Introduction
Fingir means “to pretend”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Fingir means to pretend or to feign, and it is the verb for pretending to be ill, to be asleep or to be happy: fingir estar enfermo. It is a -gir verb: g becomes j before o and a, so yo finjo and the subjunctive finja. Remember: pretender does not mean to pretend. This page shows fingir in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Finjo estar enfermo para no ir.” — I pretend to be ill so as not to go.
Fingir in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how fingir is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use fingir in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Finjo estar enfermo para no ir.” — I pretend to be ill so as not to go.
“¿Finges dormir en el sofá?” — Do you pretend to sleep on the sofa?
“Finge una sonrisa en la foto.” — He/she pretends a smile in the photo.
“Nosotros fingimos que no oye nada.” — We pretend that he hears nothing.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show fingir in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo fingí estar enfermo para no ir.” — Yesterday, I pretended to be ill so as not to go. (preterite)
“Antes, él fingía dormir en el sofá.” — Before, he used to pretend to sleep on the sofa. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of fingir stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros fingiremos una sonrisa en la foto.” — Tomorrow, we will pretend a smile in the photo. (future)
“¿Tú has fingido que no oye nada?” — Have you pretended that he hears nothing? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros fingís estar enfermo para no ir.” — You pretend to be ill so as not to go.
“Ellos fingen dormir en el sofá.” — They pretend to sleep on the sofa.
“Yo finjo una sonrisa en la foto.” — I pretend a smile in the photo.
“Mi padre finge que no oye nada.” — My father pretends that he hears nothing.
Fingir in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how fingir appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú finges dormir en el sofá?” — Do you pretend to sleep on the sofa?
Pedro: “Sí, yo finjo estar enfermo para no ir.” — Yes, I pretend to be ill so as not to go.
Marta: “Nosotros fingimos que no oye nada.” — We pretend that he hears nothing.
Pedro: “Y ellos fingen dormir en el sofá.” — And they pretend to sleep on the sofa.
Marta: “Vosotros fingís una sonrisa en la foto.” — You pretend a smile in the photo.
Pedro: “Sí, y él finge estar enfermo para no ir.” — Yes, and he pretends to be ill so as not to go.
A short paragraph
Finge estar enfermo para no ir, y nosotros fingimos que no oye nada. Yo finjo dormir en el sofá, y ellos fingen una sonrisa en la foto. Fingir is part of everyday life, because pretend is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with fingir
These are the errors learners actually make with fingir. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo finge estar enfermo para no ir.” Right: “Yo finjo estar enfermo para no ir.” Why: The person matters: finge is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is finjo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
Wrong: “Yo fingo dormir en el sofá.” Right: “Yo finjo dormir en el sofá.” Why: Fingir is a -gir verb: g becomes j before o and a, so the present first person is finjo and the present subjunctive is finja. The form finjo follows that pattern, not the plain stem plus -o.
Wrong: “Treating fingir and pretender as identical in every context.” Right: “Fingir means to pretend, while pretender means to intend, to claim — never to pretend.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: fingir fits sentences such as Finjo estar enfermo para no ir, while pretender belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy fingido dormir en el sofá.” Right: “Yo he fingido dormir en el sofá.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he fingido, has fingido, ha fingido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo fingí una sonrisa en la foto todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo fingía una sonrisa en la foto todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (fingía), not the preterite. The preterite (fingí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: fingir in use
Ten questions on fingir in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ estar enfermo para no ir.” (You pretend to be ill so as not to go.)
- (a) fingís
- (b) finjo
- (c) finges
Answer: fingís — The vosotros/as form of fingir in the present tense is fingís.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ dormir en el sofá.” (They pretend to sleep on the sofa.)
- (a) finges
- (b) fingen
- (c) finjo
Answer: fingen — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of fingir in the present tense is fingen.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ estar enfermo para no ir.” (Yesterday I pretended to be ill so as not to go.)
- (a) fingiste
- (b) fingió
- (c) fingí
Answer: fingí — In the preterite, the yo form of fingir is fingí.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ dormir en el sofá.” (Before, he used to pretend to sleep on the sofa.)
- (a) fingía
- (b) finjo
- (c) fingías
Answer: fingía — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of fingir is fingía.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ una sonrisa en la foto.” (Tomorrow we will pretend a smile in the photo.)
- (a) fingirás
- (b) fingiremos
- (c) fingiré
Answer: fingiremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of fingir is fingiremos.
6. What does fingir mean in English?
- (a) to pretend
- (b) to extinguish
- (c) to intend, to claim — never to pretend
Answer: to pretend — Fingir means “to pretend”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo finge estar enfermo para no ir.
- (b) Ellos finge dormir en el sofá.
- (c) Yo finjo estar enfermo para no ir.
Answer: Yo finjo estar enfermo para no ir. — “Yo finjo estar enfermo para no ir.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I pretend to be ill so as not to go.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre finge que no oye nada.
- (b) Finjo estar enfermo para no ir.
- (c) Fingen estar enfermo para no ir.
Answer: Finjo estar enfermo para no ir. — “Finjo estar enfermo para no ir.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of fingir in the present tense?
- (a) finjo
- (b) finges
- (c) fingimos
Answer: fingimos — The nosotros form is fingimos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros fingiremos una sonrisa en la foto.
- (b) Finjo estar enfermo para no ir.
- (c) Ayer, yo fingí estar enfermo para no ir.
Answer: Finjo estar enfermo para no ir. — “Finjo estar enfermo para no ir.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I pretend to be ill so as not to go' in Spanish?
Say 'Finjo estar enfermo para no ir'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Finjo estar enfermo para no ir todos los días'.
How do you say 'He pretends to sleep on the sofa' in Spanish?
Say 'Él finge dormir en el sofá'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes finge.
What is the difference between fingir and pretender?
Fingir means to pretend, while pretender means to intend, to claim — never to pretend. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use fingir when you mean to pretend, as in 'Finjo estar enfermo para no ir', and use pretender for to intend, to claim — never to pretend.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of fingir — every tense of fingir in one place.
- Fingir in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on fingir and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of fingir until they are automatic.