-(으)ㄴ/는 척하다

Pretend, Act like, Feign, Make believe

Explanation

This expression is used to indicate the subject's acting in a way that goes contrary to reality or to describe such a state of affair. The description of what is contrary to reality appears in the clause preceding -(으)ㄴ/는 척하다.

Details

1. When this expression is used with the verb 알다, the verb should only be used in the present tense, not the past tense.

나는 잘 알지도 못하면서 안 척하는 사람이 제일 싫어요. ✕
→나는 잘 알지도 못하면서 아는 척하는 사람이 제일 싫어요. ✓

2. When used in past tense situations, the form -(으)ㄴ 척했다 is used when referring to the subject's acting as if he/she had done something but in reality did not, while the form -는 척했다 is used when referring to the subject's acting as if he/she was in the process of doing something but in reality was not.

음식이 부족한 것 같아서 저녁을 먹은 척했어요.
The subject did not eat anything but acted as if he/she did.
다이어트를 하고 있어서 음식을 먹는 척했어요.
The subject acted as if he/she were eating despite not really eating anything.

3. This expression can be replaced with -(으)ㄴ/는 채하다 in all cases.

이 대리님은 사장님 앞에서만 열심히 일하는 척합니다.
=이 대리님은 사장님 앞에서만 열심히 일하는 채합니다.