having a bad face

'Tener mala cara' is a colloquial Spanish phrase that literally translates to 'having a bad face'. However, the phrase does not refer to someone's physical appearance in a negative sense. It is often used to denote that someone is looking unwell or ill. If a person is 'teniendo mala cara', it means that this person appears to be in a bad mood, or seems to be feeling ill or unhealthy.