hacer frente a
verbCEFR B2
What does “hacer frente a” mean in English?
to face up to, to tackle
to face up to, to tackle (formal; active confrontation of difficulty; preposition a always required)
Example sentences
Las empresas deben hacer frente a una competencia global cada vez más intensa.
Companies must face up to increasingly intense global competition.
El gobierno ha prometido hacer frente a la crisis de vivienda antes de las próximas elecciones.
The government has promised to tackle the housing crisis before the next elections.
Nadie está preparado para hacer frente a todas las consecuencias que esto podría acarrear.
Nobody is prepared to deal with all the consequences this could bring about.
How to use it
Hacer frente a means 'to face up to', 'to tackle', 'to deal with'. It is a formal collocation implying active confrontation of a difficulty. Construction: hacer frente a + noun (hacer frente a la competencia, hacer frente a un desafío). Contrast with afrontar (near synonym, slightly more literary), enfrentarse a (more confrontational tone), and hacer caso de (very different: to pay attention to).
Common mistake
Hacer frente a ≠ hacer caso a (to pay attention to/to listen to). Don't confuse these two phrases. Hacer frente a always implies active tackling of a difficulty, not passive acknowledgement. Enfrentarse a is a near synonym but reflexive and slightly more confrontational in connotation.