mal

adj.

1 bad, evil.

2 bad, poor.

3 bad, deficient, low-quality.

adv.

1 wrong (incorrectamente).

hacer algo mal to do something wrong

has escrito mal esta palabra you've spelled that word wrong

hiciste mal en decírselo it was wrong of you to tell him

portarse mal to behave badly

2 badly (inadecuadamente).

la conferencia/reunión salió mal the talk/meeting went badly

mal vestido badly dressed

oigo/veo mal I can't hear/see very well

esta puerta cierra mal this door doesn't shut properly

Haces las cosas mal siempre! You always do things badly!

3 hardly.

mal puede saberlo si no se lo cuentas he's hardly going to know it if you don't tell him

4 barely, hardly.

Mal pudimos dormir esa noche We could barely sleep that night.

m.

1 harm, damage (daño).

no te hará ningún mal salir un rato it won't harm you o it won't do you any harm to go out for a while

mal de ojo evil eye

2 illness.

mal de altura o montaña altitude o mountain sickness

el mal de las vacas locas mad cow disease

3 evil.

4 wrong.

* * *

mal

► nombre masculino

1 evil

■ el bien y el mal good and evil

■ luchar contra el mal to fight against evil

2 (daño) harm

3 (enfermedad) sickness

► adjetivo

1 (forma apocopada de malo) bad

■ este ha sido mal año de fresas this has been a bad year for strawberries

► adverbio

1 (no adecuadamente) badly

■ se portó mal con nosotros he treated us badly

2 (enfermo) ill, sick

■ me encuentro mal I feel ill, I don't feel well

3 (incorrectamente) wrong

■ lo has hecho mal you've done it wrong

4 (difícilmente) hardly, scarcely

■ veo muy mal desde aquí I can hardly see from here

5 (desagradablemente) bad

■ aquí huele mal it smells bad in here

■ como sigas así, acabarás mal if you keep on like that, you'll end up in trouble

6 (en frases negativas) bad, badly

■ la película no está mal the film's not bad

\

FRASEOLOGÍA

a grandes males, grandes remedios desperate situations call for desperate measures

de mal en peor from bad to worse

estar a mal con alguien to be on bad terms with somebody

mal que bien one way or another

mal que les (te, etc) pese whether they (you, etc) like it or not

menos mal que ... it's a good job that ... , thank God that ...

no hay mal que cien años dure nothing goes on forever

no hay mal que por bien no venga every cloud has a silver lining

mal de altura altitude sickness

mal de ojo evil eye

mal de la rosa pellagra

mal de la tierra homesickness

mal francés syphilis

* * *

1. adv.

1) badly, poorly

2) hardly

3) wrong

2. noun m.

1) evil

2) wrong

3) harm

4) misfortune

5) illness, disease

3. adj.

(see malo. Used before masculine singular nouns)

* * *

1. ADV

1) (=imperfectamente) badly

el negocio les va mal — their business is doing badly

está muy mal escrito — it's very badly written

han escrito mal mi apellido — they've spelt my surname wrong

me entendió mal — he misunderstood me

creo que me expliqué mal — I don't think I explained what I meant properly

oigo/veo mal — I can't hear/see well

lo hice lo menos mal que pude — I did it as well as I could

si mal no recuerdo — if my memory serves me right, if I remember correctly

mal puedo hablar yo de este asunto — I'm hardly the right person to talk to about this

2) (=reprobablemente)

se portó muy mal con su mejor amiga — she behaved very badly towards her best friend

• hacer mal, hace mal en mentir — he is wrong to lie

3) (=insuficientemente) poorly

la habitación estaba mal iluminada — the room was poorly lit

este disco se vendió muy mal — this record sold very poorly, this record had very poor sales

sus hijos estaban mal alimentados — her children were underfed

un trabajo mal pagado — a badly paid job

• comer mal, en este restaurante se come mal — the food isn't very good in this restaurant

la niña come mal — the girl isn't eating properly, the girl is off her food

por falta de dinero comemos mal — we aren't able to eat properly because we don't have enough money

4) (=sin salud) ill

su padre está bastante mal — her father's pretty ill

encontrarse o sentirse mal — to feel ill

5) (=desagradablemente)

lo pasé muy mal en la fiesta — I had a very bad time at the party

les fue muy mal en Inglaterra — things went very badly for them in England

¡no está mal este vino! — this wine isn't bad!

no estaría mal ir mañana de excursión — I wouldn't mind going on a trip tomorrow

• caer mal algn, me cae mal su amigo — I don't like his friend

• decir o hablar mal de algn — to speak ill of sb

• llevarse mal, me llevo mal con él — I don't get on with him

los dos hermanos se llevan muy mal — the two brothers don't get on at all

• oler mal, esta habitación huele mal — this room smells (bad)

• pensar mal de algn — to think badly of sb

• saber mal, sabe mal — it doesn't taste nice

6) [otras locuciones]

• estar a mal con algn — to be on bad terms with sb

• ¡menos mal! — thank goodness!

menos mal que ... — it's just as well (that) ..., it's a good job (that) ...

