Dar de Cara com: Come Across Something Unexpectedly — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Use dar de cara com for an unexpected encounter
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.
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.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| 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.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| 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. |
Remember: Use dar de cara com for an unexpected encounter or obstacle; use encontrar for a more neutral ‘meet’ or ‘find.’
Check your understanding
Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.
Recall the Portuguese, then say it
Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.
I ran into an old colleague at the market.
Show a Portuguese answer
Dei de cara com uma antiga colega no mercado.
We arrived early and found the door closed.
Show a Portuguese answer
Chegamos cedo e demos de cara com a porta fechada.
The team came up against an unexpected problem.
Show a Portuguese answer
A equipe deu de cara com um problema inesperado.
I met the principal in the hallway.
Show a Portuguese answer
Encontrei a diretora no corredor.
On the way home, I came across a blocked street.
Show a Portuguese answer
No caminho para casa, dei de cara com uma rua bloqueada.
The researcher found a difference in the results.
Show a Portuguese answer
A pesquisadora encontrou uma diferença nos resultados.
Make the phrase useful to you
Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.
Use dar de cara com for an unexpected encounter or obstacle; use encontrar for a more neutral ‘meet’ or ‘find.’
Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.
Sources and your next lesson
This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Dar de Cara com: Come Across Something Unexpectedly lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.
To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.
Browse all learning guides
