ふりをする

ふりをする is used when someone pretends to be a certain way or behaves as if something is true, even though it isn’t. It emphasizes the performative aspect of behavior rather than a genuine state. You often use it to describe situations where someone feigns a condition, emotion, identity, or capability, usually for a purpose (to fit a situation, avoid trouble, get something). It can carry a light, humorous, or critical nuance depending on context. Typical contexts include pretending to be calm, pretending not to know something, or acting like a child, a professional, etc. The noun in のふりをする shows what is being pretended, while Vたふりをする shows that the action/state has been pretended in the past or as a one-time act.