• ir de mal en peor — to go from bad to worse

• mal que bien — more or less, just about

mal que bien lo hemos solucionado — we've more or less o just about managed to solve it

mal que bien vamos tirando — we're just about managing to get by

• tomarse algo (a) mal — to take sth the wrong way

2.

CONJ

mal que le pese — whether he likes it or not

3.

ADJ ver malo 1.

4. SM

1) (=maldad)

el mal — evil

el bien y el mal — good and evil

caer en el mal — to fall into evil ways

combatir el mal — frm to fight against evil

echar algo a mal — to despise sth

2) (=perjuicio) harm

no le deseo ningún mal — I don't wish him any harm o ill

hacer mal a algn — to do sb harm

el mal ya está hecho — the harm o damage is done now

no hay ningún mal — there's no harm done

¡mal haya quien ...! — frm a curse on whoever ...!

• dar mal a algn — to make sb suffer

• darse mal — to torment o.s.

• un mal menor — the lesser of two evils

rebajamos los precios, como mal menor — we cut the prices, as the lesser of two evils

esa solución no me satisface, pero es un mal menor — I'm not happy with that solution, but it could have been worse

• parar en mal — to come to a bad end

- no hay mal que por bien no venga

- mal de muchos consuelo de tontos

3) (=problema) ill

los males de la economía — the ills afflicting the economy

4) (Med) disease, illness

mal caduco — epilepsy

mal de altura — altitude sickness

mal de amores — lovesickness

sufre mal de amores — she's lovesick

mal de Chagas — Chagas' disease

mal de la tierra — homesickness

mal de mar — seasickness

mal francés — ( Hist) syphilis

5)

mal de ojo — evil eye

le echaron el mal de ojo — they gave him the evil eye

6) LAm (Med) epileptic fit

* * *

I

adjetivo: ver malo

II

adjetivo invariable

1)

a) (enfermo, con mal aspecto)

estar mal — to be bad o ill; (anímicamente) to be in a bad way (colloq)

me siento mal — I don't feel well, I feel ill

andar mal del estómago — to have trouble with one's stomach

éste está mal de la cabeza! — he's not right in the head

esas cosas me ponen mal — things like that really upset me

b) (incómodo, a disgusto)

tú allí estás mal — you aren't comfortable there

¿tan mal estás aquí que te quieres ir? — are you so unhappy here that you want to leave?

2) (fam) (en frases negativas) (refiriéndose al atractivo sexual)

no está nada mal — he's/she's not at all bad (colloq)

3) (desagradable) <oler/saber> bad

aquí huele mal — there's a horrible smell o it smells in here

esta leche huele mal — this milk smells bad o off

4) (insatisfactorio)

estoy or salí muy mal en esta foto — I look awful in this photograph

le queda mal ese color — that color doesn't suit her

el arroz siempre me queda mal — my rice never turns out right

la casa no está mal, pero es cara — the house isn't bad, but it's expensive

sacarme un millón no estaría nada mal — I wouldn't mind winning a million

5) (incorrecto) wrong

está muy mal no decírselo — it's very wrong o bad not to tell her

estuviste muy mal en no ayudarlo — it was wrong of you not to help him

6) (indicando escasez)

estar mal de algo — to be short of something

estamos mal de arroz — we're low on o almost out of rice

III

adverbio

1) (de manera no satisfactoria) <hecho/vestido> badly; <cantar/escribir> badly

se expresó mal — he didn't express himself very well, he expressed himself badly

te oigo muy mal — I can hardly hear you

en el colegio se come muy mal — the food's terrible at school

le fue mal en los exámenes — his exams went badly

de mal en peor — from bad to worse

2) (desventajosamente)

se casó muy mal — she made a bad marriage

vendieron muy mal la casa — they got a terrible price for the house

el negocio marcha mal — the business isn't doing well

3) (desfavorablemente) badly, ill

hablar mal de alguien — to speak badly o ill of somebody

piensa mal de todo el mundo — he thinks ill of everyone

4)

a) (de manera errónea, incorrecta) wrong, wrongly

lo has hecho mal — you've done it wrong

te han informado mal — you've been badly o wrongly informed

te entendí mal — I misunderstood you

b) (de manera reprensible) badly

obró mal — he acted wrongly o badly

haces mal en no ir a verla — it's wrong of you not to go and see her

me contestó muy mal — she answered me very rudely o in a very rude manner

portarse mal — to behave badly, to misbehave

5) (difícilmente)

mal puedes saber si te gusta si no lo has probado — you can hardly say whether you like it when you haven't even tried it

