How to Say “To Pretend” in Italian
To say “to pretend” in Italian, use fingere or the more colloquial fare finta. Do not use pretendere, which looks like “pretend” but means “to demand” or “to expect”.
| Italian | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| fingere (finge = he/she pretends) | to pretend, to fake, to feign | Fingo di essere malato. (I pretend to be sick.) |
| fare finta / far finta | to pretend (more colloquial) | Fa finta di dormire. (He pretends to sleep.) |
| far finta di niente | to act as if nothing happened | Fai finta di niente. (Act as if nothing happened.) |
| pretendere | to demand, to expect (false friend!) | Pretendo rispetto. (I demand respect.) |
Fingere
The most accurate translation verb for “to pretend” in Italian is fingere. This verb is used when you want to express the idea of faking or acting as if something were true, for example:
Fingo di essere malato.
I pretend to be sick.
The Italian verb fingere is a second conjugation verb with an irregular past participle, finto. Here I will show you its conjugation in the main tenses of the indicative mood:
| Subject | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Io | fingo | I pretend |
| Tu | fingi | You pretend |
| Lui/Lei | finge | He/She pretends |
| Noi | fingiamo | We pretend |
| Voi | fingete | You pretend |
| Loro | fingono | They pretend |
Loro fingono di sapere la risposta.
They pretend to know the answer.
Fingere is a transitive verb, therefore the passato prossimo is formed with the auxiliary verb avere followed by the past participle finto.
| Subject | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Io | ho finto | I pretended |
| Tu | hai finto | You pretended |
| Lui/Lei | ha finto | He/She pretended |
| Noi | abbiamo finto | We pretended |
| Voi | avete finto | You pretended |
| Loro | hanno finto | They pretended |
Ho finto di non vedere l’errore.
I pretended not to see the mistake.
| Subject | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Io | fingevo | I was pretending |
| Tu | fingevi | You were pretending |
| Lui/Lei | fingeva | He/She was pretending |
| Noi | fingevamo | We were pretending |
| Voi | fingevate | You were pretending |
| Loro | fingevano | They were pretending |
Fingevo di essere interessato, ma in realtà non lo ero.
I was pretending to be interested, but I really wasn’t.
| Subject | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Io | fingerò | I will pretend |
| Tu | fingerai | You will pretend |
| Lui/Lei | fingerà | He/She will pretend |
| Noi | fingeremo | We will pretend |
| Voi | fingerete | You will pretend |
| Loro | fingeranno | They will pretend |
Fingerò di non essere sorpreso.
I will pretend not to be surprised.
As you can see, the verb fingere is commonly followed by the preposition di and a verb in the present infinitive. This is the most common structure, as it allows to introduce an action that the subject is pretending to do.
Ha finto di dormire.
S/he pretended to sleep.
However, fingere can also be used without di, directly followed by a noun or pronoun to express pretending to be something.
Lui finge indifferenza.
He pretends indifference.
Fingo interesse.
I pretend interest.
What Does “Finge” Mean? Other Forms of Fingere
Finge is the form for lui and lei in the present tense, so finge means “he/she pretends”. The gerund is fingendo and the past participle is finto (an irregular participle, see the lesson on irregular past participles). Here are the other forms you will need:
| Passato remoto | Condizionale | Congiuntivo presente | |
|---|---|---|---|
| io | finsi | fingerei | finga |
| tu | fingesti | fingeresti | finga |
| lui, lei | finse | fingerebbe | finga |
| noi | fingemmo | fingeremmo | fingiamo |
| voi | fingeste | fingereste | fingiate |
| loro | finsero | fingerebbero | fingano |
Pronunciation: the g is hard in fingo and finga (like in “go”), and soft in fingi, fingere and fingiamo (like in “gem”).
The reflexive form fingersi means “to pretend to be”:
Si finge malato per non andare a scuola.
He pretends to be sick so he doesn’t have to go to school.
Lei si fingeva sorda.
She pretended to be deaf.
“Fare Finta”
Another phrase Italians use to express pretending is fare finta. It is very similar to fingere, as the noun finta comes from the verb fingere itself.
