Dar de Cara com: Come Across Something Unexpectedly
Dar de cara com means to come across or find yourself facing someone or something unexpectedly.
Real Life Portuguese · 4 min read · Updated October 14, 2026
The short answer
Dar de cara com means to come across someone or something unexpectedly, or suddenly find yourself facing it. It may describe meeting a person by surprise, discovering that a place is closed, or encountering an obstacle.
Use dar de cara com for an unexpected encounter
Conjugate dar for the subject and time: dei de cara com (I came across), deu de cara com (he or she did), and demos de cara com (we did). The phrase is informal and vivid.
Dei de cara com uma antiga colega no mercado.
I ran into an old colleague at the market.
Chegamos cedo e demos de cara com a porta fechada.
We arrived early and found the door closed.
A equipe deu de cara com um problema inesperado.
The team came up against an unexpected problem.
Choose a neutral alternative for formal writing
Encontrar can mean to meet or find and is more neutral. Dar de cara com adds surprise or immediacy, so it is useful in a story or casual conversation. Use the neutral verb when that extra reaction is not important.
The preposition com belongs to the expression and introduces the person or thing encountered. With a definite article, com does not contract: com o vizinho, com a porta fechada.
Encontrei a diretora no corredor.
I met the principal in the hallway.
No caminho para casa, dei de cara com uma rua bloqueada.
On the way home, I came across a blocked street.
A pesquisadora encontrou uma diferença nos resultados.
The researcher found a difference in the results.
Put it into practice
Use dar de cara com for an unexpected encounter or obstacle; use encontrar for a more neutral ‘meet’ or ‘find.’
Quick practice
Which Portuguese example matches “On the way home, I came across a blocked street”?
Choose an answer to check yourself.
Keep practicing with the Real Life Portuguese app
Build on this guide with everyday expressions and native Brazilian audio. Choose iPhone, Android, or the web app.