Japanese

かう

めんとむかう
Meaning: to face someone directly; to confront
Part of Speech: Verb

Listen to pronunciation

Show inflections Hide inflections

Verb inflections

Form Affirmative Negative
Present 面と向かう 面と向かわない
Polite 面と向かいます 面と向かいません
Past 面と向かった 面と向かわなかった
Polite + Past 面と向かいました 面と向かいませんでした
Te-form 面と向かって 面と向かわなくて
Potential 面と向かえる 面と向かえない
Passive 面と向かわれる 面と向かわれない
Causative 面と向かわせる 面と向かわせない
Causative + Passive 面と向かわされる 面と向かわされない
Imperative 面と向かえ 面と向かうな

Handwriting

面
と
向
か
う

Example

It takes courage to say it to someone's face.

Usage Notes

Used when meeting or speaking with someone directly, often in a confrontational or serious context.

Sottaku

About Sottaku

Sottaku is an app for learning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian with a strong focus on SRS. It includes automatic flashcard creation for hundreds of thousands of words, grammar breakdowns in example sentences, language-specific study packs where available, adaptive quizzes, mobile apps, a browser extension, and community features. Give it a try now! All learning content is free with no limits on flashcards or study time.

Sottaku is built to match the habits of successful learners. By using Sottaku, you will naturally learn in the most efficient way possible, as proven by countless success stories in the language learning community.

Free Forever

Access all grammar guides, quizzes, and flashcards without paying a cent. Quality education should be accessible to everyone.

Smart SRS System

Our flashcard system uses the FSRS algorithm (also used in Anki) to optimize your review schedule and maximize retention.

Comprehensive Content

From hanzi, kana, hangul, and European vocabulary basics to grammar and reading practice where available, we have lessons for every level. Practice with quizzes tailored to your skill.

Community Chat

Ask level-appropriate questions and get help from the community. Learn together with fellow learners across all 8 supported languages.