There are two main ways to say “to pretend” in Czech: the neutral verb předstírat, and the super-common spoken construction dělat, že… (literally “to do that…”).

1. The neutral verb: předstírat

předstírat = to pretend / to feign. It’s the “dictionary” word, good in speech and writing.

Předstíral jsem, že jsem nemocný.
I pretended I was ill.

2. The everyday one: dělat, že…

In real conversation, Czechs constantly use dělat, že… — “to act as if…”. Same meaning, more natural in speech.

Dělal jsem, že jsem nemocný.
I pretended (I acted as if) I was ill.
On to jenom dělá!
He’s only pretending! (= On to jenom předstírá!)
Remember this second meaning of dělat! Normally dělat = “to do / to make,” but in dělat, že… and on to dělá it means “to pretend / put on an act.” Context tells you which one.

3. The slang idiom: hodit se marod

Here’s a fun, very colloquial one: hodit se marod = to call in sick / fake being ill (to skip work or school). Marod is casual slang for “sick / a sick person.”

Hodil jsem se marod.
I called in sick. (I pretended to be ill to get out of work)
For Russian speakers: hodit se marod ≈ притвориться больным. Very informal — great with friends, not for a formal note to your boss.

So: reach for dělat, že… in everyday speech, předstírat when you want to sound a touch more formal — and hodit se marod when you (ahem) “aren’t feeling well” on a sunny Friday.

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