hombre malo
/ombɾe malo/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'bad man' is translated into Spanish as hombre malo.
You use hombre malo to describe a man who is bad. To add specific nuance to a bad man, you can use the adjective peligroso to describe him as dangerous, malvado to describe him as wicked or despreciable to describe him as despicable.
Which one should you use?
While hombre malo is a literal translation, switching the word order to mal hombre often implies that the man has a bad character or is morally corrupt and unreliable.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase plural, you must add the plural suffix to both the noun and the adjective, resulting in hombres malos.
How do you pronounce it?
/ombɾe malo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying hombre mala. The adjective malo must agree in gender with the masculine noun hombre.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word hombre can be used as a general exclamation of surprise, frustration or emphasis, regardless of whether a man is actually present.
- The word hombre shares a common ancestor with the word 'earthling', as both stem from the Proto-Indo-European root *ǵʰmṓ.
- Spanish uses the same root for 'bad' as the word mal in English phrases like 'malpractice' or 'malfunction'.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué más esperabas de un hombre malo?What more would you expect from a bad man?This sentence is useful for practicing the use of hombre malo.Tatoeba #10513583 by DJ_Saidez, translation #4264824 by JFMorais
- ¡Cuidado con ese hombre malo! No te acerques a él.Be careful with that bad man! Don't go near him.
- Ese hombre malo no volverá.That bad man will not return.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are discussing a character in a movie.
- DanielMira al villano de la película.Look at the movie villain.
- LucíaSí, parece un hombre malo.Yes, he looks like a bad man.
- DanielSeguro que hace cosas terribles.I am sure he does terrible things.
- LucíaEspero que lo atrapen pronto.I hope they catch him soon.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hombre, malo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
