In 15 Sekunden
- Confronting a challenge or problem head-on without backing down.
- Uses the verb 'faire' plus the preposition 'à'.
- Works for both serious life events and daily work tasks.
Bedeutung
It's about looking a problem or a challenge right in the eye and dealing with it directly. It suggests standing your ground and being brave instead of running away.
Wichtige Beispiele
3 von 6Talking about a busy week
Je dois faire face à une charge de travail énorme cette semaine.
I have to deal with a huge workload this week.
Encouraging a friend
Tu es forte, tu sauras faire face à cette situation.
You are strong, you'll know how to face this situation.
Formal business report
L'entreprise doit faire face à une concurrence accrue.
The company must face increased competition.
Kultureller Hintergrund
This expression reflects the French value of 'résilience' and facing adversity with dignity. It has been used in literature and political speeches for centuries to inspire courage. In modern times, it's a staple of French news when discussing how the country handles economic or social shifts.
The 'À' Rule
Always remember that 'à' is mandatory. If you forget it, the sentence sounds like you are literally making a face (like a grimace) at someone.
Location Confusion
Don't use this to say your house faces the sea. Use 'donner sur' (The house gives onto the sea) or 'être en face de'.
In 15 Sekunden
- Confronting a challenge or problem head-on without backing down.
- Uses the verb 'faire' plus the preposition 'à'.
- Works for both serious life events and daily work tasks.
What It Means
Imagine a giant wave coming toward you at the beach. You don't turn around and swim away. You plant your feet and prepare for the impact. That is faire face à. It means to confront, handle, or deal with a situation head-on. It implies a certain level of courage or necessity. You aren't just 'fixing' something; you are meeting a challenge that requires your full attention.
How To Use It
You use this phrase like a regular verb. You conjugate faire (je fais, tu fais, il fait...) and follow it with the preposition à. Remember that à combines with articles. So, you say faire face au problème (masculine) or faire face aux critiques (plural). It is very versatile. You can use it for abstract things like 'fear' or concrete things like 'a bill'.
When To Use It
Use this when you want to sound responsible or resilient. It’s perfect for the office when a project goes wrong. Use it with friends when discussing life’s hurdles. It works well in a text if you're explaining why you're busy. 'I have to deal with this mess' becomes Je dois faire face à ce désordre. It gives your actions a bit more weight and dignity.
When NOT To Use It
Do not use this for physical locations. If your favorite café is across from the park, don't use this phrase. Use être en face de instead. Also, avoid it for very trivial things unless you are being funny. Using it for a broken pencil might sound a bit too dramatic. Unless, of course, that pencil was your last hope!
Cultural Background
The French value a certain stoicism known as sang-froid. Being able to faire face is a respected character trait in French culture. It connects to the idea of the 'Système D'—the ability to find a way out of any mess. It’s about not letting circumstances crush your spirit. It’s a very 'adult' way to describe your day.
Common Variations
If you want to sound more aggressive, use affronter. It feels more like a battle. If you want to sound more casual, use gérer (to manage). Gérer is the ultimate modern French slang for 'I got this'. But faire face à remains the classic, balanced choice for any situation.
Nutzungshinweise
The phrase is neutral and works in almost any context. Just remember the grammar: `faire` is the verb you conjugate, and `à` is the bridge to your problem.
The 'À' Rule
Always remember that 'à' is mandatory. If you forget it, the sentence sounds like you are literally making a face (like a grimace) at someone.
Location Confusion
Don't use this to say your house faces the sea. Use 'donner sur' (The house gives onto the sea) or 'être en face de'.
The Stoic French
Using this phrase in a difficult moment makes you sound very 'maître de soi' (in control of yourself), which is highly valued in French social circles.
Beispiele
6Je dois faire face à une charge de travail énorme cette semaine.
I have to deal with a huge workload this week.
A common way to describe being overwhelmed but handling it.
Tu es forte, tu sauras faire face à cette situation.
You are strong, you'll know how to face this situation.
Used here to provide emotional support.
L'entreprise doit faire face à une concurrence accrue.
The company must face increased competition.
Standard professional usage for market challenges.
Mon appart est inondé, je fais face à la catastrophe... lol.
My apartment is flooded, I'm dealing with the catastrophe... lol.
Using a big phrase for a personal mess adds a touch of irony.
Je refuse de faire face à cette montagne de linge sale !
I refuse to face this mountain of dirty laundry!
Hyperbolic use for comedic effect.
Il a dû faire face à sa peur du vide pour grimper la tour.
He had to face his fear of heights to climb the tower.
Focuses on internal, emotional challenges.
Teste dich selbst
Choose the correct form to complete the sentence.
Nous devons ___ à nos problèmes au lieu de les ignorer.
After 'devons' (must), you need the infinitive form of the verb.
Complete the phrase with the correct preposition/article combination.
Elle fait face ___ (le) défi avec beaucoup de calme.
The preposition 'à' + 'le' (masculine singular) becomes 'au'.
🎉 Ergebnis: /2
Visuelle Lernhilfen
Formality of 'Dealing With Things'
Gérer (to manage/handle)
Je gère ça.
Faire face à (to face/deal with)
Je fais face au problème.
S'atteler à (to tackle/set to work on)
Nous nous attelons à cette tâche.
When to use 'Faire face à'
Work Crisis
Faire face à une urgence.
Household Chores
Faire face à la vaisselle.
Personal Growth
Faire face à ses peurs.
Financial Issues
Faire face aux factures.
Aufgabensammlung
2 AufgabenNous devons ___ à nos problèmes au lieu de les ignorer.
After 'devons' (must), you need the infinitive form of the verb.
Elle fait face ___ (le) défi avec beaucoup de calme.
The preposition 'à' + 'le' (masculine singular) becomes 'au'.
🎉 Ergebnis: /2
Häufig gestellte Fragen
10 FragenMostly, yes. It implies a challenge or something that requires effort. You wouldn't 'faire face' to a delicious cake, unless you're on a very strict diet!
Yes, you can faire face à quelqu'un. It means to confront them or stand opposite them in a conflict. For example: Il a fait face à son patron.
Gérer is more about the logistics of managing something. Faire face à is more about the act of confronting the existence of the problem itself.
Use the passé composé with 'avoir'. Example: J'ai fait face à mes dettes. The past participle 'fait' never changes form here.
Absolutely. It's very professional. Nous devons faire face à ces nouveaux enjeux is a perfect sentence for a business context.
No, that's a common mistake. For a view, use avoir vue sur or donner sur. Faire face à is strictly for confronting situations or people.
It can, depending on the context. If you use it for small things like a broken nail, it sounds like you're being a 'drama queen'.
The opposite would be fuir (to flee) or éviter (to avoid). It's the difference between standing your ground and running away.
Not directly from this phrase, but you can talk about la confrontation or la gestion of a situation.
Yes. Je ferai face à cela demain (I will deal with that tomorrow). It sounds very determined.
Verwandte Redewendungen
S'occuper de
Affronter
Gérer
Relever un défi
Tenir tête à