6) (en locs)

hacer mal — (AmL) (a la salud)

esto hace mal al hígado — this is bad for the liver

comí algo que me hizo mal — I ate something which didn't agree with me; ver tb mal IV 2)

mal que bien — (fam) somehow or other

mal que me/te/nos pese — whether I/you/we like it or not

menos mal: menos mal! thank goodness!; menos mal que le avisaron a tiempo! it's just as well they told him in time!; menos mal que no se enteró! it's a good thing she didn't find out! (colloq); estar a mal con alguien to be on bad terms with somebody; tomarse algo a mal — to take something to heart

•

- mal nacido -da

IV

masculino

1) (Fil) evil

el bien y el mal — good and evil, right and wrong

2) (daño, perjuicio)

el mal que me hizo — the wrong she did me

le estás haciendo un mal consintiéndole todo — you're not doing her any good by giving in to her all the time

el divorcio de sus padres le hizo mucho mal — her parents' divorce did her a lot of harm

lo que dijo me hizo mucho mal — what he said really hurt me; ver tb mal III 6)

3) (inconveniente, problema)

los males que aquejan a nuestra sociedad — the ills afflicting our society

uno de los males de nuestro tiempo — one of the evils of our time

a grandes males grandes remedios — desperate situations call for desperate measures

no hay mal que cien años dure — nothing goes on for ever

no hay mal que por bien no venga — every cloud has a silver lining

mal de muchos, consuelo de tontos: ... pero yo no soy la única - mal de muchos, consuelo de tontos — ... but I'm not the only one - well, if that makes you feel better about it (iro)

- mal menor

4) (Med)

a) (liter) (enfermedad) illness

b) (epilepsia)

el mal — (enfermedad) epilepsy

cuando le da el mal — when she has a fit

- mal de amores

- mal de altura

- mal de ojo

- mal de Parkinson

5) (pena) trouble

* * *

= ill, malaise, ailment, evil, affliction, wrong, out of sorts, woe, woefulness.

Ex. Americans, convinced that education could be the panacea for all their ills, answered with vigorous action.

Ex. He interprets 'alienation' as the 'malaise that affects all of us, leaving us in some measure unable to operate in humane, supportive ways'.

Ex. In the two years that followed Woodforde had various other ailments, including an inflammation of the eyelid.

Ex. It is increasingly obvious that we are as a nation one and indivisible, that divisive tendencies are a thing of the past, but there are still too many inheritors of the old indifference, and who flinch at co-operation as at an evil.

Ex. In the Netherlands there are currently some 20,000 sufferers from this affliction.

Ex. Librarians have traditionally been concerned with giving rather than selling information and information supplied negligently is dealt with by the law of torts: civil wrongs independent of contract.

Ex. For example, you already know that living in a windowless room will make you cranky and out of sorts.

Ex. 'The word's out: all departments have to cut their staffs by 10%' -- Her voice was weak and laden with woe.

Ex. In presenting this story, Amenabar has managed to avoid both saccharine sentimentality and easy woefulness.

----

* eje del mal = axis of evil.

* el dinero es el origen de todos los males = money is the root of all evil.

* el dinero es la fuente de todos los males = money is the root of all evil.

* evitar el mal = shun + evil.

* fuente de todos los males, la = root of all evil, the.

* hacer el mal = do + evil.

* mal de amores = heartache, lovesick.

* mal de Parkinson = Parkinson's disease.

* males de la guerra, los = evils of war, the.

* origen de todos males, el = root of all evil, the.

* para colmo de males = to add insult to injury, to add salt to injury, to rub salt in the wound.

* tener mal de amores = be lovesick.

* * *

I

adjetivo: ver malo

II

adjetivo invariable

1)

a) (enfermo, con mal aspecto)

estar mal — to be bad o ill; (anímicamente) to be in a bad way (colloq)

me siento mal — I don't feel well, I feel ill

andar mal del estómago — to have trouble with one's stomach

éste está mal de la cabeza! — he's not right in the head

esas cosas me ponen mal — things like that really upset me

b) (incómodo, a disgusto)

tú allí estás mal — you aren't comfortable there

¿tan mal estás aquí que te quieres ir? — are you so unhappy here that you want to leave?

