冒充
mào chōng · HSK 7
to pass oneself off as
🎭 冒 falsely-claim + 充 pose-as = pass yourself off as someone else
充 also means to fill a role or act as; pair it with 冒 (to falsely assume) and you get fraudulently filling someone else's shoes. Think of an impostor wearing a mask: mào chōng, posing as a person they are not.
冒 — top 冃 (cloth/cover) + 目 (eye)
Originally a pictograph showing a cloth or cap covering the eyes, suggesting something pulled down over the head. From this came the meaning 'to cover,' then by extension 'to risk' or 'brave through' (as in pushing forward despite obstacles). The top component 冃 is often miswritten as 日, but it depicts a covering, not the sun.
充 — 育 (raise/grow) on top of 儿 (legs/person)
Originally depicted a person walking forward, suggesting movement and advancement. The form combines a growth element above with a person below, evoking the sense of being filled up or made full as one grows. Over time, the meaning shifted from 'go forward' to 'fill, fulfill, abundant'.