fake

See also: Fake

English

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /feɪ̯k/, enPR: fāk
Audio (US) (file)
Rhymes: -eɪk

Etymology 1

The origin is not known with certainty, although first attested in 1775 C.E. in British criminals' slang.[1] It is probably from feak, feague (“to give a better appearance through artificial means, spruce up, embellish”); akin to Dutch veeg (“a swipe”), Dutch vegen (“to sweep, wipe”); German fegen (“to sweep, to polish”). Compare also Old English fācn (“deceit, fraud”). Perhaps related also to Old Norse fjúka (“to fade, vanquish, disappear”), Old Norse feikn (“strange, scary, unnatural”).

Adjective

fake (comparative faker or more fake, superlative fakest or most fake)

Not real; false, fraudulent
Synonyms: see Thesaurus:fake
Antonyms: authentic, genuine
Which fur coat looks fake?
(of people) Insincere

Derived terms

fake-ass
fake book
fake-fan
fake fan
fake geek girl
fakehood
fakely
fakeness
fake news
fake Shemp
Fakestine (offensive)
Fakestinian (offensive)
fake-tanned
fake the funk
for fake
French fake
genuine fake
head fake
ogle fake
pump fake
pump-fake

Descendants

→ Russian: фейк (fejk)
→ Turkish: feyk

Translations

not real

Albanian: fallco
Arabic:
Hijazi Arabic: تَقْلِيد‎ m (taglīd), تَقْلِيدِي‎ m (taglīdi), فَالْصُو‎ m (fālṣu) (archaic)
Armenian: կեղծ (hy) (kełc)
Azerbaijani: qəlp
Bashkir: ялған (yalğan)
Belarusian: фальшы́вы (falʹšývy), падро́блены (padróbljeny), фэ́йкавы (féjkavy) (colloquial)
Bulgarian: подпра́вен (bg) (podpráven), фалшифици́ран (bg) (falšificíran), фалши́в (bg) (falšív)
Chinese:
Cantonese: 假 (gaa²)
Hokkien: 假 (zh-min-nan) (ké)
Mandarin: 假 (zh) (jiǎ), 僞／伪 (zh) (wěi), 贗／赝 (zh) (yàn)
Czech: falešný (cs) m
Dutch: nep (nl), vals (nl)
Esperanto: falsa
Finnish: väärennetty (fi), väärä (fi); vale- (in compounds)
French: faux (fr), factice (fr), artificiel (fr), contrefait (fr), falsifié (fr), feint (fr) (behaviour)
Georgian: ყალბი (q̇albi), სიაფანდი (siapandi)
German: gefälscht (de), unecht (de)
Greek: ψεύτικος (el) (pséftikos)
Ancient: πλαστός (plastós), κίβδηλος (kíbdēlos)
Indonesian: gadungan (id), palsu (id)
Italian: falso (it) m, finto (it) m, fasullo (it) m
Japanese: 偽 (ja) (にせ, nise), 紛い (ja) (まがい, magai)
Khmer: ក្លែងក្លាយ (klaeng klaay)
Korean: 가짜 (ko) (gajja)
Kyrgyz: жасалма (ky) (jasalma), митаамдык (ky) (mitaamdık), алдамчылык (ky) (aldamçılık)
Macedonian: лажен (lažen), невистинит (nevistinit)
Malay: palsu (ms), bedek
Malayalam: കപട (kapaṭa)
Mongolian:
Cyrillic: хуурамч (mn) (xuuramč)
Polish: sztuczny (pl), fałszywy (pl), nieprawdziwy (pl)
Portuguese: falso (pt), de mentira
Russian: фальши́вый (ru) (falʹšívyj), ненастоя́щий (ru) (nenastojáščij), подде́льный (ru) (poddélʹnyj), фе́йковый (ru) (féjkovyj) (colloquial)
Sanskrit: असत् (sa) (ásat)
Vedic: आसत् (ā́sat)
Slovene: lažen
Spanish: falso (es)
Swahili: bandia (sw)
Swedish: falsk (sv), fejk (sv), oäkta (sv)
Thai: ปลอม (th) (bplɔɔm)
Turkish: düzmece (tr), sahte (tr), gastan (tr)
Ukrainian: фальши́вий (falʹšývyj), підро́блений (pidróblenyj), фе́йковий (féjkovyj) (colloquial)
Vietnamese: giả (vi) (假), nhái (vi)

insincere

Finnish: epärehellinen (fi)
Macedonian: неискрен (neiskren)
Polish: nieszczery (pl) m

Noun

fake (plural fakes)

Something which is not genuine, or is presented fraudulently.
I suspect this passport is a fake.
(sports) A move meant to deceive an opposing player, used for gaining advantage for example when dribbling an opponent.
(archaic) A trick; a swindle

