encarar

Encarar is a verb in Portuguese and Spanish whose core meaning is to face or confront someone or something, either literally by turning toward it or figuratively by dealing with a situation or challenge. The etymology traces to the combination of a root related to “face” (cara in Portuguese and cara in Spanish) with a prefix that conveys direction or action, yielding a sense of bringing one’s face toward something or addressing it directly.

In Portuguese, encarar primarily means enfrentar or afrontar: to face a problem, to confront a danger, or to look directly at someone. Common usages include encarar um desafio (to face a challenge), encarar o medo (to face fear), and encarar alguém (to confront someone). It is a regular -ar verb with conjugations such as eu encaro, tu encaras, ele encara, nós encaramos, vós encarais, eles encaram.

In Spanish, encarar similarly denotes enfrentar or enfrentar de frente: to face up to a problem, to confront a person, or to look someone straight in the eye. Typical expressions are encarar un problema, encarar a alguien, and encarar cara a cara (to face off directly). Conjugation follows regular -ar patterns: yo encaro, tú encaras, él encara, nosotros encaramos, vosotros encaráis, ellos encaran.

Synonyms in both languages include enfrentar, afrontar, and mirar de frente. Differences are mainly contextual rather than lexical, with encarar emphasizing direct approach or confrontation in both literal and figurative senses.