confrontar
“confrontar” means “to face” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to face, to confront
Also: to tackle
📝 In Action
Tienes que confrontar tus miedos para superarlos.
B1You have to face your fears to overcome them.
El director decidió confrontar al empleado por sus faltas.
B2The director decided to confront the employee about his absences.
Es difícil confrontar una crisis económica sin ahorros.
C1It is difficult to tackle an economic crisis without savings.
to compare, to collate
📝 In Action
Debemos confrontar las copias con el original.
C1We must compare the copies with the original.
El historiador confrontó varios documentos para verificar la fecha.
C1The historian compared several documents to verify the date.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "confrontar" in Spanish:
to collate→to compare→to confront→to face→to tackle→✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: confrontar
Question 1 of 3
How do you say 'I confront my fears' in Spanish?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'confrontare', which combines 'con' (together) and 'frons' (forehead/face). It literally means 'bringing faces together' or 'standing face to face'.
First recorded: 16th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'confrontar' aggressive?
It can be, but it isn't always. While it can mean an argument, it often simply means dealing with a difficult truth or a challenging situation in a mature way.
Can I use 'enfrentar' instead?
Yes! 'Enfrentar' is actually slightly more common in daily speech. They are almost always interchangeable when talking about facing problems.
Does it have a stem change?
No. Unlike many Spanish verbs that change 'o' to 'ue' (like 'almorzar'), 'confrontar' stays 'confront-' in all forms.