TL;DR
- 👻 -는 척하다 means "to pretend" or "act as if" — use it when someone is faking something or acting like something that isn't true
- 🎭 Attach -는 척하다 to verb stems, -ㄴ/은 척하다 to adjectives, and 인 척하다 to nouns
- 🤥 It always carries a nuance that the person knows it's not true but is pretending anyway!
What does -는 척하다 mean? 🎭
-는 척하다 is how you say someone is pretending or acting as if something is true when it's not! 🤥
It's super useful for calling out fake behavior or describing when someone puts on an act. 👀
Think of it like this: the person knows the truth, but they're choosing to pretend otherwise! 🎪
How to use it 🔨
The attachment pattern depends on what kind of word you're working with! 📝
With Verbs 💪
Verb stem + -는 척하다
→ 자는 척했어요.
(I pretended to sleep.) 😴
→ 모르는 척하지 마!
(Don't pretend you don't know!) 🙄
→ 듣는 척하고 있어요.
(They're pretending to listen.) 🎧
With Adjectives ✨
Adjective stem + -ㄴ/은 척하다
Use -ㄴ 척하다 if the stem ends in a vowel, -은 척하다 if it ends in a consonant! 🎯
→ 괜찮은 척했어요.
(I acted like I was okay.) 😔
→ 바쁜 척하지 마세요.
(Don't act like you're busy.) ⏰
→ 슬픈 척하고 있어.
(They're pretending to be sad.) 😢
With Nouns 🎪
Noun + 인 척하다
→ 친구인 척했어요.
(They pretended to be friends.) 👥
→ 전문가인 척하지 마!
(Don't act like you're an expert!) 🤓
→ 모르는 사람인 척했어요.
(I acted like I didn't know them.) 🚶
Key nuances to remember 💡
Always implies awareness! 🧠 The person doing the pretending knows it's not real — they're consciously faking it!
→ 아는 척하지 마.
(Don't pretend you know. = You clearly don't know, stop faking.) 🙃
It's usually negative or critical! 😬 This grammar often carries a judgmental or disapproving tone (though not always).
→ 부자인 척해요.
(They act like they're rich.) 💸
Can describe yourself too! 🪞 You can use it to admit your own pretending!
→ 웃는 척했어요.
(I pretended to smile.) 😊➡️😐
Common expressions 🗣️
→ 모르는 척하다
(Pretend not to know — super common!) 🙈
→ 안 보는 척하다
(Pretend not to see) 👀
→ 괜찮은 척하다
(Act like you're fine) 🆗
→ 쿨한 척하다
(Act cool/unbothered) 😎
Exceptions & Special Notes ⚠️
Past tense pretending: When talking about pretending something happened in the past, use -ㄴ/은 척하다 with verbs too! 🕰️
→ 못 들은 척했어요.
(I pretended I didn't hear.) 👂
→ 안 본 척했어요.
(I acted like I didn't see it.) 🫣
Don't confuse with -는 것 같다! ⚡ That pattern means "it seems like" (genuine impression), while -는 척하다 means deliberate pretending!
→ 자는 것 같아요. = They seem to be sleeping. (You think they really are) 😴
→ 자는 척해요. = They're pretending to sleep. (You know they're faking!) 🛌👁️
You've got this! 🎉 Now you can spot all the fakers! 🕵️✨
Try the following exercise.
Fill in the blanks using '-는 척하다' to express pretending or acting as if. 🎭
- 그는 아무것도 모.
Answer
르는 척했어요
- 동생은 숙제를 다 게임을 하고 있어요.
Answer
한 척하고
- 저 사람은 항상 바쁜 .
Answer
척해요
- 친구가 제 말을 듣 듣지 않았어요.
Answer
는 척하고
- 아이가 자 눈을 감고 있어요.
Answer
는 척하고
- 그녀는 괜찮 사실은 많이 아팠어요.
Answer
은 척했지만
- 처음 만난 사람인데 잘 아.
Answer
는 척했어요
- 피곤하지만 안 피곤 일을 계속했어요.
Answer
한 척하고
- 그는 돈이 많 비싼 물건을 샀어요.
Answer
은 척하고
- 엄마 앞에서 착한 행동했어요.
Answer
척하고
Vocabulary
아무것도 - nothing
모르다 - to not know
숙제 - homework
다 하다 - to finish
게임 - game
바쁘다 - to be busy
항상 - always
듣다 - to listen
자다 - to sleep
눈을 감다 - to close eyes
괜찮다 - to be okay
아프다 - to be sick/hurt
처음 - first time
피곤하다 - to be tired
계속하다 - to continue
비싸다 - to be expensive
물건 - item/thing
착하다 - to be good/kind
행동하다 - to act/behave
Common mistakes
- 🚫 Forgetting to change the verb stem before adding -는 척하다 (present tense verbs use -는, past tense uses -(으)ㄴ, adjectives use -(으)ㄴ)
- 🚫 Using 척 alone without 하다 - you must include the verb 하다 to complete the expression
- 🚫 Confusing -는 척하다 with -는 것 같다 (seems like) - 척하다 specifically means pretending, not guessing
- 🚫 Using -는 척하다 for genuine situations - this expression is only for pretending or acting, not for real actions