(yáng) - to pretend & to feign

Tone 2

yáng | 8 strokes | radical: 亻

· yáng

to pretend;

to feign;

to simulate;

to sham

to pretendto feignto simulate

Usage highlights

to pretendfeigned deathto feign madnesspretending to be deaf and muteto feign ignorancepretending to be drunk

Synonyms

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • He pretended not to know (佯装不知).
  • The soldier feigned death (佯死) to escape.
  • She pretended to be asleep (佯睡).
  • He feigned ignorance (佯作不知).

Collocations

  • to pretend(佯装)
  • feigned death(佯死)
  • to feign madness(佯狂)
  • pretending to be deaf and mute(佯聋作哑)
  • to feign ignorance(佯作不知)
  • pretending to be drunk(佯醉)

Idioms

  • Feigning madness and acting like a fool(佯狂避世)
  • Pretending to be deaf and dumb(佯聋作哑)
  • Feigning ignorance and pretending to be stupid(佯作不知)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Commonly used in military strategy to describe deceptive tactics like feigned attacks.
  • Appears in classical literature and historical texts describing characters who pretend for strategic purposes.
  • Reflects the cultural value of strategic deception in Chinese military philosophy.

FAQ