media cara
/medja kaɾa/from spelling rules
The English phrase "half face" is translated into Spanish as media cara.
media cara is the way to refer to one half of a person's face. In specialized or medical contexts, the term Hemifaz may be used instead.
Which one should you use?
Hemifaz is a specialized term reserved for formal medical settings.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, cara is also the word used for the 'heads' side of a coin. This means a 'half face' on a coin would be described using the same word for a person's anatomy.
- The adjective cara is a homonym for the word meaning 'expensive'. In a sentence, media cara could be misread as 'half expensive' depending on the grammatical context.
- In some contexts, cara can be used as an adjective meaning 'cheeky' or 'impudent', particularly in the expression qué cara, which suggests someone has a lot of nerve.
Examples in context
- La máscara cubre solo la mitad de la cara.The mask covers only half of the face.
- Su cicatriz se extiende por media cara.His scar extends across half of his face.
- El sol le quemó la media jeta.The sun burned half of his face.
- Solo tiene la media cara cubierta.He only has half of his face covered.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are looking at a blurry photograph.
- AlejandroNo puedo reconocer a este hombre.I cannot recognize this man.
- SofíaEs porque solo sale media cara.It is because only half of his face is showing.
- Alejandro¿Tienes otra foto de él?Do you have another photo of him?
- SofíaSí, buscaré una mejor.Yes, I will look for a better one.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
