mal
/ˈmal/
mal is the Spanish word for bad or badly.
mal is used to describe something that is not good or is performed in an incorrect way.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between the adverb and the adjective. mal is an adverb meaning 'badly' or 'poorly', whereas malo is an adjective meaning 'bad'. The adjective has different forms based on gender: malo is the masculine singular form and mala is the feminine singular form.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmal/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word mal is a distant relative of the English words 'malice' and 'malfunction'. Both come from the Latin root malus meaning 'bad'.
- In Spanish, the phrase estoy mal can mean anything from feeling physically ill to being in a bad mood or even being in a precarious financial situation.
- While mal means 'badly', the phrase mal hablado is used to describe someone who uses coarse language or swears frequently.
Examples in context
- Ese chiste es malo.That joke is bad.
- Mi suerte siempre ha sido mala.My luck has always been bad.
- Todo salió mal.Everything went wrong.
- Lo siento, pero me salió mal.I am sorry, but it went badly for me.
- No me gusta, está mal diseñado.I don't like it, it is badly designed.
- El estudiante escribió mal la palabra.The student wrote the word incorrectly.
Example conversation
Mateo is showing Elena a drawing he made.
- Elena¿Qué tal te quedó el dibujo, Mateo?How did your drawing turn out, Mateo?
- MateoCreo que me salió mal.I think it went badly.
- ElenaNo digas eso, no está tan mal.Don't say that, it is not that bad.
- MateoGracias, Elena, pero quiero mejorar.Thanks, Elena, but I want to improve.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mal, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
