How to Say "to confront" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to confront” is “enfrentar” — use 'enfrentar' when you are directly facing a situation, problem, or person, often implying a direct challenge or opposition..
enfrentar
/en-fren-TAR//em.fɾenˈtaɾ/
Examples
Tenemos que enfrentar la realidad, no podemos ignorarla.
We have to face reality; we can't ignore it.
El presidente enfrentó muchas críticas por su nueva ley.
The president confronted a lot of criticism for his new law.
Ella enfrenta sus miedos con valentía.
She faces her fears with courage.
Direct Action Verb
In this meaning, 'enfrentar' is always used directly: the subject (who is doing the action) faces the object (the problem or person). No extra words are usually needed between the verb and the thing being faced.
Mixing Transitive and Reflexive
Mistake: “Me enfrento el problema.”
Correction: Enfrento el problema. (The 'me' is only used if the problem is facing you back, which is the next definition.)
enfrentarse
/en-fren-TAR-seh//enfɾenˈtaɾse/
Examples
Debemos enfrentarnos a la realidad de la situación.
We must face the reality of the situation.
Ella se enfrentó a sus miedos y subió al avión.
She faced her fears and got on the plane.
Using 'a'
This word almost always needs the little word 'a' before the thing or person you are facing. For example: 'enfrentarse a un problema'.
Don't forget the 'se'
Mistake: “Yo enfrento el problema.”
Correction: Yo me enfrento al problema. (In Spanish, you 'face yourself to' the problem using those extra pronouns like me, te, or se).
Reflexive vs. Non-Reflexive Usage
Related Translations
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