Using 'Mal-' Prefix Indicates Undesirable Attribute. Spanish lesson using the prefix 'mal'.

Question

¡Prefijo importante!

Using 'Mal'.

Like its English counterpart, the Spanish prefix mal- is added to word roots

to indicate that something is bad, abnormal or otherwise undesirable.

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Since the prefix is part of both languages, it shouldn't be surprising that the prefix comes from Latin, specifically from the words male (badly) and malus (bad). The prefix can be parts of nouns, verb, adjectives and adverbs.

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In most cases, you can easily guess what a mal- word means

if you know the root word means.

A few examples:

• malcomer, to eat poorly
  • malentendido, misunderstanding
  • malformación, malformation
  • malhablado, foul-mouthed
  • malherir, to injure badly
  • malintencionado, with bad intentions
  • malnutrición, malnutrition
  • maloliente, bad-smelling
  • malsano, unhealthy
  • maltratar, to mistreat, to abuse
  • malvivir, to live poorly

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Here are some mal words whose meanings may be less obvious.

• malasangre, evil-minded (from sangre, blood)

• malcriado, spoiled (said of a child, from criar, to raise a child)

• maldad, evil

• maldecir, to curse (from decir, to speak)

• maleado, corrupt

• maleducado, rude (from educar, to educate or to raise a child)

• malestar, uneasiness, unrest

• malgaster, to waste (from gastar, to spend)

• malhabido, ill-gotten

• malhumor, bad mood, foul temper (from humor, mood or temperament)

• malicia, wickedness, malice

• malignidad, maligno, malignancy, malignant

• malograr, to waste

• malosante, rude

• malpagar, to underpay

• malparado, in a bad state (from parar, to stop)

• maltraer, to mistreat

• maltrecho, battered

• malversar, to embezzle (from versar, to have dealings)

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Try to form simple sentences in English and Spanish

using some of the examples above.

G'day mate - ian-hill, Jul 24, 2014

Hola amigo. - ray76, Jul 24, 2014

nice - 00b055e0, Jul 24, 2014

Good morning you handsome brute. - 007c5fc1, Jul 24, 2014

Very good exercise, Ray. Kudos! - rac1, Jul 24, 2014

Thanks to everyone. - ray76, Jul 25, 2014

Answer 1

Por favor acepta este voto de tu amiga malhumorada.

Please accept this vote from your bad tempered friend.

:) - ian-hill, Jul 24, 2014

Hahahaha for realzy! - rac1, Jul 24, 2014

Why are me eyes watering ? I am maladroit . - ray76, Jul 24, 2014

Answer 2

¡Cómo puedes decir que no existe la maldad en el mundo!

How can you say there is no evil in the world?

There appears nothing but at the moment mate, thanks. - ray76, Jul 24, 2014

I don't think you can...where does it originate? Mothers and fathers?? That's the only answer I can come up with. - 007c5fc1, Jul 24, 2014

Answer 3

That girl always gets her way. She is very spoiled.

Esa muchacha siempre obtiene su camino. Ella es muy malcriada.

I am not! - 007c5fc1, Jul 24, 2014

typo: "gets". :) - rac1, Jul 24, 2014

You know my daughter then ? - ray76, Jul 24, 2014

Answer 4

malestar - distress, discomfort

Este incidente provocó un gran malestar.

This incident caused great distress.

Oh boy, you can say that again. - 007c5fc1, Jul 24, 2014

Don't I know it . Thanks mate. - ray76, Jul 24, 2014

Answer 5

Este malentendido está debido a la causa de diferencias entre la generaciones.

This misunderstanding is due to the cause of differences between the generations.

haha....good one porcupine! - 007c5fc1, Jul 24, 2014

Terrific mate , you can always be relied upon to be funny and clever. - ray76, Jul 24, 2014

Gracias Margherite and Ray - porcupine7, Jul 25, 2014