How to say "front" in Japanese

• 正面しょうめんJLPT N2approx.Common
  no-adjective, prefixThe front of a building or structure — the street-facing side or facade, as of a station — and, by extension, the direction straight ahead or the side directly facing you.
  正面しょうめんのドアは鍵かぎがかかったままだった。↗

  The front door remained locked.
• フロントJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounThe loanword, covering borrowed senses such as the front aspect of a building, a weather front, or a war front; it also names the front desk of a hotel.
  フロントローラーのスラスト角かくは２度ど、多分たぶんレース時じにはもう少すこし角度かくどを強つよめる予定よていです。↗

  The front-roller thrust angle is 2 degrees, probably there were plans to strengthen that angle a little when racing.
• 先頭せんとうJLPT N2approx.Common
  nounThe front of a line or group: the head of a queue or procession, the leading position — where you stand when you are first in line.
  さあ出発しゅっぱつしよう。君くん先頭せんとうを行いきなさい。↗

  Let's start now, and you go first.
• 戦地せんちCommon
  nounThe battle front as a place — the land where a war is being fought, the area soldiers are sent to; it means the theater of fighting, not a direction or a position.
• 前部ぜんぶCommon
  no-adjectiveThe front part of something — the front section of an object such as a vehicle, as opposed to the rear; a positional word for the fore part, not a facade.
  トムはバスの前部ぜんぶのほうに座すわっていた。↗

  Tom was sitting in the front of the bus.

正面 is the front of a building or the side facing you, 前部 the front part of an object, 先頭 the front of a line, 戦地 the battle front, and 「フロント」 the loanword for weather and war fronts.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 正面しょうめんfront
• フロントfront (aspect, weather, war-front, etc.)
• 先頭せんとうhead (of a line, group, etc.)
• 戦地せんちfront (in battle)
• 前部ぜんぶfront part
• 表看板おもてかんばんsign out in front
• 最前戦さいぜんせんfront
• 前頭部ぜんとうぶfront
• 前身頃まえみごろfront (of a piece of traditional Japanese clothing)
• かくれみのcover (e.g. for illegal activity)
• 前線ぜんせん(weather) front
• 戦線せんせん(war) front
• 前方ぜんぽうahead
• 不連続線ふれんぞくせんline of discontinuity
• 前まえ(the) front
• 先さきhead (of a line)
• 表おもてfront (of a building, etc.)
• 向くむくto face (e.g. east) (of a building, window, etc.)
• 前方まえかたfront