làm ra vẻ
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To pretend / to affect / to put on airs: To consciously create a false appearance or manner in order to deceive others or create a specific impression. It implies an artificial display of a quality, emotion, or status that is not genuine.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Anh ta làm ra vẻ thông minh. (He pretends to be intelligent.)
- Cô ấy làm ra vẻ giàu có. (She puts on airs of being wealthy.)
- Đừng làm ra vẻ tội nghiệp. (Don't pretend to be pitiful.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often carries a negative connotation, suggesting hypocrisy, insincerity, or a deliberate attempt to mislead.
- It can be used with a wide range of adjectives or noun phrases following it to specify the false characteristic being displayed (e.g., làm ra vẻ quan trọng – to act important, làm ra vẻ hiểu biết – to affect knowledge).
Variants and Related Words
Làm bộ làm tịch (verb phrase): to put on an act, to behave affectedly. This is a more idiomatic and often more critical synonym.
- Hắn cứ làm bộ làm tịch như một ông lớn. (He keeps putting on an act like a big shot.)
Giả vờ (verb): to feign, to pretend. This is a more direct and common synonym.
- Nó giả vờ ngủ. (He pretends to be asleep.)
Synonyms
- Pretend: To behave so as to make it appear that something is the case when it is not.
- Affect: To put on a pretense of; to feign.
- Put on airs: To assume an unnatural or affected manner, especially to impress others.
Related Idioms
- Làm ra vẻ ta đây: To put on airs of superiority; to act as if one is better than others.
- Mới có chút thành tích đã làm ra vẻ ta đây. (With just a little achievement, he already puts on superior airs.)