mal negocio
/mal neɡoθjo/from spelling rules
The English phrase bad business is translated into Spanish as mal negocio.
mal negocio can refer to a specific unsuccessful transaction, such as a bad deal or to a general state of a business being unprofitable. You may also use Negocios turbios to refer to shady or dubious business practices, or Operación desacertada to describe a misguided or ill-advised business operation.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of mal (bad) and negocio (business/deal).
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of mal negocio is malos negocios, used to mean bad businesses or bad deals.
How do you pronounce it?
/mal neɡoθjo/
Did you know?
- The Latin root of negocio, involving 'not leisure', suggests that ancient Romans viewed business as a necessary interruption to the more important pursuit of rest and contemplation.
- If you are describing a business deal that is not just bad, but actually illegal, a common idiom is to say it is un negocio sucio, meaning a 'dirty business'.
- While mal negocio refers to a bad deal, if you want to describe a dishonest person in a business context, you might use the term negociante in a pejorative sense in certain regions.
Examples in context
- Estos contratos son malos negociosThese contracts are bad business
- La situación económica ha llevado a muchos empresarios a enfrentar negocios desfavorablesThe economic situation has led many businessmen to face unfavorable business deals
- La compañía realizó una operación desacertada que resultó en importantes pérdidasThe company made a misguided business operation that resulted in significant losses
- Lo que hicieron fue una mala jugada, no se puede confiar en ellosWhat they did was a bad move, you can't trust them
- No vuelvo a esa tienda, me dieron un pésimo tratoI won't go back to that store, they gave me terrible treatment
- No te metas en esos negocios turbios, podrías tener problemas legalesDon't get involved in those shady businesses, you could have legal problems
- Comprar ese coche fue un mal negocio.Buying that car was a bad business deal.
- No quiero invertir allí, parece un mal negocio.I don't want to invest there, it looks like a bad business deal.
- Fue un mal negocio para nuestra empresa.It was a bad business deal for our company.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a potential investment opportunity.
- LucíaDaniel, ¿quieres invertir en este proyecto conmigo?Daniel, do you want to invest in this project with me?
- DanielLo siento, Lucía, pero parece un mal negocio.I'm sorry, Lucía, but it seems like a bad business.
- LucíaPero los beneficios prometidos son muy altos.But the promised profits are very high.
- DanielEso es exactamente lo que hace que sea un mal negocio.That is exactly what makes it a bad business.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mal, negocio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
