Spanish Conversation · Level 3
87 words
Spanish word
malo
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈmalo/
Meaning
- adjectivebad
Example
Eso es malo.
That is bad.
More examples
Él es malo en los deportes.
He is bad at sports.
Core concept
Red warning sign.
Common phrases
ser malo en
be bad at
Similar words
terrible: So bad it causes strong shock, fear, or intense distress.
pésimo: Extremely poor in quality or performance, at the lowest possible standard.
negativo: Producing an unfavorable impression or an undesirable, harmful result.
desagradable: Causing discomfort or displeasure; unpleasant to the senses or feelings.
Definition in Spanish
Que tiene cualidades negativas o que causa daño; que no cumple con lo esperado.
Word origin
From Latin malus 'bad', Spanish malo preserves the root and the regular -us → -o change in Romance languages, keeping the sense of something harmful or of poor quality.
Usage tips
- 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).