Synonyms

(soccer move): feint
(ice hockey move): deke

Descendants

→ Japanese: フェイク

Translations

something which is not genuine, or is presented fraudulently

Azerbaijani: geydirmə
Belarusian: падро́бка f (padróbka), фальшы́ўка f (falʹšýŭka), фэйк m (fejk), лі́па f (lípa) (colloquial)
Bulgarian: фалшифика́т (bg) m (falšifikát)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 贗品／赝品 (zh) (yànpǐn)
Finnish: väärennös (fi)
German: Fälschung (de) f, Illusion (de) f, Imitat n, Schwindel (de) m, Trug (de) m, Irreführung (de) f
Hindi: नक़ल f (naqal)
Indonesian: gadungan (id), tiruan (id)
Italian: imitazione (it) f
Japanese: 偽物 (ja) (にせもの, nisemono), ぱちもん (pachimon) (slang), 偽 (ja) (にせ, nise)
Khmer: របស់ក្លែង (rɔbɑh klaeng)
Korean: 가짜 (ko) (gajja)
Malay: please add this translation if you can
Malayalam: കപടം (ml) (kapaṭaṃ)
Persian: جعل‎ (fa) (ja'l), ماخ‎ (fa) (mâx)
Polish: fejk (pl) m
Portuguese: falsificação (pt) f
Russian: подде́лка (ru) f (poddélka), фальши́вка (ru) f (falʹšívka), фейк (ru) m (fejk), фэйк m (fɛjk), ли́па (ru) f (lípa) (colloquial)
Spanish: falsificación (es) f
Swahili: bandia (sw), feki
Swedish: förfalskning (sv) c
Thai: ของปลอม, ของเถื่อน (th)
Tibetan: རྫུས་མ (rdzus ma)
Turkish: gastan (tr)
Ukrainian: підро́бка f (pidróbka), фальши́вка f (falʹšývka), фейк (uk) m (fejk), ли́па (uk) f (lýpa) (colloquial)
Vietnamese: hàng giả, hàng nhái

a deceptive move

Turkish: feyk

Verb

fake (third-person singular simple present fakes, present participle faking, simple past and past participle faked)

(transitive) To make a counterfeit, to counterfeit, to forge, to falsify.
(transitive) To make a false display of, to affect, to feign, to simulate.
to fake a marriage
to fake happiness
to fake a smile
(archaic) To cheat; to swindle; to steal; to rob.
(archaic) To modify fraudulently, so as to make an object appear better or other than it really is
- 1944, George Henderson, The Farming Ladder:
  He had a hundred similar tricks, but I never knew him fake a horse, or sell one as sound if it was not.
(music, transitive, intransitive) To improvise, in jazz.
- 1994, ITA Journal (volume 22, page 20)
  Occasionally the opportunity arises to stand up and "fake" a jazz standard.
- Denning, cited in 2020, Matt Brennan, Kick It: A Social History of the Drum Kit (page 110)
  In the face of this print music culture, 'faking' was the ability—at once respected and disrespected—to improvise a song (or a part in an arrangement) without reading the notation.

Synonyms

(modify fraudulently): adulterate
(make a false display): pass off, pose

Derived terms

fake good
fake it
fake it till one makes it
fake it until one makes it
fake out
faker
fakery

Translations

cheat, swindle

Finnish: huijata (fi)
Japanese: 欺く (ja) (あざむく, azamuku), 騙す (ja) (だます, damasu), 騙る (ja) (かたる, kataru)
Vietnamese: gian lận (vi)

modify fraudulently to make sth. look better

Belarusian: падрабля́ць impf (padrabljácʹ), падрабі́ць pf (padrabícʹ)
Bulgarian: подпра́вям (bg) impf (podprávjam), подпра́вя (bg) pf (podprávja)
Finnish: parannella (fi)
French: fausser (fr)
German: fälschen (de), fingieren (de), türken (de), vortäuschen (de)
Japanese: 改竄する (ja) (かいざんする, kaizan suru)
Russian: подде́лывать (ru) impf (poddélyvatʹ), подде́лать (ru) pf (poddélatʹ)
Spanish: falsear (es), falsificar (es)
Ukrainian: підробля́ти impf (pidrobljáty), підроби́ти pf (pidrobýty)
Vietnamese: làm giả (vi)

counterfeit, falsify

Bulgarian: фалшифици́рам (bg) impf or pf (falšificíram)
Catalan: falsejar (ca)
Finnish: väärentää (fi)
French: fausser (fr)
German: fälschen (de), imitieren (de)
Japanese: 偽造する (ja) (ぎぞうする, gizō suru)
Korean: 위조하다 (ko) (wijohada)
Portuguese: falsear (pt)
Russian: подде́лывать (ru) impf (poddélyvatʹ), подде́лать (ru) pf (poddélatʹ)
Slovene: ponarediti
Spanish: falsear (es), falsificar (es)
Thai: ปลอม (th) (bplɔɔm), ปลอมแปลง
Vietnamese: làm giả (vi), nhái (vi)

