Translation guide
How to express pretending not to know something in Japanese, from casual to formal situations.
The speaker deliberately acts as if they are unaware of something.
The most common and neutral way to say 'pretend not to know'. Literally 'do a pretense of not knowing'.
彼はそのことを知らないふりをした。
He pretended not to know about it.
知らないふりをしないでください。
Please don't pretend not to know.
Specifically ignoring or acting as if you don't recognize a person.
Literally 'make a face of not knowing', used when you see someone but pretend you don't know them.
街で元彼に会ったけど、知らない顔をした。
I ran into my ex on the street, but I pretended not to know him.
Feigning ignorance about a specific subject or information.
Emphasizes knowing nothing at all about the matter.
彼はその計画について何も知らないふりをした。
He pretended to know nothing about the plan.
知らないふり is standard and can be used in any situation. 知らんぷり is more colloquial and often implies a deliberate, sometimes rude, ignoring of something obvious.
子供は叱られそうになって知らんぷりした。
The child pretended not to know when he was about to be scolded.
Do not directly translate 'pretend not to know' as 知らないことを装う (しらないことをよそおう). While grammatically possible, it is unnatural. Use 知らないふりをする instead.
Casual, often used when someone ignores something obvious. '知らん' is a colloquial contraction of '知らない'.
彼女は私を見ても知らんぷりした。
She pretended not to know me even when she saw me.
To play dumb, feign ignorance. Often used when someone is being evasive or pretending not to understand.
とぼけないで、知ってるんでしょ。
Don't play dumb, you know, right?
To insist that one doesn't know, often in a defensive or stubborn way.
彼は最後まで知らないと言い張った。
He insisted to the end that he didn't know.
Similar to 知らない顔をする, but with a nuance of feigning innocence or nonchalance.
彼はそ知らぬ顔で通り過ぎた。
He passed by with an innocent look, pretending not to know.
Pretending not to have heard about something, often used when someone brings up a topic you want to avoid.
その噂は聞いていないふりをした。
I pretended not to have heard that rumor.