How do you say “Put on a brave face” in Spanish?
The closest natural Spanish equivalent is poner buena cara, which literally means “to put on a good face”. English speakers use put on a brave face to mean to appear cheerful or confident while feeling upset or worried. A close everyday match when the hidden worry is clear. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural Spanish
poner buena cara
/poˈneɾ ˈbwena ˈkaɾa/
- Literal meaning
- “to put on a good face”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
95 out of 100
What a native Spanish speaker would actually say
Spanish uses a good face rather than a brave one. In a difficult situation, it suggests trying to look cheerful or at least pleasant.
Give the reason for the effort. Without that context, “poner buena cara” can simply describe a positive reaction, rather than feelings someone is trying to hide.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone5 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity4 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
Ella put on a brave face, though she was worried about the results.
Spanish
Ella puso buena cara, aunque estaba preocupada por los resultados.
English
He put on a brave face in front of the guests after the bad news.
Spanish
Tras recibir la mala noticia, puso buena cara delante de los invitados.
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Last updated 2026-09-19