alguien es malo
/alɡjen es malo/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'someone is mean' is translated into Spanish as alguien es malo.
The phrase alguien es malo describes a permanent character trait rather than a temporary mood. It can be used to say someone is mean, but it more literally translates to 'someone is bad' or 'someone is evil', often implying a deeper level of malice than the English word 'mean'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you can say Es un borde. to mean 'He is mean.' or Es una persona antipática. to mean 'He is a mean person.'
How do you pronounce it?
/alɡjen es malo/
Did you know?
- If you want to describe someone as 'mean' in a social or rude sense in Spain, you might use the word borde. This literally translates to 'edge', as if the person is sharp or abrasive.
- The word alguien is a linguistic shapeshifter. It likely evolved from a mix of 'alguno' and 'quien', causing the stress to shift during its history in Old Spanish.
- While malo is the standard word for 'mean' or 'bad', the word malvado is used for those who are truly 'wicked' or 'evil', a distinction more common in Spanish than in English.
Examples in context
- Juan es desagradable. Siempre critica a los demás.Juan is mean. He always criticizes others.
- ¡No puedo creer lo mala onda que fue María conmigo hoy!I can't believe how mean Maria was to me today!
- A veces, alguien es malo sin razón.Sometimes, someone is mean without reason.
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are talking about a classmate.
- SofíaDaniel, ¿crees que alguien es malo en la clase?Daniel, do you think someone is mean in the class?
- DanielSí, creo que algunas personas son muy antipáticas.Yes, I think some people are very unpleasant.
- SofíaEs verdad, a veces alguien es malo sin motivo.True, sometimes someone is mean for no reason.
- DanielTienes razón, Sofía.You are right, Sofía.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alguien, es, malo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
