Being Bad in Spanish is Malo

Malo is a common Spanish adjective meaning bad or in some way undesirable. The translation can vary depending on context. Its feminine form is mala, and through the process of apocopation, which is shortening, it can become  mal when it comes before a singular masculine noun. Its usual adverb  form is mal, although the another related adverb form,  malamente, can be used to mean badly. As an adjective, malo, mala or mal can almost always be translated as bad, although other translations may be more suitable depending on the context. The plural forms are malos and malas. Mal-  is also a prefix that typically means bad or undesirable. An example of that would be maleducado, which means impolite, as someone who didnt learn their manners. Mal, Malo, Mala, Malos and Malas Used as Adjectives Form of Malo Spanish Sentence English Translation malo Quiero comprar un coche y tengo crdito malo. I want to buy a car and have bad credit. mala Muchas personas consideran que tienen mala memoria. Many people think they have a poor memory. malo No hay libro tan malo del que no se pueda aprender algo bueno. Theres no such thing as a book so bad that you cant learn something good from it. mal No puedo eliminar el mal olor de refrigerador. I cant get rid of the bad refrigerator smell. malo Hay algo malo con mi telfono? Is there something wrong with my telephone? mala El principal causante de la mala circulacin es la arterioesclerosis. The main cause of poor circulation is atherosclerosis. malas No estoy preparado para escuchar las malas noticias. Im not prepared to hear the bad news. malos Son los jugadores ms malos de la galaxia. Theyre the worse players in the galaxy. mal Los superhroes son un mal ejemplo para los adolescentes. Superheroes are a bad example for adolescents. Mal Used as an Adverb Common translations for mal as an adverb include badly and poorly, although others can be used as well to fit the context. Spanish Sentence English Translation Nadaron mal en el mundial. They swam poorly in the world competition Nuestro equipo estaba mal preparado. Our team was poorly prepared. Nuestros hijos comen mal. Our children eat poorly. Muchos pacientes estn mal diagnosticados. Many patients are incorrectly diagnosed. Mi bebe duerme mal durante la noche. My baby sleeps poorly at night. Estudiamos mal la historia de otros pases. We do a bad job of studying the history of other countries. Mal as an Adjective and Adverb at the Same Time Sometimes mal functions as an adverb in Spanish, such as with estar, but in English may be translated as an adjective.   Spanish Sentence English Translation Algo huele mal en mi casa. Something smells bad in my house. Me parece mal que no vengan todos. I feel bad that not everyone is coming. La ciudad no est mal, pero hay mucho desempleo. The city isnt bad, but there is much unemployment. Mal as a Noun Especially when used with estar, mal sometimes means sick or ill. Hoy yo y mi familia estamos mal, which means,  My family and I are sick today. This sentence can also be translated to mean literally and colloquially understood as feeling sick as in, My family and I feel poorly today. Mal can also be translated to mean evil. In this case, it would need the definite article the, literally translating to the bad, which is the Spanish way of saying evil.