2) (fam) (en frases negativas) (refiriéndose al atractivo sexual)

no está nada mal — he's/she's not at all bad (colloq)

3) (desagradable) <oler/saber> bad

aquí huele mal — there's a horrible smell o it smells in here

esta leche huele mal — this milk smells bad o off

4) (insatisfactorio)

estoy or salí muy mal en esta foto — I look awful in this photograph

le queda mal ese color — that color doesn't suit her

el arroz siempre me queda mal — my rice never turns out right

la casa no está mal, pero es cara — the house isn't bad, but it's expensive

sacarme un millón no estaría nada mal — I wouldn't mind winning a million

5) (incorrecto) wrong

está muy mal no decírselo — it's very wrong o bad not to tell her

estuviste muy mal en no ayudarlo — it was wrong of you not to help him

6) (indicando escasez)

estar mal de algo — to be short of something

estamos mal de arroz — we're low on o almost out of rice

III

adverbio

1) (de manera no satisfactoria) <hecho/vestido> badly; <cantar/escribir> badly

se expresó mal — he didn't express himself very well, he expressed himself badly

te oigo muy mal — I can hardly hear you

en el colegio se come muy mal — the food's terrible at school

le fue mal en los exámenes — his exams went badly

de mal en peor — from bad to worse

2) (desventajosamente)

se casó muy mal — she made a bad marriage

vendieron muy mal la casa — they got a terrible price for the house

el negocio marcha mal — the business isn't doing well

3) (desfavorablemente) badly, ill

hablar mal de alguien — to speak badly o ill of somebody

piensa mal de todo el mundo — he thinks ill of everyone

4)

a) (de manera errónea, incorrecta) wrong, wrongly

lo has hecho mal — you've done it wrong

te han informado mal — you've been badly o wrongly informed

te entendí mal — I misunderstood you

b) (de manera reprensible) badly

obró mal — he acted wrongly o badly

haces mal en no ir a verla — it's wrong of you not to go and see her

me contestó muy mal — she answered me very rudely o in a very rude manner

portarse mal — to behave badly, to misbehave

5) (difícilmente)

mal puedes saber si te gusta si no lo has probado — you can hardly say whether you like it when you haven't even tried it

6) (en locs)

hacer mal — (AmL) (a la salud)

esto hace mal al hígado — this is bad for the liver

comí algo que me hizo mal — I ate something which didn't agree with me; ver tb mal IV 2)

mal que bien — (fam) somehow or other

mal que me/te/nos pese — whether I/you/we like it or not

menos mal: menos mal! thank goodness!; menos mal que le avisaron a tiempo! it's just as well they told him in time!; menos mal que no se enteró! it's a good thing she didn't find out! (colloq); estar a mal con alguien to be on bad terms with somebody; tomarse algo a mal — to take something to heart

•

- mal nacido -da

IV

masculino

1) (Fil) evil

el bien y el mal — good and evil, right and wrong

2) (daño, perjuicio)

el mal que me hizo — the wrong she did me

le estás haciendo un mal consintiéndole todo — you're not doing her any good by giving in to her all the time

el divorcio de sus padres le hizo mucho mal — her parents' divorce did her a lot of harm

lo que dijo me hizo mucho mal — what he said really hurt me; ver tb mal III 6)

3) (inconveniente, problema)

los males que aquejan a nuestra sociedad — the ills afflicting our society

uno de los males de nuestro tiempo — one of the evils of our time

a grandes males grandes remedios — desperate situations call for desperate measures

no hay mal que cien años dure — nothing goes on for ever

no hay mal que por bien no venga — every cloud has a silver lining

mal de muchos, consuelo de tontos: ... pero yo no soy la única - mal de muchos, consuelo de tontos — ... but I'm not the only one - well, if that makes you feel better about it (iro)

- mal menor

4) (Med)

a) (liter) (enfermedad) illness

b) (epilepsia)

el mal — (enfermedad) epilepsy

cuando le da el mal — when she has a fit

- mal de amores

- mal de altura

- mal de ojo

- mal de Parkinson

5) (pena) trouble

* * *

= ill, malaise, ailment, evil, affliction, wrong, out of sorts, woe, woefulness.

Ex: Americans, convinced that education could be the panacea for all their ills, answered with vigorous action.

Ex: He interprets 'alienation' as the 'malaise that affects all of us, leaving us in some measure unable to operate in humane, supportive ways'.

Ex: In the two years that followed Woodforde had various other ailments, including an inflammation of the eyelid.

Ex: It is increasingly obvious that we are as a nation one and indivisible, that divisive tendencies are a thing of the past, but there are still too many inheritors of the old indifference, and who flinch at co-operation as at an evil.

Ex: In the Netherlands there are currently some 20,000 sufferers from this affliction.

Ex: Librarians have traditionally been concerned with giving rather than selling information and information supplied negligently is dealt with by the law of torts: civil wrongs independent of contract.

Ex: For example, you already know that living in a windowless room will make you cranky and out of sorts.

Ex: 'The word's out: all departments have to cut their staffs by 10%' -- Her voice was weak and laden with woe.

Ex: In presenting this story, Amenabar has managed to avoid both saccharine sentimentality and easy woefulness.

* eje del mal = axis of evil.

* el dinero es el origen de todos los males = money is the root of all evil.

* el dinero es la fuente de todos los males = money is the root of all evil.

* evitar el mal = shun + evil.

* fuente de todos los males, la = root of all evil, the.

