1The surface or outer face of an object.
名刺の表に名前と連絡先が書いてある。
The front of the business card has the name and contact details.
紙の表と裏を間違えないように注意してください。
Be careful not to mix up the front and back of the paper.
布の表は光沢があり、裏はざらざらしている。
The right side of the fabric is glossy, while the back is rough.
2The visible side of something — the side that faces outward or is meant to be seen.
写真の表にサインしてください。
Please sign on the front of the photograph.
箱の表には注意書きが貼ってある。
A warning label is attached to the front of the box.
3The front of a building, or the obverse ("heads") side of a coin.
ホテルの表玄関から入ってください。
Please enter through the hotel's front entrance.
このコインの表には天皇の肖像がある。
This coin's obverse shows the emperor's portrait.
コインを投げて表が出たら私の勝ちだ。
If the coin comes up heads when I flip it, I win.
4The outside or exterior of a building or premises.
植木を表に出して日光に当てた。
I put the potted plants outside in the sunlight.
家の表の掃除を手伝った。
I helped clean the outside of the house.
5Outward appearance or impression — how something looks from the outside.
表向きは平和だが、裏では問題が続いている。
On the surface it seems peaceful, but problems continue behind the scenes.
彼は表情をあまり変えない人だ。
He's someone who doesn't change his expression much.
6The public or official side of things — appearing openly rather than staying hidden, as in "表に出る" (to come out into the open).
社長は表で謝罪の言葉を述べた。
The company president apologized publicly.
その醜聞はついに表に出た。
The scandal finally came out into the open.
7In baseball, the top half of an inning, when the visiting (away) team bats.
昨日は3回の表に逆転ホームランが出た。
Yesterday, there was a go-ahead home run in the top of the 3rd inning.
9回の表に3点を取られて逆転された。
They gave up 3 runs in the top of the 9th and lost the lead.
8The covering material used on the surface of a tatami mat or cushion.
畳の表を張り替える必要がある。
The tatami's surface covering needs to be replaced.
9In computing, the foreground — the window or process displayed in front of others.
作業中のウィンドウを表にして操作する。
Bring the window you're working on to the front and operate it.
10Sometimes used as an abbreviation for "表千家" (Omotesenke), a school of Japanese tea ceremony.
彼女は長年、表でお茶の稽古をしている。
She has been studying tea ceremony under the Omotesenke school for many years.