Confront in Different Languages
Discover 'Confront' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'confront' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, as it allows us to express the act of facing something or someone head-on. This can be a challenging yet empowering experience, as it often involves overcoming fears, resolving conflicts, or standing up for what we believe in. Throughout history, many cultural icons have demonstrated the importance of confrontation in various forms, from civil rights leaders to fictional heroes.
Interestingly, the word 'confront' can be translated differently across languages, shedding light on how different cultures approach this concept. For instance, in Spanish, 'confront' becomes 'confrontar,' while in German, it's 'konfrontieren.' Meanwhile, in Japanese, the word '対面' (taiman) is used to describe facing something or someone directly.
In today's globalized world, understanding the translation of 'confront' in different languages can help us better communicate and connect with people from diverse backgrounds. By exploring the various meanings and nuances of this word, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the richness and complexity of human language and culture.
Confront
Confront in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | konfronteer | ||
| The Afrikaans word "konfronteer" derives from the Dutch word "confronteren" meaning "to confront", "to encounter", or "to compare". | |||
| Amharic | መጋፈጥ | ||
| The word "መጋፈጥ" also means "to face" or "to encounter" in Amharic. | |||
| Hausa | adawa | ||
| The word "adawa" can also mean "to challenge" or "to dare someone" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | ebuso | ||
| "Ebuso" also means "look at" or "watch intently" in Igbo, suggesting a close connection between confrontation and attentive observation. | |||
| Malagasy | hiatrika | ||
| The word "hiatrika" in Malagasy can also mean "to face up to" or "to challenge". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | yang'anani | ||
| The word "yang'anani" in Nyanja can also mean "to face," "to meet," or "to oppose." | |||
| Shona | kutarisana | ||
| Related to the verb 'kuta', meaning 'to cut'. | |||
| Somali | iska hor imaad | ||
| The Somali word "iska hor imaad" can also mean "to collide" or "to meet head-on." | |||
| Sesotho | tobana | ||
| 'Tobana' is also an idiomatic expression that refers to the act of taking action against someone who has wronged you. | |||
| Swahili | kukabiliana | ||
| The Swahili word "kukabiliana" also translates to "to face or come face to face," as in, "They came face to face with the truth". | |||
| Xhosa | bajongane | ||
| In Xhosa, "bajongane" can also mean "to speak" or "to say something", suggesting a connection between confrontation and communication. | |||
| Yoruba | dojuko | ||
| The word "dojuko" in Yoruba is also used to mean "to challenge" or "to be bold." | |||
| Zulu | bhekana | ||
| Derived from 'bheka', meaning 'to peep' | |||
| Bambara | ka ɲɔgɔn kunbɛn | ||
| Ewe | dze ŋgɔe | ||
| Kinyarwanda | guhangana | ||
| Lingala | kokutana na bango | ||
| Luganda | okusisinkana | ||
| Sepedi | go thulana le yena | ||
| Twi (Akan) | animtiaabu | ||
Confront in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | مواجهة | ||
| مواجهة also means "to face" in Arabic and shares an etymological root with the word for "face": وجه (wajh). | |||
| Hebrew | לְהִתְעַמֵת | ||
| The verb להִתְעַמֵת can also mean to meet or to run into, especially by chance. | |||
| Pashto | مقابله | ||
| The Pashto word “مقابله” can also mean “meeting” or “interview”. | |||
| Arabic | مواجهة | ||
| مواجهة also means "to face" in Arabic and shares an etymological root with the word for "face": وجه (wajh). | |||
Confront in Western European Languages
| Albanian | ballafaqohem | ||
| The word "ballafaqohem" can also mean "to argue with" or "to quarrel with". | |||
| Basque | aurre egin | ||
| The Basque word "aurre egin" also means "to step forward" or "to progress". | |||
