Sounding Like Something
To say that someone or something sounds like something else, use the verb hljóma (to sound) followed by the phrase eins og (like / as).
| You sound exactly like your dad. | Þú hljómar alveg eins og pabbi þinn. |
| The child sounds like the monkey. | Barnið hljómar eins og apinn. |
Behaving and Pretending
To talk about how someone behaves, use the reflexive verb haga sér (to behave). You can describe the behavior with an adverb, such as eðlilega (normally).
| Why doesn't she behave normally? | Af hverju hagar hún sér ekki eðlilega? |
If someone is faking a behavior or state, use the -st verb þykjast (to pretend). It is often followed by an infinitive phrase, like að vera (to be).
| The student is pretending to be sick today. | Nemandinn þykist vera veikur í dag. |
| Is the fool just pretending to be asleep? | Þykist kjáninn bara vera að sofa? |
Acting "As If"
When eins og is followed by a full subordinate clause (a sentence with its own subject and verb), it translates to "as if". Because it describes a hypothetical situation, the verb in the eins og clause is often in the subjunctive mood.
| Nobody behaves as if they're crazy. | Enginn hagar sér eins og hann sé brjálaður. |
You can also use the phrase láta eins og to mean "to act like" or "to act as if". It works with both simple noun phrases and full clauses.
| Don't act like a fool! | Ekki láta eins og kjáni! |
| The boy acts like he comes from here. | Strákurinn lætur eins og hann komi héðan. |
Imitating
Finally, to talk about mimicking someone's actions, use the phrasal verb herma eftir (to imitate). The preposition eftir governs the dative case, so the person or thing being imitated will always take a dative ending.
| The child just imitated the monkey. | Barnið er nýbúið að herma eftir apanum. |
| Can you imitate these teachers? | Getur þú hermt eftir þessum kennurum? |