How do you say “Grin and bear it” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is poner al mal tiempo buena cara, which literally means “to put a good face on bad weather”. English speakers use grin and bear it to mean to put up with something unpleasant without complaining. A familiar expression for facing trouble cheerfully. It leans more towards optimism than reluctant endurance. Register: informal. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
poner al mal tiempo buena cara
/poˈneɾ al mal ˈtjempo ˈbwena ˈkaɾa/
- Literal meaning
- “to put a good face on bad weather”
- Register
- informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
88 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
Spanish turns the unpleasant situation into bad weather. A good face suggests that you will not let it spoil everything.
The English sometimes sounds more resigned. If the person is merely tolerating something, make that reluctance clear in the surrounding sentence.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning4 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity2 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
The ceremony lasted three hours, so we had to grin and bear it.
Spanish
La ceremonia duró tres horas, así que tuvimos que poner al mal tiempo buena cara.
English
I hate the uniform, but I will grin and bear it until Friday.
Spanish
Odio el uniforme, pero pondré al mal tiempo buena cara hasta el viernes.
Related expressions
- What “Grin and bear it” means in English
- Bite the bullet, To face something unpleasant with resolve.
Last updated 2026-10-01