dar la cara
verbUpper-intermediate
What does “dar la cara” mean in English?
to face up to something, to accept responsibility
to face up to something, to accept responsibility (implies public courage in accountability)
Example sentences
El presidente del club salió a dar la cara después del escándalo en lugar de dimitir en silencio.
The club president came out to face the music after the scandal instead of resigning quietly.
Nadie quería dar la cara por las decisiones que se habían tomado.
Nobody wanted to stand up and take responsibility for the decisions that had been made.
Si cometes un error, lo mínimo es dar la cara y pedir disculpas.
If you make a mistake, the least you can do is face up to it and apologise.
How to use it
Dar la cara (literally 'to give one's face') means 'to face up to something', 'to show your face', or 'to take responsibility publicly'. It implies courage: the person is not hiding when they should be present. Often contrasted with esconderse or desaparecer. Can be used for people, institutions, or companies: 'La empresa tuvo que dar la cara'. The English calque 'show one's face' is close but doesn't carry the accountability weight of dar la cara.
Common mistake
Dar la cara ≠ mostrar la cara (which means literally 'to show one's face', like appearing in photos). Dar la cara always carries accountability: it implies the person chose to be visible when they could have avoided it. Don't confuse with hacer frente a (to tackle/face a problem) — dar la cara is about public responsibility, not problem-solving.
Topics
Related Upper-intermediate words
Reference
This entry’s teaching guidance follows Plan Curricular del Instituto Cervantes (Instituto Cervantes), B2 Funciones 5.4.