What it's NOT
pretend does NOT translate to pretender.
To say "pretender" in English, use to intend / to try.
ESEN
False cognate · False friend
pretend
Does NOT mean pretender
It means to fake / act as if
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
What it IS
pretend means to fake / act as if.
Why it's confused
Spanish "pretender" means to try to achieve something or to aspire to a goal. English "pretend" means to fake something or act as if it were true. Spanish "pretender" in English is "intend" or "aim to."
How it's pronounced
pretendpri-TÉND
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Examples of correct use
English
The kids pretended to be superheroes.
Spanish
Los niños fingían ser superhéroes.
English
Don't pretend you didn't hear me.
Spanish
No finjas que no me escuchaste.
A trick to remember it
Pretend = to fake/act as if. To try to achieve (Spanish "pretender") = intend/try.
Mini quiz
"She pretended to sleep" means she...
Frequently asked questions
What does "pretend" mean in English?
"Pretend" means "to fake / act as if". It looks a lot like "pretender", which is exactly why it gets confused, but they don't mean the same thing.
How do you say "pretender" in English?
To say "pretender" in English, use "to intend / to try". If you use "pretend" instead, you would actually be saying "to fake / act as if".
Do "pretend" and "pretender" mean the same thing?
Spanish "pretender" means to try to achieve something or to aspire to a goal. English "pretend" means to fake something or act as if it were true. Spanish "pretender" in English is "intend" or "aim to."
Other confusing false friends
More confusing false friends
Library, embarrassed, actually... the full list of words that look the same but mean something different.
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