知ったかぶり

• Reading: しったかぶり
• Romaji: shittakaburi
• Kanji breakdown: 知った (knew/learned, past tense of 知る) + かぶり (pretending/acting, from 被る to wear/put on) → wearing a mask of knowledge
• Pronunciation: /ɕit.ta.ka.bɯ.ɾi/

Meaning

Know-it-all — someone who pretends to know something they actually don't, putting on an act of knowledge.

Unlike エアプ which focuses on lacking experience, 知ったかぶり captures the specific behaviour of nodding along and talking as if you understand something you don't. It's a long-standing Japanese expression that predates internet culture. People do 知ったかぶり to save face, look smart, or avoid admitting ignorance. The term carries a mix of annoyance and second-hand embarrassment, especially when the fakery is obvious to everyone else.

Examples

1. 知ったかぶりで語ってたけど、全然間違ってたよね。 They were talking like they knew everything, but they were totally wrong.
2. あいつの知ったかぶり、みんなバレてるのに本人気づいてない。 Everyone can tell that guy's faking it, but he doesn't even realize.
3. 知ったかぶりするくらいなら、素直に分からないって言えばいいのに。 If you're going to fake it, you might as well just admit you don't know.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, casual conversation, workplace gossip

Tone: contemptuous, annoyed

Do Say

• 知ったかぶりせずに聞いた方がいいよ。 (It's better to ask than to pretend you know.)
• あの人いつも知ったかぶりするから信用できない。 (That person always pretends to know, so I can't trust them.)

Don't Say

• 本当に知識がある人に「知ったかぶり」は失礼 (Calling someone who genuinely knows a 'know-it-all pretender' is rude)

Common Mistakes

• Confusing with the English 'know-it-all' — 知ったかぶり specifically implies faking knowledge, while 'know-it-all' can mean someone who actually knows a lot but is annoying about it

Origin & History

Traditional Japanese compound from 知った (knew/learned) and かぶり (pretending/wearing a mask of). Has been in use for generations as a description of fake knowledge, not limited to internet culture.

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional expression, not era-specific

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. A well-established expression understood by all generations.