malo
/ˈmalo/
The Spanish word malo means malo (phrase).
Which one should you use?
malo is an adjective used to describe a noun, whereas mal is an adverb used to describe an action.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective must agree with the noun it modifies in both gender and number. Use mala for feminine nouns, malos for masculine plural nouns and malas for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmalo/
Did you know?
- When describing a person's health, saying estoy malo in Spain often means 'I am sick' rather than 'I am a bad person'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, calling someone malo can actually be a playful way to call them 'naughty' or 'mischievous' rather than truly evil.
- The Spanish malo shares an ancestor with the Latin malus, which is the root for many English words like 'malice' and 'malignant'.
Examples in context
- El servicio fue deficienteThe service was bad
- La calidad de estos zapatos es chafaThe quality of these shoes is bad
- ¡Ese chiste es malísimo!That joke is terrible!
- El clima está muy malo hoy.The weather is very bad today.
- Ese sabor es muy malo.That flavor is very bad.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are talking about a movie they just watched.
- Alejandro¿Te gustó la película?Did you like the movie?
- ElenaNo, el guion es muy malo.No, the script is very bad.
- AlejandroEs verdad, es un mal guion.It is true, it is a bad script.
- ElenaSí, no vale la pena.Yes, it is not worth it.
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.