| Catalan | enfrontar-se | ||
| The verb "enfrontar-se" also means "to come face-to-face" or "to become evident". | |||
| Croatian | suočiti | ||
| The Croatian word "suočiti" derives from the Proto-Slavic word for "to face" and "to come face to face with". | |||
| Danish | konfrontere | ||
| In Danish, "konfrontere" can also mean "to check" or "to verify". | |||
| Dutch | confronteren | ||
| The Dutch word "confronteren" is derived from the Latin word "confrontari," meaning "to come face-to-face with someone in anger or opposition." | |||
| English | confront | ||
| Deriving from Latin "confrontare," "confront" has also been used to refer to a boundary or the forehead. | |||
| French | affronter | ||
| The French word "affronter" has its etymological root in the Latin "affrontare," meaning "to come face to face with." It also carries alternative meanings such as "to insult or offend," "to provoke," or "to challenge." | |||
| Frisian | konfrontearje | ||
| Konfrontearje in Frisian also means "to compare" or "to examine". | |||
| Galician | enfrontarse | ||
| The verb "enfrontarse" comes from the Latin verb "infra", which means "in front of" and the suffix "-arse", which indicates a reflexive action. | |||
| German | konfrontieren | ||
| "Konfrontieren" is derived from the Latin "confrons", meaning "opposite" or "face-to-face". | |||
| Icelandic | takast á | ||
| In Old Norse, "taka á" meant "to seize", hence the secondary meaning of "to confront" in Modern Icelandic. | |||
| Irish | achrann | ||
| The word "achrann" in Irish also means "challenge" or "defy" | |||
| Italian | confrontarsi | ||
| The verb "confrontarsi" also means "to be compared" in Italian, indicating a similar examination between or among entities. | |||
| Luxembourgish | konfrontéieren | ||
| Maltese | ikkonfronta | ||
| The word "ikkonfronta" comes from the Italian "confrontare," which means "to compare" or "to place in opposition." | |||
| Norwegian | konfrontere | ||
| The word "konfrontere" in Norwegian can also mean "to encounter" or "to face up to". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | enfrentar | ||
| "Enfrentar" can also mean to face something, to be in front of it, or to oppose it. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | strì | ||
| The word "strì" can also mean "to strive" or "to compete" in Scots Gaelic. | |||
| Spanish | confrontar | ||
| In Spanish, "confrontar" also means to compare or place opposite. | |||
| Swedish | konfrontera | ||
| Konfrontera is derived from the French word 'confronter' which means 'to set against or in opposition' | |||
| Welsh | wynebu | ||
| "Wynebu" is a borrowing from Old English "wine" with the same meaning, or it may be a borrowing from Old Irish "fiun" with the same meaning. | |||
Confront in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | супрацьстаяць | ||
| The word "супрацьстаяць" is of Slavic origin, deriving from the Proto-Slavic root *stati (to stand) and the prefix */sъ-/* (against, opposing). | |||
| Bosnian | suočiti se | ||
| The verb 'suočiti se' comes from the noun 'sučiti', which means to twist, turn, or bend, suggesting that 'suočiti se' involves a forceful or challenging interaction. | |||
| Bulgarian | конфронтира | ||
| The word "конфронтира" in Bulgarian also means "to oppose" or "to resist". | |||
| Czech | konfrontovat | ||
| Czech "konfrontovat" shares a Slavic root with Russian "konfrontirovat'" (конфронтировать) meaning "be in discord, be in conflict", but it also can mean "to confront" in the English sense. | |||
| Estonian | vastanduma | ||
| The word "vastanduma" can also mean "to oppose" or "to resist". | |||
| Finnish | kohdata | ||
| The Finnish word "kohdata" can also mean "to meet" or "to encounter". | |||
| Hungarian | szembenézni | ||
| The verb szembenézni can also refer to a duel in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | konfrontēt | ||
| "Konfrontēt" is a loanword from French that ultimately traces back to the Proto-Indo-European word *kombʰ-, meaning "to fight". | |||
