κακός
kakós/kaˈkos/
The English word "bad" is translated into Greek as κακός (kakós). Wiktionary also lists άσχημος (áschimos).
Meaning: unfavorable, negative (adj)
Ways to say it
| Greek | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| κακός | kakós | /kaˈkos/ |
| άσχημος | áschimos | /ˈa.sçi.mos/ |
The term is used to describe something that is unfavorable or negative.
Which one should you use?
While κακός refers to moral badness or unfavorable quality, άσχημος is often used to mean "ugly" or "bad-looking" in a physical sense.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective κακός must agree in gender with the noun it modifies. Use κακή for feminine singular nouns, κακό for neuter singular nouns, κακοί for masculine plural nouns, κακές for feminine plural nouns and κακά for neuter plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is kakós (/kaˈkos/).
Did you know?
- In Greek folklore, the phrase το κακό μάτι refers to the 'evil eye'. It is a common cultural belief that a look of envy or dislike can bring bad luck to a person.
- The word κακός is the root of the English word 'cacophony'. This term combines κακός with the Greek word for 'sound' to describe a harsh or unpleasant mixture of noises.
- The word άσχημος is literally built from a prefix meaning 'without' and the root for 'shape', essentially meaning 'one without proper form'.
Examples in context
- Δε θα πάμε βόλτα, αν ο καιρός είναι κακός.We won't go for a walk if the weather's bad.This sentence shows how to use κακός to describe the weather.Tatoeba #5389255 by Zeus, translation #2448883 by _undertoad
- Ο προπονητής είναι όσο καλός ή κακός είναι ο παίκτης. Όταν ο παίκτης χάνει, φταίει πάντα ο προπονητής και όταν ο παίκτης κερδίζει, τότε ο προπονητής έχει κάνει έξοχη δουλειά. Αυτό ισχύει στο τένις όπως και στο ποδόσφαιρο.A coach is as good or as bad as his player. When the player loses, the coach is always to blame, and when the player wins, then the coach has done an excellent job. This applies to tennis as well as to soccer.This sentence uses κακός to compare the quality of a coach and a player.Tatoeba #2405336 by mululatv, translation #9198361 by Nylez
- Δεν είναι ούτε κακός ούτε τέλειος.He is neither bad nor perfect.This sentence uses κακός to describe a person.Tatoeba #11189560 by carlosalberto, translation #11189554 by carlosalberto
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nikos and Eleni are discussing a movie they just watched.
- Νίκος NikosΉταν πολύ κακός ο τελικός του φιλμ.Itan poly kakos o telikos tou film.The ending of the movie was very bad.
- Ελένη EleniΣυμφωνώ, δεν μου άρεσε καθόλου.Symfono, den mou arese katholou.I agree, I didn't like it at all.
- Νίκος NikosΕίχα τις ελπίδες μου υψηλά.Icha tis elpides mou ypsila.I had my hopes high.
- Ελένη EleniΚυρίως γιατί ο κεντρικός χαρακτήρας ήταν κακός.Kyrios giati o kentrikos charaktiras itan kakos.Mainly because the main character was bad.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bad” translations and entries κακός, άσχημος, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries άσχημος, κακός, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
