-(으)ㄴ 척하다 in Korean: “pretend (to be, to have done)”
-(으)ㄴ 척하다
-(eu)n cheokhada
pretend (to be, to have done)
Intermediate · Saying what you think and feel
-(으)ㄴ 척하다 (-(eu)n cheokhada) means "pretend". With an action verb happening now it becomes -는 척하다: 자는 척해요 ("pretends to be asleep"). With adjectives and past actions it uses -(으)ㄴ: 괜찮은 척해요 ("pretends to be okay"), 못 본 척해요 ("pretends not to have seen").
How to form it
| When | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Action verb, now | + 는 척하다 | 자다 → 자는 척해요, 알다 → 아는 척해요 |
| Action verb, already done | + (으)ㄴ 척하다 | 보다 → 본 척해요, 먹다 → 먹은 척해요 |
| Adjective | + (으)ㄴ 척하다 | 바쁘다 → 바쁜 척해요, 괜찮다 → 괜찮은 척해요 |
| 있다 / 없다 words | + 는 척하다 | 재미있다 → 재미있는 척해요 |
| Noun | + 인 척하다 | 학생 → 학생인 척해요 |
How to use it
Use it when someone acts as if something is true when it is not: pretending to sleep, to be busy, to not know, to be fine.
The describing form before 척 shows timing. 먹는 척 is "pretending to eat", 먹은 척 is "pretending to have eaten". Two very common set phrases are 모르는 척하다 ("act like you don't know") and 못 본 척하다 ("pretend you didn't see").
척하다 is written attached as one word. 체하다 means the same thing (자는 체하다) but is less common in speech. Use 척해요 politely and 척해 casually.
Examples
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At bedtime
Keeping a surprise secret
An awkward run-in
Comforting a friend
Don’t mix it up with
-(으)ㄴ 체하다: -(으)ㄴ 체하다 means exactly the same as -(으)ㄴ 척하다. 척하다 is more common in everyday speech.
-는 척하다: -는 척하다 is pretending to be doing something now (자는 척, "pretending to sleep"). -(으)ㄴ 척하다 with a verb is pretending to have done it (잔 척, "pretending to have slept").
Common mistakes
Using 는 with adjectives: 바쁘는 척해요 is wrong. Say 바쁜 척해요.
Using the past form when you mean "pretending to be doing it": for pretending to sleep, say 자는 척해요, not 잔 척해요.
Want the basics first? Read Describing nouns (-는, -은, -을).
Questions learners ask
What does 모르는 척하다 mean?
It means "to pretend not to know" or "to act like you don't know". 모르는 척해 is "just act like you don't know".
What does 아는 척하다 mean?
It means "to act like you know" or "to show off what you know". It can also mean "to act like you know someone", for example greeting them on the street.
Is it 척하다 or 척 하다?
The standard spelling is 척하다, written as one word with the 하다 attached.