gatito malo
/ɡatito malo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "bad kitty" is translated into Spanish as gatito malo.
Gatito malo is used to scold a cat for doing something wrong. While it is a direct translation, speakers often use it with a high-pitched, sing-song tone when addressing a pet.
What does it mean word for word?
The word gatito is the diminutive form of gato (cat), so it literally means "little cat," followed by malo (bad).
How does it change in a sentence?
If the cat is female, you should use the feminine form gatita mala.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡatito malo/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the placement of the adjective malo after gatito is standard, but placing it before the noun can sometimes shift the meaning from 'behaving badly' to 'evil by nature'.
- While malo means 'bad', in some Spanish-speaking contexts, calling a person 'malo' can actually imply they are 'tough' or 'cool' in a rebellious way.
- In certain Spanish dialects, if you were to say malo to a person instead of a cat, it could imply they are 'unlucky' rather than 'evil'.
Examples in context
- Mi adorable gatito se comportó como un gato travieso hoy.My adorable kitty acted like a bad cat today.
- Ese gato malo ha estado arañando los muebles.That bad kitty has been scratching the furniture.
- Vuelve aquí, gatito malo. ¿Qué has hecho ahora?Come back here, bad kitty. What have you done now?
- ¡Gatito malo!Bad kitty!
- Ese gatito malo se comió la cena.That bad kitty ate the dinner.
Example conversation
A cat has just knocked a vase off the table.
- Javier¡Gatito malo! Mira el desastre.Bad kitty! Look at the mess.
- ElenaPobre, solo estaba jugando, Javier.Poor thing, he was just playing, Javier.
- JavierNo, es un gatito malo hoy.No, he is a bad kitty today.
- ElenaAyúdame a limpiar esto, por favor.Help me clean this up, please.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
