pretend

faire semblant, feindre

Agir comme si quelque chose était vrai alors qu’on sait que ce n’est pas le cas, parfois pour jouer.

En anglais simple : To act as if something is true when you know it is not, often as a game.

• Let us pretend we are pirates.
• He pretended not to see me.
• Can you pretend to be a doctor?

Comment l'utiliser : pretend to do something (She pretended to be asleep.); pretend that… (We pretended that the sofa was a boat.)

Synonymes : make believe, act

Expressions courantes : pretend to sleep, pretend to know, pretend something, pretend to care

imaginaire, faux

Inventé ou utilisé dans un jeu, sans être réel.

En anglais simple : Made up or used in a game, rather than real.

• This is pretend money.
• The children cooked a pretend meal.
• She served pretend tea in tiny cups.

Synonymes : imaginary, make-believe, fake

Contraires : real

Expressions courantes : pretend money, pretend food, pretend friend

jeu d’imitation

Jeu où les enfants incarnent des personnages ou reproduisent des situations imaginaires.

En anglais simple : An activity in which children act out imagined situations or roles.

• The children love playing pretend.
• Their game of pretend lasted all afternoon.
• A cardboard box became a spaceship during pretend.

Synonymes : make-believe

Expressions courantes : play pretend, game of pretend