võltsemine

Võltsemine is a term used in Estonian to denote the act of feigning or presenting a false appearance. The noun refers to the process or practice of deception or imitation and is formed with the suffix -emine from the root võlts, meaning fake or counterfeit. The concept is used across everyday speech, media discourse, and the performing arts to describe pretending or presenting something as other than it is.

In everyday use, võltsemine covers a range of behaviors from casual affectation to deliberate deception. It may involve feigning emotions, abilities, or identities, and it can occur in online environments where individuals curate idealized personas. In the arts, võltsemine can describe deliberate impersonation or character portrayal, where the emphasis is on craft rather than truth-telling.

Võltsemine is distinct from more formal notions of fraud or deceit with legal implications (pettus) and is often discussed in terms of authenticity, transparency, and social signaling. Depending on context, some instances are harmless play or performance, while others can mislead audiences or interlocutors.

See also: authenticity, deception, impersonation, masquerade, performance, media literacy.

Examples: The film's võltsemine drew criticism for staging scenes rather than presenting real events. In acting classes, võltsemine is taught as a technique for creating believable characters through controlled emotion.