me siento mal
/me sjento mal/from spelling rules
To say "I am feeling bad" in Spanish, use me siento mal.
This phrase is used to express that you are feeling ill or are experiencing poor health.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the reflexive pronoun me (myself), the verb siento (I feel) and the adverb mal (bad/badly).
Which one should you use?
You can replace mal with fatal to say me siento fatal, which intensifies the phrase to express that you feel much worse or extremely ill.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The expression Me encuentro mal is also commonly used in Spain and some Latin American countries to convey that you are feeling bad.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb sentirse is reflexive, so you must include the pronoun me to indicate that you are the one experiencing the feeling.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often omit the reflexive pronoun, but saying siento mal is grammatically incorrect when expressing how you feel.
Did you know?
- The word mal is used in the expression mal de ojo, referring to the 'evil eye' custom found in many Spanish-speaking countries.
- The word mal is used in the Spanish phrase mal de amores, which describes the 'illness' of being lovesick.
- In Spanish, if you want to describe that vague, uncomfortable feeling of being slightly unwell before a sickness fully hits, you use the word malestar.
Examples in context
- Me siento mal porque tengo dolor de cabezaI am feeling bad because I have a headache
- Hoy no puedo ir al trabajo, me siento muy malToday I can't go to work, I am feeling very bad
- Me siento bastante mal después de comer tantoI am feeling quite bad after eating so much
- No puedo salir hoy, estoy súper malI can't go out today, I am feeling really bad
- Estoy mega mal, me enferméI feel terrible, I got sick
- Estoy mal porque tuve un día estresanteI am feeling bad because I had a stressful day
- No puedo ir a la fiesta, me encuentro malI can't go to the party, I am feeling bad
- Me siento mal hoy.I feel bad today.
- No puedo comer, me siento mal.I cannot eat, I feel bad.
Example conversation
Daniel is calling Lucía to cancel their plans.
- DanielHola Lucía, me siento mal.Hi Lucía, I feel bad.
- LucíaLo siento, ¿tienes fiebre?I'm sorry, do you have a fever?
- DanielSí, creo que estoy enfermo.Yes, I think I am sick.
- LucíaDescansa mucho, Daniel.Get plenty of rest, Daniel.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
