Gegenüberstehen

Gegenüberstehen is a German verb meaning to stand opposite someone or to face someone, either literally across from them or in a figurative sense such as confronting an opponent or a challenge. The expression combines gegenüber, meaning opposite or facing, with the verb stehen (to stand). In usage it commonly describes two people facing one another, for example in a discussion, a negotiation, or a debate: Die beiden Politiker stehen sich gegenüber. It can also denote confronting a task, problem, or obstacle: Die Stadt steht der Herausforderung gegenüber.

The construction typically involves a dative object representing the person or entity being faced: Er steht dem Gegner gegenüber. The reflexive form sich gegenüberstehen emphasizes mutual facing or opposition: Die Darsteller stehen sich gegenüber. In narrative or formal contexts, opposition can be physical, as in a duel or standoff, or figurative, as in political stances or argumentative positions.

In past tense, stehen is often used in simple past forms: Sie standen sich gegenüber. The perfect tense can be formed with the auxiliary haben and the participle gegenübergestanden, though in everyday speech the simple past or present tense is more common.

Related terms include gegenüber (as a preposition indicating facing), gegenüberstellen (to juxtapose or set against), and entgegentreten (to confront or oppose). Gegenüberstehen is widely used in journalism, law, sports, and everyday language to describe direct facing or confrontation, whether physical or metaphorical.