How to Say “To Pretend” in Italian
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 regular second conjugation verb. 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.
“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 always followed by the preposition di and a verb in the present infinitive.
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.
