nada mal
/nada mal/from spelling rules
The English phrase "not bad" is translated into Spanish as nada mal.
nada mal is used to mean that something is reasonably good. While it is a direct equivalent to the English "not bad", Spanish speakers more commonly use está bien to express that something is satisfactory.
Meaning: reasonably good (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of nada (nothing) and mal (bad), which literally translates to "nothing bad".
Which one should you use?
While nada mal is the direct equivalent of "not bad", you might encounter other variations to express different levels of approval or satisfaction.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you might hear the phrase no está nada mal more frequently than no está mal.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you use this to describe a situation or a state of being, nada mal is often preceded by the verb estar in its negative form, such as in no está nada mal (it is not bad at all).
How do you pronounce it?
/nada mal/
Did you know?
- Depending on the region, nada mal can be used as a sarcastic response to a disaster, functioning similarly to the English 'just great' when something goes wrong.
- While nada mal means 'not bad', the word nada is also used in Spanish to create a 'double negative' for emphasis, which is grammatically correct and standard in the language.
- The word nada comes from a Latin expression meaning 'no born thing'. It evolved from a phrase used to say 'not a soul' or 'nobody born'.
Examples in context
- Nada mal para empezar.Not bad for a start.This sentence shows how to use nada mal to describe a starting point.Tatoeba #3805280 by cueyayotl, translation #2618426 by raggione
- Once euros la hora, no está para nada mal.Eleven euros an hour. Not bad at all.This sentence demonstrates using nada mal to express that something is not bad at all.Tatoeba #5054634 by don_ramon, translation #9400845 by DJ_Saidez
- ¡Nada mal!Not bad!This sentence shows nada mal used as an exclamation.Tatoeba #5087613 by cueyayotl, translation #5899016 by tvindy
- Su desempeño en el proyecto no está mal.Your performance on the project is not bad.
- El resultado de su trabajo no está nada mal.The result of your work is actually quite good.
- ¡Tu nuevo corte de cabello no está mal!Your new haircut is not bad!
- ¡Los tacos de ese lugar no están nada mal!The tacos from that place are actually pretty good!
- ¡Esa película de acción no está mal del todo!That action movie is not bad at all! It exceeded my expectations!
- No está mal, ¡de hecho, está bastante bien!Not bad, in fact, it's quite good!
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Daniel are tasting a cake they baked together.
- MaríaPrueba un trozo, Daniel.Try a piece, Daniel.
- DanielEstá nada mal, me gusta mucho.It's not bad, I like it a lot.
- María¿De verdad crees que quedó rico?Do you really think it turned out tasty?
- DanielSí, el sabor está nada mal.Yes, the flavor is not bad.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “not bad” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mal, nada, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
