Korean grammar patterns › Level 6
-(으)ㄴ/는 양
as if …, pretending to … (literary)
Level 6 · TOPIK II · advanced
How to use it
Describes behaving as though something were true when it isn't (or isn't certain). Often with 마치, and also as -는 양하다 'to pretend'. Literary.
Forming it
| 모르다 | → 모르는 양 |
| 보다 | → 본 양 |
| 잘나다 | → 잘난 양 |
| 주인 | → 주인인 양 |
Examples
그는 마치 자기가 주인인 양 행동했다.
He acted as if he were the owner.
그녀는 아무것도 모르는 양 시치미를 뗐다.
She pretended not to know anything.
Compared with similar patterns
-듯(이) and -(으)ㄴ/는 듯하다 are broader ('like, seem') and more common; -(으)ㄴ/는 척하다 is the everyday 'pretend'. -는 양 is literary and stresses that the appearance is false.