真(ま)ん前(まえ)

まんまえ

noun

right in front; directly ahead

1. right in front of; directly ahead; straight opposite

The position immediately and squarely in front of something, with no gap or offset. The intensifying prefix 真(ま) makes it stronger and more exact than plain 前(まえ).

駅(えき)の真(ま)ん前(まえ)だよ。

It's right in front of the station.

目(め)の真(ま)ん前(まえ)にバスが止(と)まった。

A bus stopped right in front of my eyes.

家(いえ)の真(ま)ん前(まえ)にコンビニがあるので、買(か)い物(もの)には困(こま)らない。

There's a convenience store directly in front of my house, so I never have trouble shopping.

The 真(ま) prefix here means "exactly, dead-on," the same 真(ま) as in 真(ま)ん中(なか) (dead center) and 真(ま)っ直(す)ぐ (straight). Compared with plain 前(まえ), 真(ま)ん前(まえ) insists that the thing is squarely opposite and very close.

Common collocations

目(め)の真(ま)ん前(まえ): right before one's eyes
駅(えき)の真(ま)ん前(まえ): right in front of the station
真(ま)ん前(まえ)に座(すわ)る: to sit directly opposite
真(ま)ん前(まえ)に立(た)つ: to stand squarely in front

Similar words

正面(しょうめん): the front, the facade — more formal and often refers to the front side of a building
手前(てまえ): this side of, just before — nearer to the speaker, not opposite
真(ま)ん後(うし)ろ: directly behind — the matching opposite

Related Words

Compare: 正面(しょうめん) (the front, the facade)

Compare: 手前(てまえ) (this side of, just before)

general

Added 2026.8.22 21:17 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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