English–Spanish

“bad” in Spanish

Spanish

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈmalo/

Example

Eso es malo.

That is bad.

Illustration for malo (bad)

How to say “bad” in Spanish

“Bad” in Spanish is malo.

Red warning sign.

Full entry for malo: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with malo

Él es malo en los deportes.

He is bad at sports.

Tips for using malo

  • Ser malo indicates inherent or moral badness while estar malo indicates illness or spoiled food, and before a masculine singular noun malo often shortens to mal (un mal día).

“bad” in other languages