* hacer el mal = do + evil.

* mal de amores = heartache, lovesick.

* mal de Parkinson = Parkinson's disease.

* males de la guerra, los = evils of war, the.

* origen de todos males, el = root of all evil, the.

* para colmo de males = to add insult to injury, to add salt to injury, to rub salt in the wound.

* tener mal de amores = be lovesick.

* * *

mal¹

adjective

ver malo¹ (↑ malo (1))

mal²

adj inv

A

1 (enfermo, con mal aspecto) estar mal to be bad o ill; (anímicamente) to be o feel low (colloq), to be o feel down (colloq)

me siento mal I don't feel well, I feel ill

hace días que ando mal del estómago I've been having trouble with my stomach for some days now

lo encontré muy mal, pálido y desmejorado he didn't seem at all well, he looked pale and sickly

está muy mal, no se ha repuesto de lo del marido she's in a bad way, she hasn't got over what happened to her husband

¡éste está mal de la cabeza! he's not right in the head

esas cosas me ponen mal things like that really upset me

2

(incómodo, a disgusto): ¿tan mal estás aquí que te quieres ir? are you so unhappy here that you want to leave?

tú allí estás mal you aren't comfortable there

B (fam) (en frases negativas)

(refiriéndose al atractivo sexual): no está nada mal he's/she's not at all bad (colloq)

C (desagradable) ‹oler/saber› bad

aquí huele mal there's a horrible smell in here, it smells in here

no sabe tan mal it doesn't taste that bad

esta leche huele mal this milk smells bad o off

D

(insatisfactorio): los soufflés siempre me quedan mal my soufflés never turn out right

estoy or quedé or salí muy mal en esta foto I look awful in this photo

le queda mal ese peinado that hairstyle doesn't suit her

la casa no está mal, pero es cara the house isn't bad o is quite nice but it's expensive

sacarnos un millón no estaría nada mal I wouldn't mind winning a million

E (incorrecto) wrong

la fecha está mal the date is wrong

creo que está muy mal no decírselo I think it's very wrong o bad not to tell her

está mal que le hables en ese tono it's wrong (of you) to speak to him in that tone

estuviste muy mal en no ayudarlo it was wrong of you not to help him

F (indicando escasez) estar mal DE algo:

estamos mal de dinero we're hard up (colloq), we're short of money

estamos mal de arroz we have hardly any rice (left), we're low on o almost out of rice

mal³

adverb

A (de manera no satisfactoria) ‹hecho/organizado/pintado/vestido› badly

canta muy mal she sings very badly, she's a very bad singer, she's very bad at singing

se expresó mal he didn't express himself very well, he expressed himself badly

te oigo muy mal I can hardly hear you, I can't hear you very well

en el colegio se come muy mal the food's terrible at school

le fue mal en los exámenes his exams went badly

de mal en peor from bad to worse

B

(desventajosamente): se casó muy mal she made a bad marriage

vendieron muy mal la casa they got a terrible price for the house

el negocio marcha mal the business isn't doing very well

C (desfavorablemente) badly, ill

no hables mal de ella don't speak badly o ill of her

piensa mal de todo el mundo he thinks ill of everyone

D

1 (de manera errónea, incorrecta) wrong, wrongly

lo has hecho mal you've done it wrong

mi nombre está mal escrito my name has been misspelt, my name is spelt/has been spelt wrong(ly)

te han informado mal you've been badly o wrongly informed

te entendí mal I misunderstood you, I didn't understand you properly

2 (de manera reprensible) badly

obró or procedió mal he acted wrongly o badly

haces mal en no ir a verla it's wrong of you not to go and see her

me contestó muy mal she answered me very rudely o in a very rude manner

si te portas mal no te traigo más if you behave badly o if you misbehave I won't bring you again

E

(difícilmente): mal puedes saber si te gusta si no lo has probado you can hardly say o I don't see how you can say whether you like it when you haven't even tried it

F (en locs):

hacer mal (AmL) (a la salud): los fritos hacen mal al hígado fried food is bad for the liver

comí algo que me hizo mal I ate something which didn't agree with me o which made me feel bad o ill

ver tb mal⁴ m B. (↑ mal (4))

mal que bien or (Chi) mal que mal (fam); somehow or other

mal que me/te/nos pese whether I/you/we like it or not

menos mal: aceptaron tu solicitud — ¡menos mal! they've accepted your application — thank goodness!

¡menos mal que le avisaron a tiempo! it's just as well they told him in time!