This phrase is a bit more colloquial and often used in everyday conversation. It makes use of the verb fare and literally means “to make pretend”, for example:
Fa finta di dormire.
He pretends to sleep.
Unlike fingere, fare finta is usually followed by the preposition di and a verb in the present infinitive.
Fare Finta Che, Far Finta di Niente and “Let’s Pretend”
When you pretend that a whole situation is true, use fare finta che followed by the subjunctive:
Fa finta che non sia successo niente.
He/she pretends nothing happened.
Finge che non gli importi.
He pretends he doesn’t care.
The expression far finta di niente means to act as if nothing had happened, or to ignore something on purpose. It is very common with the imperative:
Fai finta di niente e sorridi.
Act as if nothing happened and smile.
Ho visto l’errore, ma ho fatto finta di niente.
I saw the mistake, but I pretended not to notice.
Children use facciamo finta che to start a game of pretend, and Italians use the same expression for any “let’s imagine that”:
Facciamo finta che io sia il dottore.
Let’s pretend I’m the doctor.
Facciamo finta che sia domenica.
Let’s pretend it’s Sunday.
The Italian “Pretendere”
A common mistake for English speakers is assuming that pretendere translates to “to pretend”. It would have been way easier, I know, but pretendere is a false friend.
In Italian, the verb pretendere means “to demand” or “to expect” something. Think of it as making a claim or insisting on something being done, as in these examples:
Pretendo rispetto.
I demand respect.
Pretendiamo di essere ascoltati quando parliamo.
We expect to be heard when we speak.
Notice how the meaning is completely different from pretending or faking. Also notice that, just like fingere, the verb pretendere can be followed both by a noun, as in the first sentence, and di + infinitive, as in the second one.
Pretendere di: to Claim or Insist
Followed by di and an infinitive, pretendere means “to expect” or “to claim to”, usually with a critical tone:
Pretende di avere sempre ragione.
He insists on always being right.
Non pretendo molto.
I don’t ask for much.
Words Related to Fingere
| Italian | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| finto / finta | fake, false | fiori finti (artificial flowers) |
| la finzione | pretence, fiction | Il cinema è finzione. (Cinema is fiction.) |
| la finta | pretence, a feint in sport | Ha fatto una finta e ha segnato. (He made a feint and scored.) |
| simulare | to feign, to fake (an illness, a feeling) | Ha simulato un malore. (He faked a sudden illness.) |
Fingere, Fare Finta or Simulare?
Fingere and fare finta mean the same in most cases, and fare finta sounds more everyday. Use fingere with a noun (fingere indifferenza) and fare finta with che or niente. Simulare is more technical: it is used for illnesses, symptoms and situations that are faked on purpose.
Common Mistakes With Pretend in Italian
- Using pretendere for “pretend”. Pretendo di essere malato means “I claim I am sick”, not “I pretend to be sick”. Say Fingo di essere malato.
- Forgetting di. Fingo essere malato is wrong before a verb. Use fingere di + infinitive.
- Using the indicative after fare finta che. Say Fa finta che non sia successo niente, not che non è successo.
- Regularizing the participle. The participle is finto, not fingito: Ho finto.
Practice: Fingere, Fare Finta or Pretendere?
Complete the sentences:
- Io ___ di dormire. (fingere, present)
- Lui ___ ___ di non sentire. (fare finta, present perfect)
- Il capo ___ il massimo impegno. (pretendere, present)
- Loro ___ di sapere tutto. (fingere, imperfect)
- Facciamo finta che tu ___ il re. (essere, subjunctive)
Answers: 1. fingo, 2. ha fatto finta, 3. pretende, 4. fingevano, 5. sia.
To Pretend in Italian: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say “to pretend” in Italian?
Use fingere or fare finta: Fingo di dormire or Faccio finta di dormire (I pretend to sleep).
What does “fingere” mean?
It means “to pretend”, “to feign” or “to fake”. The form finge means “he/she pretends”.
Does “pretendere” mean “to pretend”?
No. Pretendere means “to demand” or “to expect”. It is a false friend.
How do you say “let’s pretend” in Italian?
Say Facciamo finta che followed by the subjunctive: Facciamo finta che sia vero (Let’s pretend it’s true).
