simular
“simular” means “to pretend” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to pretend, to feign
Also: to fake
📝 In Action
Ella intentó simular sorpresa, pero ya sabía el secreto.
B1She tried to pretend to be surprised, but she already knew the secret.
El jugador cayó al suelo para simular una falta.
B2The player fell to the ground to fake a foul.
No tienes que simular que te gusta la comida si no es así.
B1You don't have to pretend that you like the food if you don't.
to simulate
Also: to model
📝 In Action
Los científicos usan computadoras para simular el cambio climático.
B2Scientists use computers to simulate climate change.
El entrenamiento sirve para simular una situación de emergencia real.
B2The training serves to simulate a real emergency situation.
Este software puede simular el vuelo de un avión.
C1This software can simulate an airplane's flight.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: simular
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence correctly says 'He pretends to be happy'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin 'simulare', meaning to make like or to copy.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
💡 Master Spanish
Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'simular' always imply lying?
Not necessarily. While it can mean faking something to deceive, in technical contexts it simply means recreating a situation for study, like a flight simulator.
Can I use 'simular' for kids playing?
Usually, for children's 'make-believe,' Spanish uses 'jugar a ser' (to play at being). 'Simular' sounds a bit more adult or intentional.
Is 'simular' a regular verb?
Yes! It follows the standard conjugation patterns for all -ar verbs in all tenses.