How to say "sham" in Japanese

• 偽物にせものJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounCovers 'sham' as a concrete noun: a counterfeit or spurious article — a fake thing presented as genuine. Use it when the sham is a physical object, not an abstract pretense.
  この本物ほんものの宝石ほうせきとその偽物にせものとを比較ひかくしてみなさい。↗

  Compare this genuine jewel with that imitation.
• 偽にせCommon
  no-adjectiveThe shorter counterpart of 偽物, with the same 'fake, phony, counterfeit' sense; it often does the work of attributive 'sham', marking what it modifies as not genuine.
  それは贋にせの真珠しんじゅにすぎない。↗

  It is merely an imitation pearl.
• 疑似ぎじCommon
  prenominal modifierMatches 'sham' only where English says 'pseudo-' or 'quasi-': something that merely resembles the real thing it imitates. For an everyday fake object it is not the word you want.
• 作り物つくりものCommon
  no-adjectiveAn imitation thought of as a made thing: an artificial or man-made product standing in for the real one. Because the stress is on fabrication, it need not imply deliberate deception.
• 見せ掛けみせかけCommon
  no-adjectiveThis is 'sham' as pretense or false show: an outward appearance that does not match the reality behind it. Use it for figurative shams — poses, pretenses — not for counterfeit objects.
  彼女かのじょの涙なみだはほんの見みせかけであった。↗

  Her tears were just for effect.

Use 偽物 for a fake object and 偽 for the same idea as a modifier, 疑似 for 'pseudo-/quasi-' senses, 「作り物」 for a fabricated imitation, and 「見せ掛け」 when 'sham' means pretense or outward show.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 偽物にせものspurious article
• 偽にせimitation
• 疑似ぎじpseudo
• 作り物つくりものartificial product
• 見せ掛けみせかけseeming
• 模造もぞうimitation
• 似非者えせものsham
• まがいimitation
• でっち上げでっちあげfabrication
• がせfake
• まがい物まがいものimitation
• 食わせ物くわせものfake
• ごまかしcheating
• パチもんspurious article
• 真似事まねごとimitation
• イミテーションimitation
• 似て非なるにてひなるsimilar but different
• えせfalse
• いんちきfake
• 張りぼてはりぼてsomething that looks good superficially