make a false display of

Chinese:
Mandarin: 偽裝／伪装 (zh) (wěizhuāng), 偽造／伪造 (zh) (wěizào)
Dutch: voorwenden (nl)
Finnish: teeskennellä (fi), tekeytyä (fi), olla olevinaan; filmata (fi), feikata (slang)
German: vortäuschen (de), fingieren (de), simulieren (de)
Japanese: 偽装する (ja) (ぎそうする, gisō suru)
Old English: līċettan
Russian: притворя́ться (ru) impf (pritvorjátʹsja), притвори́ться (ru) pf (pritvorítʹsja), прики́дываться (ru) impf (prikídyvatʹsja), прики́нуться (ru) pf (prikínutʹsja)
Slovene: hliniti, pretvarjati se
Spanish: fingir (es)
Swedish: fejka (sv) (colloquial)
Vietnamese: ngụy trang (vi) (偽裝), ngụy tạo (偽造)

Etymology 2

From Middle English faken (“to coil a rope”).

Noun

fake (plural fakes)

(nautical) One of the circles or windings of a cable or hawser, as it lies in a coil; a single turn or coil.

Translations

winding

Bulgarian: ^{(please verify)} витка f (vitka)
Finnish: kieppi
Italian: duglia (it) f

Verb

fake (third-person singular simple present fakes, present participle faking, simple past and past participle faked)

(nautical) To coil (a rope, line, or hawser), by winding alternately in opposite directions, in layers usually of zigzag or figure of eight form, to prevent twisting when running out.

Translations

wind

Bulgarian: нави́вам въже́ impf (navívam vǎžé)
Finnish: kieputtaa (fi), kiepittää
French: lover (fr)
Italian: dugliare

References

Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “fake”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

feak

Afar

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /fʌˈke/

Hyphenation: fa‧ke

Verb

faké (frequentative fakamfaké, autobenefactive fakkaasité)

(transitive) open
(transitive) begin
(transitive) expose
(transitive) spread out

Conjugation

Conjugation of fake (type II verb)

