cara fea
/kaɾa fea/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'ugly face' is translated into Spanish as cara fea.
The phrase cara fea is used to describe a face that is not pleasant or attractive to look at. For more neutral or formal descriptions, you might use rostro feo, rostro poco agraciado to describe a face lacking charm or rostro poco atractivo to describe a face that is not particularly appealing.
Which one should you use?
While cara fea is common, you can substitute the noun cara with rostro for a more formal or literary tone, such as in rostro feo. In informal settings, you may encounter the expression cara de sapo, which literally translates to 'toad face' and refers to someone with unattractive features.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase follows the standard Spanish noun-adjective order, with the adjective following the noun. When pluralizing the phrase to say 'ugly faces', both the noun and the adjective must be pluralized to become caras feas.
How do you pronounce it?
/kaɾa fea/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Because cara is a feminine noun, the adjective must also be feminine. Avoid the mistake of saying cara feo. You must use the feminine form cara fea.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, if you say you have a cara fea, it might not mean your appearance is unattractive, but rather that you are making a grumpy or angry expression.
- The word cara actually traces back to the Ancient Greek word kára, which originally meant 'head' before evolving to mean 'face'.
- The word cara is also used in Spanish to describe the 'face' or 'side' of a coin, a cube or a building.
Examples in context
- Ella ha escondido su cara fea.She hid her ugly face.This sentence shows the use of cara fea in a descriptive context.Tatoeba #3484774 by mervert1, translation #2761915 by mervert1
- Ese actor tiene una cara fea.That actor has an ugly face.
- No me gusta esa cara fea.I don't like that ugly face.
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are talking about a character in a horror movie.
- Lucía¿Viste el monstruo de la película?Did you see the monster in the movie?
- AlejandroSí, tiene una cara fea.Yes, he has an ugly face.
- LucíaEs muy terrorífico.It is very terrifying.
- AlejandroTotalmente, me dio mucho miedo.Totally, it gave me a lot of fear.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cara, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
