Although not as commonly used as its English equivalents, ante is a preposition that usually means "before," "facing" or "in the presence of." Despite its meaning of "before," it should not be confused with the adverbantes, which also often means "before," but with regard to time rather than location.

When speaking of location, ante is used less frequently than the prepositional phrases delante de and the less common frente a.


The following sentences all have roughly the same meaning of "I get nervous in front of her," with the most common usage first:

• Me pongo nervioso delante de ella.
• Me pongo nervioso frente a ella.
• Me pongo nervioso ante ella.

The use of ante when referring to physical location, while grammatically correct, is most common in literature and sometimes in legal matters. In everyday speech, ante is often used with a more figurative meaning, as in the following sentences:

• Los españoles son pesimistas ante la situación económica. Spaniards are pessimists in view of the economic situation.
• ¿Cuál es tu actitud ante las adversidades de la vida? What is your attitude facing the adversities of life?
• Ante la duda debes consultar a tu médico. If in doubt, you should consult with your doctor. (Literally, facing doubt, you should consult with your doctor.)
• La falta de tolerancia ante las diferencias entre las personas puede ser la causa de muchos prejuicios. The lack of tolerance in face of differences among persons can be the cause of many prejudices.

The phrase ante todo is usually translated as "above all" or "first and foremost": Ante todo creo que podemos ser agentes de cambio. I believe first and foremost that we must be agents of change.