Fingir vs. pretender vs. simular vs. hacer de cuenta
The Spanish words 'fingir', 'pretender', 'simular', and 'hacer de cuenta' all translate to 'to pretend' in English. However, there are subtle differences in their usage and connotation.
Fingir
'Fingir' is used to convey the act of faking or feigning something, often an emotion or behavior.
Ella puede fingir una sonrisa cuando está triste.
(She can fake a smile when she's sad.)
Yo no voy a fingir que me gusta su actitud.
(I'm not going to pretend that I like his attitude.)
Pretender
'Pretender' often implies intending to or planning on doing something. It can also mean pretending as in creating a false appearance.
Él pretende ser más de lo que es en realidad.
(He pretends to be more than he really is.)
No pretendo entender todo sobre este tema.
(I do not intend to understand everything about this subject.)
Simular
'Simular' refers to mimic, simulate or reproduce conditions or events.
Están simulando las condiciones de la misión en el espacio.
(They are simulating the mission conditions in space.)
Para engañar al enemigo, decidieron simular un ataque.
(To deceive the enemy, they decided to fake an attack.)
Hacer de cuenta
'Hacer de cuenta' is a phrase used to describe acting as if a certain situation is real when it isn't. It's equivalent to 'make believe' in English
Hagamos de cuenta que gané la lotería.
(Let's make believe I won the lottery.)
Ella hace de cuenta que no escuchó el insulto.
(She pretends she didn't hear the insult.)
Summary
While 'fingir', 'pretender', 'simular', and 'hacer de cuenta' all imply some form of pretending, their usage varies based on context. 'Fingir' usually concerns emotions or behavior, 'pretender' is used for intentions or creating false appearances, 'simular' involves mimicking or recreating conditions, and 'hacer de cuenta' represents making imagined situations appear real.