Example: Elle a su tenir tête à ses adversaires avec courage.
Definition
"Tenir tête à" means to confront or resist someone firmly and confidently, especially in a challenging situation. It implies standing up to opponents or difficulties without backing down, as in the phrase 'Elle a su tenir tête à ses adversaires avec courage.'
Translations
To stand up to
Hacer frente a
Het hoofd bieden aan
Fer front a
Die Stirn bieten
Etymology
The phrase "tenir tête à" comes from French, where "tenir" means 'to hold' and "tête" means 'head.' Literally, it translates to 'hold head to,' suggesting the idea of facing someone head-on without yielding. This expression vividly captures the act of standing one's ground courageously.
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"Tenir tête à" appears in the Vocaplus list "", containing 105 commonly used expressions.
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To stand up to