Learn Arabic › B1 › تَظاهَر
تَظاهَر
to pretend, to feign /taˈðˤaːhara/
verbB1#1565 most common
Also: to make a show of, to demonstrate (take part in a protest)
Example sentences
هُوَ يَتَظاهَرُ بِالنَّوْم.
He pretends to be asleep.
تَظاهَرَتْ بِأَنَّها مَريضة.
She pretended to be sick.
لا تَتَظاهَرْ بِأَنَّكَ لا تَعْرِف.
Don't pretend you don't know.
تَظاهَرَ الطُّلّابُ في الشّارِعِ ضِدَّ القَرار.
The students demonstrated in the street against the decision.
ظَلَّ يَتَظاهَرُ بِالهُدوءِ رَغْمَ غَضَبِهِ الشَّديد.
He kept feigning calm despite his intense anger.
تَظاهَرَ الكاتِبُ بِالحِيادِ لكِنَّ مَقالَهُ كَشَفَ انْحِيازَهُ الواضِح.
The writer feigned neutrality, but his article revealed his clear bias.
Conjugation
| Present Active | Simple Past Active | Simple Future Active | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1sg | أَتَظاهَرُ | تَظاهَرْتُ | سَأَتَظاهَرُ |
| 2sg | تَتَظاهَرُ | تَظاهَرْتَ | سَتَتَظاهَرُ |
| 3sg | يَتَظاهَرُ | تَظاهَرَ | سَيَتَظاهَرُ |
| 1pl | نَتَظاهَرُ | تَظاهَرْنا | سَنَتَظاهَرُ |
| 2pl | تَتَظاهَرونَ | تَظاهَرْتُم | سَتَتَظاهَرونَ |
| 3pl | يَتَظاهَرونَ | تَظاهَروا | سَيَتَظاهَرونَ |
Word family
ظَهَرَto appear, become visible
مُظاهَرةdemonstration, protest
تَظاهُرpretense; act of demonstratingظاهِرapparent, visible, outward
مَظهَرappearance, outward look
Etymology
The verb is built on the Semitic triliteral root ẓ-h-r, which carries the sense of appearing, becoming visible, and the back or surface of a thing. It belongs to Form VI (تَفاعَلَ), a pattern that often marks a pretended or reciprocal action. To pretend is, literally, to make something appear on the surface while the truth stays hidden. The same root yields the protest sense, where people make themselves publicly visible.
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