alguien está siendo malo
/alɡjen esta sjendo malo/from spelling rules
The English phrase "someone is being mean" can be translated into Spanish as alguien está siendo malo.
This phrase is used when a person is acting unkindly or cruelly toward others. Depending on the context, you might also use Está tratando mal a los demás to say they are treating others poorly or Está siendo grosero(a) if the person is being blatantly rude or disrespectful.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase alguien está siendo malo is a literal translation of "someone is being bad", where the adjective malo is used to convey the sense of being "mean".
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between temporary behavior and permanent character. alguien está siendo malo describes a temporary behavior (acting mean), whereas alguien es malo describes a permanent character trait (being a mean person). Another alternative is alguien se está portando mal, which means someone is behaving badly.
How does it change in a sentence?
If the person being referred to is female, the adjective must change to the feminine form alguien está siendo mala.
Did you know?
- While malo means 'mean' or 'bad' in this phrase, it can also mean 'ripe' when describing certain fruits like an avocado.
- In some regions, saying someone is malo can be a paradoxical compliment, implying they are so skilled at a game or sport that they are 'dangerous' to play against.
- The word malo shares a common ancestor with the English word 'malice' and the prefix 'mal-' found in 'malfunction'.
Examples in context
- Alguien está siendo malo con los niños.Someone is being mean to the children.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are talking about a classmate.
- AlejandroMira, alguien está siendo malo con ese chico.Look, someone is being mean to that boy.
- MaríaTienes razón, Alejandro. Es muy triste.You are right, Alejandro. It is very sad.
- Alejandro¿Deberíamos decirles que paren?Should we tell them to stop?
- MaríaSí, María cree que debemos ayudarlo.Yes, María thinks we should help him.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alguien, malo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
