mal

Back to M Words

/mal/

adverb

badly

poorly

incorrectly

Je dors super mal en ce moment.

I'm sleeping really badly at the moment.

Synonyms:médiocrement, incorrectement, péniblement

nounmasculineSing

pain

ache

J'ai très mal au dos depuis hier.

My back has been hurting a lot since yesterday.

Synonyms:douleur, souffrance

nounmasculineSing

difficulty

trouble (having difficulty doing something)

J'ai du mal à finir ce travail.

I'm having trouble finishing this work.

Synonyms:difficulté, problème

nounmasculineSing

evil

harm

Il veut lutter contre le mal sous toutes ses formes.

He wants to fight evil in all its forms.

Synonyms:malveillance, injustice

Notes

GENERAL INFO

Mal is an adverb meaning "badly," "poorly," or "wrong." It can also be a masculine noun meaning "evil," "harm," or "pain/ailment."

USAGE

As an adverb, it modifies verbs: "Il parle mal." (He speaks poorly.)

As a noun, it's common for pain: "J'ai mal au dos." (My back hurts), or abstract concepts: "le mal et le bien." (good and evil.)

TRAPS

Don't confuse mal (adverb, describes *how*: "Il conduit mal" - He drives badly) with "mauvais" (adjective, describes *what*: "C'est un mauvais conducteur" - He is a bad driver).