1st singular

2nd singular

3rd singular

1st plural

2nd plural

3rd plural

m

f

perfective

V-affirmative

fakéh

faktéh

fakéh

faktéh

faknéh

fakteeníh

fakeeníh

N-affirmative

faké

fakté

faké

fakté

fakné

faktén

fakén

negative

máfakinniyo

máfakinnito

máfakinna

máfakinnino

máfakinniton

máfakinnon

imperfective

V-affirmative

fakáh

faktáh

fakáh

faktáh

faknáh

faktaanáh

fakaanáh

N-affirmative

faká

faktá

faká

faktá

fakná

faktán

fakán

negative

máfaka

máfakta

máfaka

máfakta

máfakna

máfaktan

máfakan

prospective

V-affirmative

fakéliyoh
fakéyyoh

fakélitoh
fakéttoh

fakéleh

fakélinoh
fakénnoh

fakélitoonuh
fakéttoonuh

fakéloonuh

N-affirmative

fakéliyo
fakéyyo

fakélito
fakétto

fakéle

fakélino
fakénno

fakéliton
fakétton

fakélon

conjunctive I

V-affirmative

fákuh

fáktuh

fákuh

fáktuh

fákuh

faktóonuh

fakóonuh

N-affirmative

fáku

fáktu

fáku

fáktu

fáku

faktón

fakón

negative

faké wáyuh

faké wáytuh

faké wáyuh

faké wáytuh

faké wáynuh

faké waytóonuh

faké wóonuh

conjunctive II

V-affirmative

fakánkeh

faktánkeh

fakánkeh

faktánkeh

faknánkeh

faktaanánkeh

fakaanánkeh

N-affirmative

fakánke

faktánke

fakánke

faktánke

faknánke

faktaanánke

fakaanánke

negative

faké wáankeh

faké waytánkeh

faké wáankeh

faké waytánkeh

faké waynánkeh

faké waytaanánkeh

faké wáankeh

jussive

affirmative

fákay

fáktay

fákay

fáktay

fákay

faktóonay

fakóonay

negative

faké wáay

faké wáytay

faké wáay

faké wáytay

faké wáynay

faké waytóonay

faké wóonay

past
conditional

affirmative

fakinniyóy

fakinnitóy

fakinnáy

fakinninóy

fakinnitoonúy

fakinnoonúy

negative

faké wanniyóy

faké wannitóy

faké wannáy

faké wanninóy

faké wannitoonúy

faké wanninoonúy

present
conditional I

affirmative

fakék

fakték

fakék

fakték

faknék

fakteeník

fakeeník

negative

faké wéek

faké wayték

faké wéek

faké wayték

faké waynék

faké wayteeník

faké weeník

singular

plural

singular

plural

consultative

affirmative

fakóo

faknóo

imperative

affirmative

fák

fáka

negative

mafakóo

mafaknóo

negative

máfakin

máfakina

-h converb

-i form

-k converb

-in(n)uh converb

-innuk converb

infinitive

indefinite participle

V-focus

N-focus

fákah

fáki

fákak

fakínnuh

fakínnuk

fakíyya

fakináanih

fakináan

Compound tenses
past perfect		affirmative perfective + perfective of én or *sugé*
present perfect		affirmative perfective + imperfective of én
future perfect		affirmative perfective + prospective of *sugé*
past progressive		-k converb + imperfective of én or *sugé*
present progressive		affirmative imperfect + imperfective of én
future progressive		-k converb + prospective of *sugé*
immediate future		affirmative conjunctive I + imperfective of *wée*
imperfect potential I		affirmative conjunctive I + imperfective of *takké*
imperfect potential II	affirmative	imperfective + -m + *takké*
imperfect potential II	negative	faké + imperfective of *wée* + -m + *takké*
perfect potential	affirmative	perfective + -m + *takké*
perfect potential	negative	faké + perfective of *wée* + -m + *takké*
present conditional II	affirmative	imperfective + object pronoun + *tekkék*
present conditional II	negative	faké + perfective of *wée* + object pronoun + *tekkék*
perfect conditional	affirmative	perfective + imperfective of *sugé* + -k
perfect conditional	negative	perfective + *sugé* + imperfective of *wée* -k
irrealis		faké + perfective of *xaaxé* or *raaré*

References

E. M. Parker; R. J. Hayward (1985), “fake”, in An Afar-English-French dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English), University of London, →ISBN
Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2015) L’afar: description grammaticale d’une langue couchitique (Djibouti, Erythrée et Ethiopie)‎, Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis), page 275

Chinese

Etymology

From English fake.

Pronunciation

Cantonese (Jyutping): fik¹

Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
  - Jyutping: fik¹
  - Yale: fīk
  - Cantonese Pinyin: fik⁷
  - Guangdong Romanization: fig¹
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /fɪk̚⁵/

Verb

fake

(Hong Kong Cantonese) to fool; to deceive (such as by presenting fake or ingenuine information)

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:fake.

German

Etymology

Borrowed from English fake.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /fɛɪ̯k/, /feɪ̯k/, /feːk/
(inflected forms) IPA^(key): /fɛɪ̯kə/, /feɪ̯kə/, /feːkə/
Audio (file)
Homophone: Fake

Adjective

fake (strong nominative masculine singular faker, not comparable)

(informal) fake, sham, counterfeit

Usage notes

In most cases corresponding to hypothetical English occurrences which would be deemed adjectives, the German is part of a compound with the noun Fake, and the existence of such an adjective is not widely accepted, however at least in the colloquial of the fashion scene, in reference to counterfeits, it is a fully declined adjective; cf. woke, and anywhere else where there is a heavy influx of English there may be at least predicative-only use.

Declension

Positive forms of fake (uncomparable)

number & gender		singular			plural
number & gender		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist fake	sie ist fake	es ist fake	sie sind fake
strong declension (without article)	nominative	faker	fake	fakes	fake
	genitive	faken	faker	faken	faker
	dative	fakem	faker	fakem	faken
	accusative	faken	fake	fakes	fake
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der fake	die fake	das fake	die faken
	genitive	des faken	der faken	des faken	der faken
	dative	dem faken	der faken	dem faken	den faken
	accusative	den faken	die fake	das fake	die faken
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein faker	eine fake	ein fakes	(keine) faken
	genitive	eines faken	einer faken	eines faken	(keiner) faken
	dative	einem faken	einer faken	einem faken	(keinen) faken
	accusative	einen faken	eine fake	ein fakes	(keine) faken

Kristang

Noun

fake

knife

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English fake.

Pronunciation

(Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈfejk(i)/

Noun

fake m (plural fakes)

(Internet slang) a fake account in a social network or other online community; a sock puppet

Adjective

fake (invariable)

(Internet slang, of an image or video shared on the web) fake, manipulated, not genuine
Synonym: falso
Antonyms: genuíno, real, autêntico

[1] Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “fake”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

fake

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Adjective

Derived terms

Descendants

Translations

Noun

Synonyms

Descendants

Translations

Verb

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

Noun

Translations

Verb

Translations

Further reading

References

Anagrams

Afar

Pronunciation

Verb

Conjugation

References

Chinese

Etymology

Pronunciation

Verb

Quotations

German

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Usage notes

Declension

Further reading

Kristang

Noun

Portuguese

Etymology

Pronunciation

Noun

Adjective