Enfrentar

Enfrentar is a Spanish verb that means to face, confront, or endure something. It is mostly transitive, used with a direct object: enfrentar un problema, enfrentar una situación, enfrentar a alguien. There is also the pronominal form enfrentar(se) a, meaning to face off against someone or to confront a challenge personally: se enfrentaron a su rival, se enfrenta a sus miedos. The expression hacer frente a is a common collocation that conveys coping with or dealing with a situation.

Etymology and sense: the verb derives from a combination of en- and frente (front), reflecting the idea of presenting something to the front or facing it. It is related to other verbs such as afrontar, confrontar, and afrentar, each with its own nuance.

Usage nuances: enfrentar covers literal facing and metaphorical confrontation or coping, including risks, criticism, or consequences. In terms of nuance, synonyms include afrontar (to cope with or face squarely) and enfrentar (to confront or face directly). Confrontar often implies direct opposition, sometimes with a contentious tone; afrontar emphasizes coping with a challenge; hacer frente a is a fixed expression for dealing with a situation.

Conjugation: enfrentar is a regular -ar verb. Present: enfrento, enfrentas, enfrenta, enfrentamos, enfrentáis, enfrentan. Preterite: enfrenté, enfrentaste, enfrentó, enfrentamos, enfrentasteis, enfrentaron. Imperfect: enfrentaba, enfrentabas, enfrentaba, enfrentábamos, enfrentabais, enfrentaban. Future: enfrentaré, enfrentarás, enfrentará, enfrentaremos, enfrentaréis, enfrentarán. Gerund: enfrentando; past participle: enfrentado. Subjunctive present: enfrente, enfrentes, enfrente, enfrentemos, enfrentéis, enfrenten; imperfect subjunctive: enfrentara o enfrentase. Common imperative forms: enfrenta (tú), enfrente (usted), enfrentemos (nosotros), enfrentad (vosotros), enfrenten (ustedes).