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假装 (jiǎ zhuāng) — to pretend, to feign

Definition

假装 means 'to pretend' (an emotion, state, or action) — everyday and neutral. Unlike 伪装 or 冒充, it doesn't imply disguising identity; 装 is more colloquial and shorter.

verb
to pretendto feign

Examples

  • 假装，。
    Tā jiǎ zhuāng hěn lěng jìng, qí shí xīn lǐ hěn jǐn zhāng.
    She pretended to be calm, but inside she was very nervous.
  • 假装，。
    Bié jiǎ zhuāng le, wǒ zhī dào nǐ méi shuì zháo.
    Stop pretending, I know you're not asleep.
  • 假装，。
    Tā jiǎ zhuāng méi zài jiā, suǒ yǐ wǒ méi dǎ diàn huà.
    He pretended not to be at home, so I didn't call.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

假jiǎfalse
装zhuāngpretend

The sense of 假 as false combines with 装 as pretend to mean feign.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
叚
叚jiǎ假jiǎ
Same sound today

假 pairs 亻 (person) with 叚, which gives the sound jiǎ.

Open 假 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 裝; 装 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
衣衣yīclothes
Sound part声符shēngfú
壯
壯zhuàng裝zhuāng
Same sound today

The traditional form 裝 pairs 衣 (clothes) with 壯 as a sound part; this story is about 裝, not the simplified 装.

Open 装 →
Appears in
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