Definition
假戏真做 is a four-character idiom (成语) that literally means 'a fake play becomes real acting'. It describes a situation where something that starts as a pretense, joke, or performance unexpectedly turns into reality — often in relationships, staged events, or playful scenarios. You can use it when a pretend act crosses the line and becomes genuine, or when a joke is taken so far that it actually happens.
f.e.
to turn a pretense into realityto carry a joke too far and make it real
Examples
- ，假戏真做。Tāmen běnlái zhǐshì yǎnxì, méi xiǎngdào zuìhòu jiǎ le.They were just acting at first, but unexpectedly it turned into reality.
- ，假戏真做，。Tā kāi wánxiào shuō yào jiéhūn, jiéguǒ jiǎ, zhēn de qù lǐngzhèng le.He jokingly said he wanted to get married, and it turned into reality — he actually went to get the marriage certificate.
- 假戏真做。Zhè bù diànyǐng jiǎngshù le yí duì jiǎ qínglǚ jiǎ de gùshì.This movie tells the story of a fake couple whose pretense becomes real.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.