ふりをする

The expression ふりをする means "to pretend" or "to act as if." It is used when someone deliberately behaves in a way that does not reflect reality – faking an action, state, or identity.

How to connect

The word ふり (振り) means "pretense" or "appearance," and it connects to different word types as follows:

• Verb (plain form)

  • ふりをする
    ねた寝たふりをする。

    To pretend to be asleep.

• い-adjective

  • ふりをする
    いそがしい忙しいふりをする。

    To pretend to be busy.

• な-adjective + な

  • ふりをする
    げんき元気なふりをする。

    To pretend to be fine.

• Noun + の

  • ふりをする
    がくせい学生のふりをする。

    To pretend to be a student.

For verbs, both the past plain form (ねた寝たふり) and the non-past plain form (ねる寝るふり) can be used before ふり, but the past form is more common because it emphasizes the resulting state being faked.

Usage notes

ふりをする often carries a slightly negative nuance – the speaker implies that the pretense is insincere or deceptive. However, it can also be used lightheartedly.

The を particle can sometimes be dropped in casual speech, resulting in ふりする.

Related expression: ～たふりをして

The て-form ふりをして is used to connect to a following clause, describing what someone does while pretending.