Inklingo
← Dictionary

cara

kah-rah/ˈka.ɾa/

“cara” means “face” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

face

Also: side, expression, front
NounfA1
Close-up, front view illustration of a neutral human face, showing the eyes, nose, and mouth structure.

📝 In Action

Me lavo la cara todas las mañanas.

A1

I wash my face every morning.

La moneda tiene dos caras: cara y cruz.

A2

The coin has two sides: heads and tails.

Puso mala cara cuando le conté el problema.

B1

He put on a sour face when I told him the problem.

Escribe tu nombre en la cara frontal del sobre.

B1

Write your name on the front side of the envelope.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • rostro (face (more formal or poetic))
  • semblante (countenance, expression)

Common Collocations

  • lavarse la cara – to wash one's face
  • dar la cara – to face the music, take responsibility
  • a cara o cruz – heads or tails

Idioms & Expressions

  • tener mucha cara – to be shameless, to have a lot of nerve
  • plantar cara a alguien – to stand up to someone, to confront someone
  • echar en cara – to throw something in someone's face, to hold something against someone

expensive

Also: dear
A large, brilliant diamond engagement ring displayed prominently on a dark velvet cushion, symbolizing high cost.

📝 In Action

Esta falda es muy cara para mí.

A2

This skirt is too expensive for me.

La vida en la capital es bastante cara.

B1

Life in the capital is quite expensive.

Compramos la casa más cara del barrio.

B2

We bought the most expensive house in the neighborhood.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • costosa (costly)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • ropa cara – expensive clothes
  • comida cara – expensive food
  • una solución cara – an expensive solution

Idioms & Expressions

  • lo barato sale caro – you get what you pay for; buying cheap often costs more in the long run
  • pagar caro por algo – to pay dearly for something (not just with money, but with consequences)

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "cara" in Spanish:

expression→face→front→side→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: cara

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'cara' to mean 'expensive'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
caro(expensive) — Adjective
careta(mask) — Noun
encarar(to face, to confront) — Verb
carestía(shortage, high price) — Noun
encarecer(to make more expensive, to raise the price of) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Interestingly, the two main meanings of 'cara' come from different places. The noun 'cara' (face) comes from the Late Latin word 'cara', which likely came from Greek 'κάρα' (kára), meaning 'head'. The adjective 'cara' (expensive) comes from the Latin word 'cārus', which meant 'dear' or 'beloved', and later came to mean 'costly'.

First recorded: 10th century (for face), 12th century (for expensive)

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: caraItalian: cara (dear)French: cher (dear, expensive)

💡 Master Spanish

Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'cara' and 'rostro'?

Both mean 'face', but 'rostro' is a bit more formal or poetic. You'll see it more in literature or formal speech. For everyday conversation, 'cara' is much more common.

Why are 'face' and 'expensive' the same word?

They aren't really the same word, they just happen to look and sound identical! They come from completely different root words in Latin. This is called a 'homonym', and it happens in many languages, just like 'bat' (the animal) and 'bat' (for baseball) in English.