.

Word Connections

Synonyms

simulando (simulating)
disimulando (hiding feelings)

Antonyms

diciendo la verdad (telling the truth)

Common Collocations

estar fingiendo – to be pretending
seguir fingiendo – to keep on pretending

💡 Grammar Points

Forming Continuous Actions

The word 'fingiendo' is the '-ing' form of 'fingir'. It is usually paired with a form of the verb 'estar' (to be) to show that the action is happening right now: 'estoy fingiendo' (I am pretending).

Spelling Change in the Base Verb

The base verb 'fingir' is tricky because the 'g' changes to a 'j' when followed by 'a' or 'o'. For example, the 'yo' form is 'finjo' (I pretend), not 'fingo'. However, the gerund 'fingiendo' keeps the 'g' because it is followed by 'i'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing Gerunds

Mistake: "Using 'fingiendo' in English sentence structure, e.g., 'Fingiendo es difícil.'"

Correction: In Spanish, you must use the infinitive (fingir) as the subject: 'Fingir es difícil' (Pretending is difficult). 'Fingiendo' only describes an ongoing action or manner.

⭐ Usage Tips

Describing Manner

You can use 'fingiendo' by itself to describe how someone did something: 'Salió de la sala fingiendo prisa.' (She left the room pretending to be in a hurry.)

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: fingiendo

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'fingiendo' to describe an ongoing action?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

fingir(to pretend) - verb

fingimiento(pretense/feigning (the act)) - noun

fingido(feigned/fake) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'fingiendo' the same as 'pretendiendo'?

Yes, they are very similar synonyms. 'Fingir' (and therefore 'fingiendo') is generally more common and means to put on a false appearance. 'Pretender' in Spanish usually means 'to intend' or 'to claim,' so be careful. The word you want for 'pretending' is usually 'fingir' or 'simular'.