What does 建前 mean?
建前 is a Japanese noun meaning “position; stance one takes in public; principle” in English. It can also be translated as “ceremony for the erection of the framework of a house” depending on context. It is written as 建前 in kanji, たてまえ in hiragana, and tatemae in romaji. This word is part of JLPT N1 vocabulary.
Example sentence
少数民族の雇用促進政策とはいっても、建前にすぎず、現状はマイノリティーが職に就けるチャンスなどほとんどない。
Although many pay lip service to the idea of affirmative action, in reality, very few minorities get hired.