| Lithuanian | konfrontuoti | ||
| The Lithuanian word "konfrontuoti" is formed from the Latin words "contra" (against) and "frons" (forehead), indicating a meeting face-to-face and an exchange of opposing views. | |||
| Macedonian | соочуваат | ||
| The verb "соочуваат" can also mean "to feel sympathy" or "to sympathize". | |||
| Polish | konfrontować | ||
| In Polish, "konfrontować" can also mean to "compare" or "to contrast". | |||
| Romanian | confrunta | ||
| The Romanian word "confrunta" is derived from the Latin word "confrontare," meaning "to compare" or "to compare with." | |||
| Russian | противостоять | ||
| The word "противостоять" is derived from the Old Slavonic word "противъ", meaning "against". | |||
| Serbian | суочити | ||
| The Serbian word "суочити" (confront) also means "to meet" or "to face" someone or something. | |||
| Slovak | konfrontovať | ||
| "Konfrontovať" is derived from the Latin verb "confrontari," meaning "to place in front of, to compare," and also "to oppose." | |||
| Slovenian | soočiti | ||
| In Croatian "soočiti" also means to meet someone or to encounter something. | |||
| Ukrainian | протистояти | ||
| The word "протистояти" can also mean "to withstand" or "to resist". | |||
Confront in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | মুখোমুখি | ||
| The word "মুখোমুখি" also means "face to face" or "opposite" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | મુકાબલો | ||
| "મુકાબલો" originates from the Sanskrit word "Mukhabila", meaning "facing each other" or "an encounter between two parties." | |||
| Hindi | सामना | ||
| सामना (samana) means to face something, but can also refer to an interview or meeting. | |||
| Kannada | ಎದುರಿಸಲು | ||
| The word "ಎದುರಿಸಲು" can also mean "to face" or "to encounter" in Kannada. | |||
| Malayalam | ഏറ്റുമുട്ടുക | ||
| The Malayalam word "ഏറ്റുമുട്ടുക" ('eṭṭumuttuka') literally means 'to meet one another', but can also refer to a 'collision' or 'conflict'. | |||
| Marathi | सामना | ||
| The word "सामना" can also mean "interview" and "news" in journalism, or "respect" in social situations. | |||
| Nepali | टकराव | ||
| The word "टकराव" (confront) in Nepali is a derivative of the word "टकर" (collision) and also means "a clash" or "a disagreement". | |||
| Punjabi | ਟਕਰਾਓ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | මුහුණ දෙන්න | ||
| The word "මුහුණ දෙන්න" (muhuṇa dænna) comes from the Proto-Indo-European root "*mek-h₂-n-eh₃-", which means "to face" or "to meet". | |||
| Tamil | எதிர்கொள்ள | ||
| Telugu | అదుపుచేయలేని | ||
| The word "అదుపుచేయలేని" also means "uncontrollable" or "unmanageable" in Telugu. | |||
| Urdu | محاذ آرائی | ||
| محاذ آرائی comes from the Arabic root حذا/حذو , meaning "to follow", "to keep pace with", or "to be parallel to." | |||
Confront in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 面对 | ||
| The word "面对" can also mean "to face", "to meet", or "to deal with" in English. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 面對 | ||
| "面對" is a combination of facing and facing each other, which is often used to describe the situation when two people or two groups confront each other. | |||
| Japanese | 対峙する | ||
| 対峙する (taiji suru) can also mean "to face each other" or "to be in a deadlock. | |||
| Korean | 맞서다 | ||
| "맞서다" also means "to oppose" or "to stand against" | |||
| Mongolian | тулгарах | ||
| The word "тулгарах" is composed of the root word "тулгах" ("to meet with") and the suffix "-рах" | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ထိပ်တိုက်ရင်ဆိုင် | ||
Confront in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | menghadapi | ||
| Menghadapi (confront) comes from the Old Javanese word "mañjaki", meaning "to go forward" | |||
| Javanese | ngadhepi | ||
| "Ngadhepi" in Javanese can also mean "to face" or "to meet". | |||
| Khmer | ប្រឈមមុខ | ||
| The word "ប្រឈមមុខ" can also mean "to face up to" or "to deal with". | |||
| Lao | ປະເຊີນ ໜ້າ | ||