¡menos mal que no se enteró! it's a good thing o (BrE) a good job she didn't find out! (colloq)

estar a mal con algn to be on bad terms with sb

tomarse algo a mal to take sth to heart

traer vt B. (↑ traer)

Compuesto:

mal nacido, mal nacida

masculine, feminine swine (colloq), rat (colloq) ver tb maleducado¹ (↑ maleducado (1)) , maleducado² (↑ maleducado (2))

mal⁴

masculine

A (Fil) evil

el bien y el mal good and evil, right and wrong

líbranos del mal deliver us from evil

B

(daño, perjuicio): no le perdono todo el mal que me hizo I can't forgive her all the wrong she did me

le estás haciendo un mal consintiéndole todo you're doing her a disservice o you're not doing her any good by giving in to her all the time

el divorcio de sus padres le hizo mucho mal her parents' divorce did her a lot of harm

lo que me dijo me hizo mucho mal what he said hurt me deeply o really hurt me

ver tb mal³ adv F. (↑ mal (3))

C

(inconveniente, problema): los males que aquejan a nuestra sociedad the ills afflicting our society

la contaminación es uno de los males de nuestro tiempo pollution is one of the evils of our time

a grandes males grandes remedios desperate situations call for desperate measures

no hay mal que cien años dure nothing goes on for ever

no hay mal que por bien no venga every cloud has a silver lining

mal de muchos, consuelo de tontos: … pero a mucha gente le pasó lo mismo — mal de muchos, consuelo de tontos … but the same thing happened to a lot of other people — so that makes you feel better, does it? (iro)

todos mis amigos suspendieron también, así que mal de muchos, consuelo de tontos all my friends failed too, so that's some consolation, I suppose o so that makes things a bit better, I suppose

quien canta sus males espanta problems don't seem so bad if you keep cheerful

Compuesto:

mal menor

(entre dos alternativas) lesser of two evils

eso fue un mal menor porque se podría haber matado in fact he was lucky o he can count himself lucky, he could have been killed

D (Med)

1 (liter) (enfermedad) illness

2

(epilepsia): el mal (enfermedad) epilepsy

cuando le da el mal when she has a fit

Compuestos:

● mal de Alzheimer

Alzheimer's disease

● mal de amores

(fam):

tiene mal de amores he's lovesick

● mal de Chagas

Chagas' disease

● mal de (las) altura(s)

altitude sickness, mountain sickness

● mal de ojo

evil eye

le echó el mal de ojo or (CS) le hizo mal de ojo she gave him the evil eye

● mal de Parkinson

Parkinson's disease

● mal francés

(euf); syphilis

E (pena) trouble

no me vengas a contar tus males don't come to me with your troubles

* * *

 

mal adjetivo: ver

◊ malo

■ adjetivo invariable
1 [estar] (enfermo) ill;
(anímicamente) in a bad way (colloq);
(incómodo) uncomfortable;

◊ andar mal del estómago to have trouble with one's stomach;

¡este está mal de la cabeza! he's not right in the head;
esas cosas me ponen mal things like that really upset me
2 (fam) (en frases negativas) (refiriéndose al aspecto):

◊ no está nada mal she's/he's/it's not at all bad (colloq)

3 (insatisfactorio): estoy or salí muy mal en esta foto I look awful in this photograph;

◊ le queda mal ese color that color doesn't suit her

4 [estar] (incorrecto) wrong
5 (indicando escasez) estar or ir mal de algo ‹de dinero/tiempo› to be short of sth
■ adverbio
1 (de manera no satisfactoria) ‹vestir/cantar/jugar› badly;

◊ le fue mal en los exámenes his exams went badly;

te oigo muy mal I can hardly hear you;
el negocio marcha mal the business isn't doing well;
de mal en peor from bad to worse
2 (desfavorablemente) badly, ill;

◊ hablar mal de algn to speak badly o ill of sb

3

a) (de manera errónea) wrong, wrongly;

◊ te han informado mal you've been badly o wrongly informed;

te entendí mal I misunderstood you

b) (de manera reprensible) ‹obrar/partarse› badly;

◊ haces mal en no ir a verla it's wrong of you not to go and see her;

me contestó muy mal she answered me very rudely
4 (desagradable) ‹oler/saber› bad;

◊ aquí huele mal there's a horrible smell o it smells in here

5 (en locs)

◊ hacer mal (AmL) (a la salud): esto hace mal al hígado this is bad for the liver;

el pescado me hizo mal the fish didn't agree with me;
menos mal: ¡menos mal! thank goodness!;
¡menos mal que le avisaron a tiempo! it's just as well they told him in time!;
tomarse algo a mal to take sth to heart
■ sustantivo masculino
1 (Fil) evil;

◊ el bien y el mal good and evil, right and wrong

2 (daño, perjuicio):

◊ el divorcio de sus padres le hizo mucho mal her parents' divorce did her a lot of harm

3 (cosa dañina) ill, evil;

◊ los males sociales the social ills;

no hay mal que por bien no venga every cloud has a silver lining
4 (Med) (liter) (enfermedad) illness;

