建前

• 読み: たてまえ
• ローマ字: tatemae
• 漢字の分解: 建 (tate) — build, construct; 前 (mae) — front, before
• 発音: /tatemae/

意味

Official stance; public position; stated principle; facade. The position one presents in public, which may differ from one's true feelings.

One of the most culturally significant concepts in Japanese social interaction, 建前 is the counterpart to 本音 (one's true feelings or intentions). Maintaining appropriate 建前 is an essential social skill in Japan, enabling harmony (和) in groups. It is not considered dishonest; rather, the gap between 建前 and 本音 is a socially accepted lubricant that preserves face and relationships.

例文

1. 建前では賛成しているが、本音では反対なのは明らかだ。
2. 会議では建前の議論しかされず、本質的な問題は棚上げされた。
3. 日本社会では建前と本音を使い分ける能力が求められる。

使い方ガイド

場面: social norms, workplace, politics, cross-cultural studies

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

Originally an architectural term referring to the ridge-beam raising ceremony (上棟式) in traditional construction — the public, visible framework of a building. The metaphorical sense of an outward framework or public face evolved during the Edo period.

文化的背景

時代: Edo–Modern

世代: All ages

社会的背景: General