🇪🇸 How to say

“bad” in Spanish

malo
Illustration of "bad" in a Spanish cultural setting
A child makes a sad face after tasting a spoonful of bitter medicine. She pushes the cup away with a frown, clearly unhappy.

Usage note

Use 'malo' to describe something negative in quality, character, or experience. It can refer to people, things, or situations, and in some contexts, it shortens to 'mal' before masculine singular nouns, like 'mal día'.

Examples

  • El sabor es malo.

    The taste is bad.

  • Ese hombre es malo.

    That man is bad.

  • Tuvo un día malo.

    He had a bad day.

Quick check

What does "malo" mean?

  • A. bad
  • B. important
  • C. green
  • D. hot

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