-(으)ㄴ 척하다
eun cheok-ha-da
One layer pasted on the outside: -(으)ㄴ 척하다
The picture Leaving the inside as it is and pasting one different face onto the outside. -(으)ㄴ 척하다 is deliberately pasting a layer on; -아/어 보이다 is the outside simply looking that way.
Where the picture shows up in -(으)ㄴ 척하다
-
a surface with the ears shut
저는 못 들은 척했어요.
jeo-neun mot deu-reun cheo-kae-sseo-yo
I pretended I hadn't heard.
You heard every word, and still your head stays down, turning pages of a document
-
pasting on a knowing face
아는 척하지 마세요.
a-neun cheo-ka-ji ma-se-yo
Don't pretend you know.
Someone nodding along with nothing behind it, stopped in their tracks by the other person's words
-
a busy surface used to dodge
바쁜 척하면서 전화를 피했어요.
ba-ppeun cheo-ka-myeon-seo jeon-hwa-reul pi-hae-sseo-yo
He pretended to be busy and dodged the call.
Beside a ringing phone, papers being shuffled loudly on purpose
-
pain under a fine-looking surface
괜찮은 척했지만 많이 아팠어요.
gwaen-cha-neun cheo-kaet-ji-man ma-ni a-pa-sseo-yo
I acted fine, but it hurt a lot.
Sitting with a smile on your face while your hand presses your stomach under the desk
-
a surface with the eyes closed
자는 척하고 누워 있었어요.
ja-neun cheo-ka-go nu-wo i-sseo-sseo-yo
I lay there pretending to be asleep.
Eyes closed while the ears follow the sound of the door
Verbs take -는 척하다; adjectives take -(으)ㄴ 척하다.
All of it in one picture
-(으)ㄴ 척하다 is a hand pasting one layer onto the outside. Paste it over the ears and you get 못 들은 척; paste it over the head and you get 아는 척; paste it over the hands and you get 바쁜 척. Paste it over the face and you get 괜찮은 척; paste it over the eyes and you get 자는 척. Whichever it is, the real thing is still sitting there under the pasted surface.