◊ tiene mal de amores (fam) he's lovesick;

mal de (las) altura(s) altitude sickness, mountain sickness
5 (pena) trouble
mal
I adj (delante de sustantivo masculino) bad
un mal momento, (inoportuno) a bad time: está atravesando un mal momento, he's going through a bad patch ➣ malo,-a
II sustantivo masculino
1 evil, wrong
más allá del bien y del mal, beyond good and evil
2 (perjuicio) harm: me ha hecho mucho mal, it really hurt me
mal de ojo, the evil eye
3 (dolencia) illness, disease: padece un mal incurable, she suffers from an incurable disease
III adverbio
1 (de mala manera, incorrectamente) badly, wrong: oye muy mal, she can hardly hear
todo me sale mal, everything I do turns out badly
me siento mal del estómago, I've got an upset stomach
menos mal que estás aquí, it's a good job you are here
2 (difícilmente) scarcely, hardly: si no me lo cuentas, mal puedo yo ayudarte, if you don't tell me I can scarcely help you
♦ Locuciones: llevar uno mal algo, to take sthg badly: lleva muy mal la muerte de su padre, he took the death of his father really badly
mal que, even if: tendremos que ir mal que nos pese, whether we like it or not, we'll have to go
mal que bien, somehow or other: mal que bien vamos tirando, we're managing quite well somehow or other
ponerse a mal con alguien, to fall out with sb
tomar uno a mal, to take sthg badly: no te lo tomes a mal, don't take it badly
'mal' also found in these entries:
Spanish:
agüero
- añadidura
- apestar
- apestosa
- apestoso
- atufar
- avenida
- avenido
- azotea
- berrear
- bicho
- bien
- caber
- cabeza
- caer
- café
- calcular
- caldo
- camino
- cantar
- carácter
- cardo
- chabacana
- chabacano
- chapuza
- comportarse
- comunicada
- comunicado
- conservarse
- contraluz
- contraria
- contrario
- criada
- criado
- daño
- desastre
- desencajada
- desencajado
- deslucir
- despertar
- día
- dinero
- educada
- educado
- efecto
- empañarse
- encajar
- encaminada
- encaminado
- encontrar
English:
abuse
- acquit
- act up
- agree
- along
- amulet
- astray
- bad
- bad-tempered
- badly
- barring
- best
- bile
- cheap
- cloud
- come off
- condition
- deal
- deliver
- disagree
- disapprove
- disrepair
- do
- do with
- doom
- downhill
- embody
- evil
- evil eye
- fit
- flare up
- foolish
- foot
- frown on
- gnawing
- go
- go down
- go off
- god
- going
- good
- greasy
- grief
- grim
- grin
- grumpy
- half-baked
- hash
- health
- hinder

* * *

mal

♦ adj

ver malo

♦ nm

1. [maldad]

el mal evil;

Literario

las fuerzas del mal the forces of darkness o evil

2. [daño] harm, damage;

nadie sufrió ningún mal no one was harmed, no one suffered any harm;

¿no le hará mal al bebé tanta agua? all that water can't be good for the baby;

no te hará ningún mal salir un rato it won't harm you o it won't do you any harm to go out for a while;

todas aquellas habladurías le hicieron mucho mal all the gossip hurt her deeply

Comp

mal de ojo evil eye;

echarle o CSur [m5]hacerle (el) mal de ojo a alguien to give sb the evil eye;

Arquit el mal de la piedra = the problem of crumbling masonry caused by pollution etc

3. [enfermedad] illness;

Fig

esto te curará todos los males this will make you feel better;

tener mal de amores to be lovesick

Comp

mal de (las) altura(s) altitude sickness;

mal de montaña mountain sickness;

Ven mal de páramo altitude sickness; Fam el mal de las vacas locas mad cow disease

4. [problema, inconveniente] bad thing;

el hambre y la pobreza son males que afectan al Tercer Mundo hunger and poverty are problems o ills which affect the Third World;

entre las dos opciones, es el mal menor it's the lesser of two evils;

un mal necesario a necessary evil

5. Comp

del mal, el menos it's the lesser of two evils;

la crisis pasará, no hay mal que cien años dure the recession will end sooner or later, these things never last forever;

Prov

a grandes males, grandes remedios drastic situations demand drastic action;

Prov

mal de muchos, consuelo de todos o [m5]de tontos: he suspendido, pero también mis compañeros – mal de muchos, consuelo de tontos o [m5]de todos I failed, but so did my classmates – it doesn't make it all right, just because they did too;

lo mismo pasa en otros países – mal de muchos, consuelo de tontos o [m5]de todos the same thing happens in other countries – that doesn't make it any better, though;

Prov

no hay mal que por bien no venga every cloud has a silver lining

♦ adv

1. [incorrectamente] wrong;

obrar mal to do wrong;

portarse mal to behave badly;

juzgar mal a alguien to misjudge sb;

está mal hecho [un informe, un trabajo] it hasn't been done properly;

