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mal
/mal/
badly
Me siento mal por lo que pasó.
I feel badly about what happened.
general
in a bad, wrong, or harmful way
Hablas muy mal el español.
You speak Spanish very badly.
Lo hiciste muy mal.
You did it very badly.
Used as an adverb to describe how an action is performed. Often paired with verbs like 'sentir', 'hacer', or 'hablar'.
medical/informal
ill, sick
Estoy mal de la cabeza.
I have a bad headache.
Se siente mal y no va a trabajar.
He feels sick and isn't going to work.
Commonly used in informal contexts to describe physical or emotional illness.
literary/religious
evil, wicked
El mal acecha en la oscuridad.
Evil lurks in the darkness.
Used as a noun to refer to moral evil or harm, often in abstract or literary contexts.
general
harm, damage
No hagas mal a nadie.
Don't do harm to anyone.
Used as a noun to denote physical or moral harm.
Collocations
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Adverb vs. Adjective
Remember that 'mal' is an adverb when it describes how an action is done (e.g., 'cantar mal'). The adjective form is 'malo' (e.g., 'un día malo').
Gold Rule
Position in Sentences
As an adverb, 'mal' typically follows the verb it modifies (e.g., 'Hablas mal'). As a noun, it often appears after the verb 'ser' or in phrases like 'hacer mal'.
Word Origin
From Latin 'male' (badly), derived from 'malus' (bad).
Usage Notes
In Spanish, 'mal' can function as an adverb, adjective, or noun depending on context. As an adverb, it directly modifies verbs (e.g., 'cantar mal' = to sing badly). As a noun, it often appears in phrases like 'el bien y el mal' (good and evil). Avoid confusion with 'malo' (bad), which is an adjective.
Diccionario Español-Inglés