Inklingo

How to Say "to feign" in Spanish

English → Spanish

fingir

feen-HEER/finˈxiɾ/

verbB1
Use 'fingir' when you want to express the general act of pretending or faking something, like an emotion, a state of being, or an action.
A storybook illustration of a small child sitting on the floor, dramatically frowning and holding a hand near their face as if crying, while secretly peeking through one eye to see if anyone is watching.

Examples

Él fingió estar enfermo para no ir a trabajar.

He feigned being sick to avoid going to work.

Ella fingió no escuchar el despertador.

She pretended not to hear the alarm clock.

No tienes que fingir felicidad si estás triste.

You don't have to fake happiness if you are sad.

El niño finge ser un piloto de carreras con su juguete.

The boy pretends to be a race car driver with his toy.

The G-to-J Switch

In the 'yo' form of the present tense (and all present subjunctive forms), the 'g' changes to a 'j' (finjo, finja). This happens so the sound stays strong, like the 'h' in 'house'.

Using 'Fingir Que'

When you use 'fingir que...' (to pretend that...), the verb that follows usually stays in the normal indicative form, unless you are expressing doubt or impossibility about the pretense itself.

Forgetting the J

Mistake: “Yo fingo (Incorrect)”

Correction: Yo finjo (Correct). Remember that the 'g' needs to become a 'j' when followed by 'o' or 'a' to maintain the hard sound.

hacerse

ah-SEHR-seh/aˈθeɾse/

verbB2formal
Use 'hacerse' in reflexive constructions like 'hacerse el/la [adjective]' to specifically mean pretending to be or act a certain way, often to deceive or avoid something.
A child wearing a makeshift red cape and a paper crown, striking a dramatic pose while standing on a small chair, clearly pretending to be royalty.

Examples

Se hizo el dormido cuando su madre entró en la habitación.

He pretended to be asleep when his mother entered the room.

Cuando pregunté por la cena, él se hizo el tonto.

When I asked about dinner, he pretended to be clueless (the fool).

Para evitar el trabajo, se hizo el enfermo.

To avoid work, he pretended to be sick.

No te hagas el héroe, es peligroso.

Don't try to be the hero; it's dangerous.

Hacerse + Definite Article

In this meaning, 'hacerse' is almost always followed by the definite article (el, la, los, las) before the noun or adjective describing the pretended state (e.g., 'se hizo el ciego').

Intentional Action

This sense implies a conscious decision to behave a certain way to trick others or avoid something.

Omitting the Article

Mistake: “Se hizo tonto.”

Correction: Se hizo el tonto. (Including 'el' makes it clear you are acting out the role of a fool.)

Fingir vs. Hacerse el/la

Learners often confuse 'fingir' with 'hacerse el/la'. Remember that 'fingir' is broader and can mean to fake any action or emotion. 'Hacerse el/la' is more specific, meaning to pretend to *be* a certain way or have a certain characteristic, often using an adjective after 'el/la'.

Related Translations

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