[un producto, un aparato] it's badly made;

eso está mal hecho, no debían haberlo aceptado it was wrong of them, they shouldn't have accepted it;

está mal eso que has hecho what you've done is wrong;

hacer algo mal to do sth wrong;

has escrito mal esta palabra you've spelt that word wrong;

hiciste mal en decírselo it was wrong of you to tell him;

está mal que yo lo diga, pero esta sopa esta buenísima this soup is delicious, although I say so myself

2. [inadecuadamente, insuficientemente] badly;

creo que me he explicado mal I'm not sure I've explained myself clearly;

oigo/veo mal I can't hear/see very well;

el niño come bastante mal the boy isn't eating properly o very well;

calculé mal el tiempo I miscalculated the time;

canta muy mal she sings terribly, she's a terrible singer;

esta puerta cierra mal this door doesn't shut properly;

andar mal de dinero to be short of money;

andamos mal de azúcar we're running out of sugar;

la empresa/el equipo va mal the company/team isn't doing very well;

va mal en la universidad she's not doing very well at university;

le fue mal en la entrevista his interview didn't go very well;

el sueldo no está nada mal the pay's pretty good, the pay isn't at all bad;

ese chico no está nada mal that boy's not bad o pretty nice;

la reparación quedó mal it wasn't repaired properly;

me quedó mal el retrato my portrait didn't come out right;

la conferencia/reunión salió mal the talk/meeting went badly;

la fiesta salió mal the party was a failure

3. [desagradablemente, desfavorablemente]

encontrarse mal [enfermo] to feel ill;

[incómodo] to feel uncomfortable;

estar mal [de salud] to be o feel ill;

[de calidad] to be bad;

hablar mal de alguien to speak ill of sb;

oler mal to smell bad;

¡qué mal huele! what a smell!;

Fam Fig

esto me huele mal this smells fishy to me;

pasarlo mal to have a bad time;

pensar mal de alguien to think ill of sb;

saber mal to taste bad;

Fig

me supo mal que no vinieses a despedirme I was a bit put out that you didn't come to see me off;

me sabe muy mal que hablen a mis espaldas I don't like it that they talk behind my back;

sentar mal a alguien [ropa] not to suit sb;

[comida] to disagree with sb; [comentario, actitud] to upset sb

4. [difícilmente] hardly;

mal puede saberlo si no se lo cuentas he's hardly going to know if you don't tell him, how's he supposed to know if you don't tell him?

5. Comp

estar a mal con alguien to have fallen out with sb;

ir de mal en peor to go from bad to worse;

no estaría mal que… it would be nice if…;

tomar algo a mal to take sth the wrong way

♦ mal que loc conj

although, even though;

mal que te pese, las cosas están así whether you like it or not, that's the way things are;

mal que bien somehow or other

* * *

mal

I adj → malo

II adv badly;

mal que bien one way or the other;

¡no está mal! it isn’t bad!;

¡menos mal! thank goodness!;

no hay mal que por bien no venga every cloud has a silver lining;

hacer mal en hacer algo be wrong to do sth;

ir de mal en peor go from bad to worse;

estar a mal con alguien be on bad terms with s.o.;

hablar mal de alguien speak ill of s.o.;

poner mal a alguien criticize s.o.;

ponerse a mal con alguien fall out with s.o.;

tomarse algo a mal take sth badly;

ponerse mal get sick

III m MED illness;

el mal menor the lesser of two evils

* * *

mal adv

1) : badly, poorly

baila muy mal: he dances very badly

2) : wrong, incorrectly

me entendió mal: she misunderstood me

3) : with difficulty, hardly

mal puedo oírte: I can hardly hear you

4)

de mal en peor : from bad to worse

5)

menos mal : it could have been worse

mal adj malo

mal nm

1) : evil, wrong

2) daño: harm, damage

3) desgracia: misfortune

4) enfermedad: illness, sickness

* * *

mal¹ adj bad [comp. worse; superl. worst]

un mal día a bad day

mal² adv

1. (en general) badly [comp. worse; superl. worst]

jugaron muy mal they played very badly

se portó mal he behaved badly

2. (de manera desagradable) bad [comp. worse; superl. worst]

lo pasé muy mal I had a terrible time

3. (enfermo) ill [comp. worse; superl. worst]

me encuentro mal I don't feel well / I feel ill

4. (de forma incorrecta) wrong

lo has hecho mal you've done it wrong

5. (en frases negativas) bad

el piso no está mal the flat isn't bad

andar mal de algo to be short of something

ir de mal en peor to get worse and worse

mal³ n

1. (daño) harm / wrong

el mal ya está hecho the harm's already been done

2. (maldad) evil

el bien y el mal good and evil

3. (problema) problem

se pasa el día quejándose de sus males she moans about her problems all day long