malo
/ˈmalo/
In Spanish, the English sense of 'mean' is expressed as malo.
Note that while English distinguishes between 'bad' and 'mean', Spanish uses malo for both concepts.
Meaning: of a word: to signify (verb)
Which one should you use?
In English, 'mean' can specifically refer to a person's unkindness, whereas in Spanish, malo covers both 'mean' and 'bad'. For other meanings of 'mean', such as 'having the mean as its value', you should use medio.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, malo must agree with the gender and number of the person or thing it describes. Use mala for feminine singular, malos for masculine plural and malas for feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmalo/
Did you know?
- If a person says estoy malo, they might not be saying they are 'mean', but rather that they feel sick or unwell.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, calling a child malo is often used as a playful or affectionate way to describe a mischievous child rather than a truly cruel person.
- The word malo shares an ancestral root with the Latin word malus, which is the same origin for the English word 'malice'.
Examples in context
- ¡Qué tipo tan malo!What a mean fellow!This sentence is useful for describing a person using malo.Tatoeba #3804635 by cueyayotl, translation #36007 by CM
- ¿Por qué eres malo conmigo?Why are you being mean to me?This sentence is useful for asking why someone is being malo toward you.Tatoeba #4776432 by DarkHollow, translation #3355300 by _undertoad
- ¿Por qué eres tan malo conmigo?Why are you so mean to me?This sentence is useful for emphasizing the degree of being malo toward someone.Tatoeba #9931860 by Shishir, translation #3822538 by CK
- ¿Qué significa esta palabra?What does this word mean?
- Su silencio implicaba acuerdo.Her silence meant agreement
- ¿Qué quiere decir esta palabra?What does this word mean?
- ¿Qué pone esta frase?What does this sentence mean?
- No entiendo lo que quieres decir.I don't understand what you mean
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are discussing a word in a Spanish textbook.
- ElenaJavier, ¿qué significa esta palabra?Javier, what does this word mean?
- JavierCreo que significa 'malo'.I think it means 'bad'.
- ElenaAh, ¿entonces significa que es alguien malo?Oh, so it means that he is a bad person?
- JavierSí, exactamente eso significa.Yes, that is exactly what it means.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry malo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries malo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