| Its alternate meaning is to ask for forgiveness while facing a wrongdoer with a folded hand gesture. | |||
| Malay | berdepan | ||
| "Berdepan" originates from the noun "depan" (front), expressing a direct or face-to-face encounter. | |||
| Thai | เผชิญหน้า | ||
| "เผชิญหน้า" is derived from the Sanskrit word "pratyaksa", meaning "immediate experience or perception". | |||
| Vietnamese | đối đầu | ||
| The word "đối đầu" can also mean "to face," "to encounter," or "to oppose." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | harapin | ||
Confront in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | üzləşmək | ||
| "Üzləşmək" means to meet or be faced with someone or something, especially in a hostile or challenging way. In the context of sports, it refers to a situation where two opposing players or teams engage in direct competition for the ball or a position on the field. | |||
| Kazakh | қарсы тұру | ||
| Kyrgyz | тирешүү | ||
| The word is also used in Mongolian with the meaning "to get angry". | |||
| Tajik | рӯ ба рӯ шудан | ||
| The word "рӯ ба рӯ шудан" in Tajik, which means "to confront," has an alternate meaning of "to meet face to face." | |||
| Turkmen | garşy durmak | ||
| Uzbek | to'qnashmoq | ||
| The Uzbek verb "to'qnashmoq" can also refer to 'bumping into someone' | |||
| Uyghur | قارشىلىشىش | ||
Confront in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kū · alo | ||
| The Hawaiian word 'kū·alo' means 'to turn the face or front to another, as an antagonist', or 'to oppose another' | |||
| Maori | whakapae | ||
| Whakapae also has meanings like 'reveal,' which can be a form of confrontation. | |||
| Samoan | fetauiga | ||
| The word 'fetauiga' also means 'to stare at' or 'to challenge' in Samoan. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | harapin | ||
| The word "harapin" originates from the Tagalog word "harap," meaning "face". | |||
Confront in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | uñkatasiña | ||
| Guarani | ombohovái | ||
Confront in International Languages
| Esperanto | alfronti | ||
| Afronton is a loanword from the Spanish word “afrontar” that originally meant “to confront” and “to shame”. | |||
| Latin | conpono | ||
| In Latin, "CONPONO" also means "to arrange" or "to place together". | |||
Confront in Others Languages
| Greek | αντιμετωπίζω | ||
| Αντιμετωπίζω, from ἀντί (against) and μέτωπον (face), literally means "to place face-to-face". | |||
| Hmong | ntsej muag | ||
| In the Hmong language, "ntsej muag" literally means "to see face to face". | |||
| Kurdish | berrûdan | ||
| The word "berrûdan" in Kurdish is derived from the Persian word "barrūdan", which means "to attack, to storm, to besiege, to assail." | |||
| Turkish | karşısına çıkmak | ||
| The word "karşısına çıkmak" in Turkish is originally derived from the word "karşı" (opposite) and means "to come face to face with someone or something". | |||
| Xhosa | bajongane | ||
| In Xhosa, "bajongane" can also mean "to speak" or "to say something", suggesting a connection between confrontation and communication. | |||
| Yiddish | קאָנפראָנטירן | ||
| קאָנפראָנטירן can also mean "to compare" or "to confront" in a more general sense, not just in a dispute. | |||
| Zulu | bhekana | ||
| Derived from 'bheka', meaning 'to peep' | |||
| Assamese | confront | ||
| Aymara | uñkatasiña | ||
| Bhojpuri | सामना करे के बा | ||
| Dhivehi | ކުރިމަތިލާށެވެ | ||
| Dogri | सामना करना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | harapin | ||
| Guarani | ombohovái | ||
| Ilocano | komprontaren | ||
| Krio | kɔnfrɛnt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | ڕووبەڕووبوونەوە | ||
| Maithili | सामना करब | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯊꯦꯡꯅꯕꯥ꯫ | ||
| Mizo | hmachhawn rawh | ||
| Oromo | wal dura dhaabbachuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ମୁହାଁମୁହିଁ | | ||
| Quechua | enfrentamiento | ||
| Sanskrit | सम्मुखीभवति | ||
| Tatar | каршы | ||
| Tigrinya | ምግጣም | ||
| Tsonga | ku langutana na yena | ||