Dar as Caras: What Does This Informal Portuguese Phrase Mean?
Dar as caras means to show up or make an appearance. It is informal and can sound playful or critical depending on tone.
Real Life Portuguese · 4 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Dar as caras means to show up, appear, or make an appearance. It is informal and often used when a person has been absent or has not appeared for a while. Depending on tone, it can sound playful, surprised, or mildly critical.
Use dar as caras for someone who appears
Conjugate dar: dou as caras (I show up), deu as caras (he or she appeared), and deram as caras (they showed up). The expression usually refers to people, but it can also describe something finally appearing or becoming visible.
O vizinho deu as caras depois de meses.
The neighbor finally showed up after months.
Você vai dar as caras na festa hoje?
Are you going to show up at the party today?
O sol deu as caras depois da chuva.
The sun finally came out after the rain.
Use tone carefully when someone has been absent
Because the expression can suggest that someone took a long time to appear, it may sound teasing or reproachful. In a polite invitation or formal message, aparecer, chegar, or vir is usually safer.
Use it with friends when the casual tone fits. If you only mean that someone arrived, chegar is direct and does not imply that the person was missing.
Ele apareceu para a reunião às nove.
He arrived for the meeting at nine.
Até que enfim você deu as caras!
You finally showed up!
A equipe chegou antes do início do evento.
The team arrived before the event began.
Put it into practice
Use dar as caras informally for showing up or appearing; choose chegar or aparecer when you want a neutral tone.
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “Are you going to show up at the party today”?
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