Grammar Info

N3 Lesson 9: 14/22

振(ふ)りをする

To pretend, To act as if

Structure

Verb［ている］(1) + ふりをする
［い］Adjective + ふりをする
［な］Adjective + な + ふりをする
Noun + の + ふりをする

(1) Verb［ない］、Verb［た］

Details

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    Standard

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    一般

About ふりをする

ふりをする is an expression in Japanese that is used to show that someone is 'pretending to be (A)', 'putting on airs of (A)', or 'acting as if (A)'. This construction comes from a combination of the noun 振(ふ)り 'a shake', the adverbial particle を, and する. It can be thought of as meaning 'to give off the impression of (A)', or 'to shake off the impression of (A)'.
As ふり itself is a noun, this expression may be used with the attributive form of any other word.
  • この蛇(へび)は人(ひと)等(など)大(おお)きな動物(どうぶつ)が近(ちか)づくと死(し)んだ振(ふ)りをするらしい。
    I heard that this snake pretends to be dead when humans and bigger animals approach it.
  • 僕(ぼく)は子供(こども)の頃(ころ)、よく寝(ね)ている振(ふ)りをした。
    When I was a child, I would often pretend to sleep.
  • 欲(ほ)しいのはこれではなかったけど、せっかく買(か)ってくれたから嬉(うれ)しい振(ふ)りをする。
    This is not what I wanted, but since they went out of their way and bought it for me, I will pretend that I am happy.
  • 俺(おれ)の前(まえ)ではそんな、元気(げんき)な振(ふ)りをしなくていいよ。
    You don't have to pretend that you are happy in front of me.
  • カケル君(くん)はカエルが好(す)きだからいつもカエルの振(ふり)りをして遊(あそ)んでいる。
    Because Kakeru-kun likes frogs, he always pretends to be a frog when he plays.
Fun Fact
The noun 振(ふ)り has several different nuances in Japanese, with only one of them being used in this particular expression. That meaning is 'to show a certain behavior pattern on the outside'. Due to this, ふり doesn't specifically mean 'to pretend', just that what is happening on the outside may be different to what is happening within a person (either mentally or physically).

Examples

  • 私(わたし)の犬(いぬ)は寝(ね)たふりをすることがある。

    There are times when my dog pretends to sleep.

  • 子供(こども)は、注意(ちゅうい)された時(とき)に、聞(き)こえないふりをした。

    The child pretended not to hear while she was being scolded.

  • どんなことについても知(し)っているふりをする人(ひと)は信頼(しんらい)ができない。

    I don't trust people who act as if they know everything.

  • 病気(びょうき)のふりをして会社(かいしゃ)を休(やす)んだ。

    Pretending to be sick, I took the day off work.

  • 熊(くま)に遭遇(そうぐう)した時(とき)、死(し)んだふりをしてもあまり意味(いみ)がないと聞(き)いた。

    I have heard that when you encounter a bear, even if you pretend to be dead, it won't make much difference.

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ふりをする – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (9 in total)

  • Pushindawood

    Pushindawood

    @Aythreuk I have updated both the Verb[た] grammar point page and this page with the information that @matt_in_mito provided. I have also updated the Structure for this grammar point. Cheers!

  • simias

    simias

    I still don’t find any information it this grammar point about the difference between 〜た and 〜ている unless I missed something.

    I just got “When you pretended to cry, it was useless.” in a review, the default answer and the audio recording give “泣いたふりをしたって無駄ですよ”, however “泣いているふりをした…” is accepted as an alternative answer.

    Given that the past tense is carried by する here I’m still unsure what the nuance between the two is, if any.

    Is it simply “when you pretended to cry” vs. “when you were pretending to cry”?

  • Dwrlesky

    Dwrlesky

    I struggle a lot with the different ways to conjugate that grammar point, probably because I don’t understand the difference in english either.

    What is the difference between saying:

    分()かっている ふりをしていた が and 分()かっている ふりをした が?

    Is it like saying this in english?

    I was pretending that I knew what was going on, but I didn’t understand anything.
    I pretended that I knew what was going on, but I didn’t understand anything.

    Assuming the second sentence is correct I don’t really see a difference in meaning.

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