‘假扮’ is a verb meaning 'to impersonate' or 'to pretend to be someone or something else', often for deception, performance, or play. The first character 假 (jiǎ) means 'false' or 'artificial', while 扮 (bàn) means 'to dress up' or 'to assume a role'. Together, they convey the idea of adopting a false identity through appearance, behavior, or speech—not just wearing a costume, but actively mimicking another person or type of being. It’s commonly used in contexts like acting, pranks, fraud, or childhood games.

This word carries a neutral-to-slightly-negative connotation depending on context: it’s harmless when children ‘假扮’ superheroes during play, but serious when someone ‘假扮’ a police officer to commit a crime. Unlike the more formal term 冒充 (màochōng), which stresses fraudulent intent, 假扮 emphasizes the performative or visual aspect—costume, mannerisms, or role-playing—and is frequently used in everyday speech and media.