When we pretend, our facial expression communicates something other than what we actually mean. In Hebrew, to pretend is להעמיד פנים

– literally, to set (one’s) face.

For example:

אפילו אימא שלי חשבה בהתחלה שאני מעמיד פנים.

Even my mother thought in the beginning that I’m pretending.

להעמיד

– “to set” or “to make stand” – is the הפעיל form of the root ע.מ.ד

meaning “standing”.

פנים

means face.