Hm. Let’s see. I’ve pretended to be interested while someone keeps on talking about a boring topic. I’ve prenteded not to feel hurt after losing to a competitor. And I’ve said “Cheese” to the camera while feeling rotten inside. I’m sure you, as well, are guilty of an occasional pretense. Anyhow, I think the setiment of the pretending is best expressed in the song “The Great Pretender“.
In Chinese, the word for pretend is 假装 (jiǎzhuāng). 假 (jiǎ) means fake or unreal, and 装 is an attire. When you pretend, it’s kind of like putting on a costume to disguise yourself to be someone else.
安娜抱怨她的鞋子太旧了, 但弗兰克假装没听到.
Ānnà bàoyuàn tā de xiézi tài jiùle, dàn fúlánkè jiǎzhuāng méi tīng dào.
Anna complains that her shoes are too old, but Frank pretends not to hear.
The word 伪 (wěi) means false or bogus. We could say that 假 (jiǎ) to 伪 (wěi) is like fake to false. The two words appear to have similar meanings, but they are used differently. I’ll leave the distinction between fake and false to the English experts. In Chinese, generally 假 (jiǎ) pertains to pretense, while 伪 (wěi) connotes forgery and deceit. Follwoing are a few examples of how 假 (jiǎ) and 伪 (wěi) are used in Chinese.
假扮 (jiǎbàn) is to diguise as some other person.
假牙 (jiǎyá) are dentures, or false teeth.
假钞 (jiǎ chāo) are counterfeit paper currency .
假如 (jiǎrú) and 假使 (jiǎshǐ) both mean “if”. These two words are interchangeable.
假想 (jiǎxiǎng ) means imaginary or imagination.
假设 (jiǎshè) means to assume. As a noun it means an assumption.
假借 (jiǎjiè ) means to make use of something as a ruse in order to trick or deceive.
假冒 (jiǎmào) means to pose as someone else or to do something under someone else’s name.
弄假成真 (nòngjiǎchéngzhēn) is a phrase used to describe a situation in which falsehood is unintentionally turned into reality.
Please note that 假 (jià) as a noun means vacation. It is pronounced in the fourth tone. For example, 放假 (fàngjià) means to have a holiday or vacation. 请病假 (qǐng bìngjià) means to ask for a sick leave.
虚伪 (xūwèi) means hypocritical. Therefore, 伪君子 (wèijūnzǐ) is a hypocrit.
伪造 (wèizào) is to forge. 伪证 (wèizhèng) is perjury. 伪币 (wèi bì) is counterfeit currency.
伪装 (wèizhuāng) means disguise or camouflage.
装 (zhuāng) as a noun is one’s clothing, as in 服装 (f úzhuāng), 男装 (nánzhuāng menswear), 女装 (nǚzhuāng womenswear) and 古装 (gǔzhuāng ancient costumes).
装扮 (zhuāngbàn) is to dress up.
装备 (huāngbèi) is equipment.
装货 (zhuāng huò) is to load cargo.
装修 (zhuāngxiū) is to remodel or renovate the interior of an architectural structure.
装饰品 (zhuāngshì pǐn) are ornaments or decorations.
包装 (bāozhuāng) means to package or the packaging.
改装 (gǎizhuāng) is to retrofit.
瓶装 (píngzhuāng) means bottled.
装订 (zhuāngdìng) refers to book binding. 平装本 (píngzhuāng běn) is a paperback, and 精装本 (jīngzhuāng běn) is a hardcover copy.
As 装 (zhuāng) involves making changes to the outward appearance, it connotes pretense.
装作 (zhuāng zuò) means to pretend to be.
装门面 (zhuāngménmiàn) means put up a façade.
装糊涂 (zhuāng hútú) menas playing dumb; and the phrase 装聋作哑 (zhuāng lóng zuò yǎ) means to pretend to be deaf and mute (i.e. to turn a deaf ear to). In everyday speech people often say 装蒜 (zhuāngsuàn) instead.
安娜说: “别装蒜!”
Ānnà shuō: “Bié zhuāngsuàn!”
Anna said, “Quit playing dumb!”
蒜 (suàn) is garlic. It has been observed that narcissus plants don’t flower when the temperature is too high, but only produce a bulb that looks like a head of garlic, hence the expression 装蒜 (zhuāngsuàn) – to pretend to be garlic.
装模作样 (zhuāngmúzuòyàng) is to deliberately act contrived or to feign sophistication.
装腔作势 (zhuāngqiāngzuòshì) is to put on airs, displaying self-importance.
中秋快樂!
Zhōngqiū kuàilè!
Have a Happy Moon Festival!
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