直面|ちょくめんchokumen[0]heiban (flat)
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- nounconfrontation
- suru verb, intransitive verbto face; to confront; to encounter
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 直面する(ちょくめんする) |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 直面します(ちょくめんします) |
| Negative (nai) | 直面しない(ちょくめんしない) |
| polite (masen) | 直面しません(ちょくめんしません) |
| classical zu / nu | 直面せず・直面せぬ(ちょくめんせず・ちょくめんせぬ) |
| Past (ta) | 直面した(ちょくめんした) |
| polite (mashita) | 直面しました(ちょくめんしました) |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 直面しなかった(ちょくめんしなかった) |
| polite (masen deshita) | 直面しませんでした(ちょくめんしませんでした) |
| Te form | 直面して(ちょくめんして) |
| Potential | 直面できる(ちょくめんできる) |
| Passive | 直面される(ちょくめんされる) |
| Causative | 直面させる(ちょくめんさせる) |
| Causative passive | 直面させられる(ちょくめんさせられる) |
| Conditional (ba) | 直面すれば(ちょくめんすれば) |
| tara | 直面したら(ちょくめんしたら) |
| Volitional | 直面しよう(ちょくめんしよう) |
| polite (mashou) | 直面しましょう(ちょくめんしましょう) |
| Imperative | 直面しろ(ちょくめんしろ) |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
- Synonym面と向かうめんとむかうNeutralMeeting someone in person, face-to-face, as in 「面と向かって言う」; stresses saying things directly to their face.
- Related立ち向かうたちむかうNeutralBraver and more active: going up against something to fight it, as in 「困難に立ち向かう」. 「直面」 centers on being faced with the problem itself.
- Related向かい合うむかいあうNeutralFace-to-face positioning, as in 「向かい合って座る」「向かい合って立つ」; about where people or things stand, not about confronting a problem.
- Related面するめんするWrittenWritten/formal: facing a certain direction, as in 「海に面する」; mainly for buildings or land fronting onto something.
- Related対するたいするNeutralCan mean to face, but mostly marks what something is aimed at or relates to, as in 「質問に対する答え」; leans toward relation rather than confrontation.
- Related取り組むとりくむNeutralWorking seriously on a problem, as in 「課題に取り組む」; stresses tackling and solving it, not just being confronted with it.
- Related向き合うむきあうNeutralFacing up to something squarely, as in 「自分と向き合う」; often introspective, about dealing with it earnestly.
- Related対抗たいこうNeutralOpposing or competing to win, as in 「対抗馬」; stresses rivalry and contention, not facing a problem.
- Related対戦たいせんNeutralTaking on an opponent in a match or battle, as in 「対戦相手」; mostly sports and games.
- Related敵対てきたいWrittenWritten/formal: treating the other side as an enemy, as in 「敵対関係」; carries open hostility.
- Related対向たいこうWrittenWritten/formal: facing or moving in opposite directions, as in 「対向車」; mostly about traffic.
- Related臨むのぞむWrittenWritten/formal: facing or taking part in an occasion, as in 「試合に臨む」; suggests going in prepared and in earnest.
- RelatedぶつかるCasualColloquial: running into problems or people, as in 「問題にぶつかる」; often by chance, also for collisions and clashes of opinion.
- RelatedチャレンジNeutralLoanword: taking on a challenge or giving something a try; a positive, proactive nuance.
- Relatedぶち当たるぶちあたるCasualColloquial and forceful: slamming into a problem, as in 「壁にぶち当たる」; often hitting an obstacle hard.
- Related対すたいすWrittenWritten/formal literary form of 「対する」; rarely used in modern Japanese.
- Related正対せいたいWrittenWritten/formal: facing directly front-to-front; mainly about physical positioning.
- Related相対するあいたいするWrittenWritten/formal: standing opposite each other or being in opposition; about position and relations.
- Antonym回避かいひNeutralAntonym: avoiding or evading something instead of facing it head-on as 「直面」 does.
- Antonym逃げにげNeutralAntonym: running away or escaping rather than confronting the problem.
Use 「直面」 for being directly confronted with difficulties or crises, as in 「危機に直面する」. To actively fight back, say 「立ち向かう」; to face something squarely and earnestly, 「向き合う」; to get to work on it, 「取り組む」. For physical face-to-face positioning use 「向かい合う」. The opposite of facing a problem is 「回避」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only


