Posted inN3 Grammar

JLPT N3 Grammar: ふりをする – Mastering the Art of Pretending

Posted inN3 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

To pretend to be; To act as if…

🎯 Primary Function

Expresses that someone is outwardly acting in a certain way, which is different from their true state, feelings, or knowledge. It indicates a discrepancy between appearance and reality.

📋 Grammar Structure

Plain Form Verb/い-Adjective + ふりをする な-Adjective (remove な) + な + ふりをする Noun + の + ふりをする

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Can be used in more formal contexts when describing the actions of others, often with a slightly critical or analytical tone.

😊 Informal Situations

Very common in informal conversation to talk about one’s own pretense or someone else’s.

✍️ Written Language

Appears in written language, especially in narratives or descriptions of people’s behavior.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Frequently used in everyday spoken Japanese.

💡 Common Applications

Pretending ignorance or lack of knowledge
When someone knows something but acts as if they don’t.
Example: 知っているのに、知らないふりをした。 (Shitte iru noni, shiranai furi o shita.) – Even though I knew, I pretended not to know.
Pretending to be in a certain state
When someone acts as if they are well, asleep, happy, etc., despite not being so.
Example: 疲れているのに、疲れていないふりをして頑張った。 (Tsukarete iru noni, tsukarete inai furi o shite ganbatta.) – Even though I was tired, I pretended not to be tired and worked hard.
Pretending to have done something
When someone acts as if they have completed an action when they haven’t.
Example: 宿題を終えたふりをして、遊びに行った。 (Shukudai o oeta furi o shite, asobi ni itta.) – I pretended I had finished my homework and went out to play.
📊
Frequency
Common
🎚️
Difficulty
N3
Example Sentences
彼は聞こえないふりをして、私の質問に答えなかった。
He pretended not to hear and didn’t answer my question.
テストが簡単だったのに、難しいふりをしている。
Even though the test was easy, they are pretending it was difficult.
彼女は本当は悲しいのに、笑顔なふりをしていた。
Even though she was actually sad, she was pretending to smile.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Expresses a discrepancy
This pattern explicitly highlights the difference between how someone is acting and their actual state or truth.
Example: 元気なふりをする (genki na furi o suru) – means they are acting energetic, but are likely not actually energetic.
Used with intentional actions
ふりをする is used for actions of pretense that are done consciously and intentionally by the subject.
Example: 知っているふりをする (shitte iru furi o suru) implies the person *chooses* to act like they know.

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using the て form of the verb before ふりをする
✅ Use the plain form of the verb (present, past, negative) directly before ふりをする.
Incorrect: 聞いていませんでしたてふりをする (kiite imasen deshitate furi o suru). Correct: 聞いていないふりをする (kiite inai furi o suru).
❌ Forgetting な with な-adjectives
✅ Remember to add な after the な-adjective stem before ふりをする.
Incorrect: 綺麗ふりをする (kirei furi o suru). Correct: 綺麗なふりをする (kirei na furi o suru).

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Neutral. Can be used to describe others’ actions in various contexts. The politeness comes from the overall sentence structure, not the pattern itself.
Social Situations: Often used when discussing situations where people hide their true feelings (本音 vs. 建前 – honne vs. tatemae) or feign ignorance in social settings.
Regional Variations: The pattern itself is standard Japanese. Regional variations would be in surrounding vocabulary or sentence structure.

🔍 Subtle Differences

～ふりをする vs. ～ような顔をする
～ような顔をする focuses specifically on the facial expression or look that gives the impression of a certain state (e.g., sad look), while ～ふりをする is about the overall behavior or action of pretending.
When to use: Use ～ふりをする for the general act of pretending through behavior. Use ～ような顔をする when specifically describing a facial expression that suggests something (e.g., 悲しそうな顔をした – made a sad-looking face).
～ふりをする vs. ～てみせる
～てみせる means “to show/demonstrate” or “to do something to prove a point,” implying actual action or capability. ～ふりをする means *pretending* to do or be something without necessarily having the ability or doing it genuinely.
When to use: Use ～ふりをする when someone is feigning something. Use ～てみせる when someone is genuinely doing something to prove it or show it off (e.g., やってみせる – I’ll do it and show you).
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When to use: undefined

📝 Conjugation Notes

The verb する conjugates normally (します, しない, した, etc.), while the preceding word takes the plain form or connecting particle (な/の).

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

ふり (furi) is pronounced with a standard pitch accent, typically flat. する (suru) follows regular verb pronunciation.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ふり (furi) meaning “behavior” or “appearance,” so ふりをする means “to make that appearance/behavior,” i.e., “to pretend.”

Practice Exercises
彼は忙しい＿＿＿＿、手伝ってくれた。
ふりをした
みたいだ
そうだ
らしい
体がだるいけど、元気＿＿＿＿、会社に行った。
のふりをして
なふりをして
ふりをして
であるふりをして
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