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"Estoy mal" is a phrase which is often translated as "I'm not doing well", and "muy mal" is a phrase which is often translated as "very badly". Learn more about the difference between "estoy mal" and "muy mal" below.
estoy mal(
ehs
-
toy
 
mahl
)
A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
phrase
a. I'm not doing well
¡Hola, Marco! ¿Cómo estás? - La verdad, estoy mal.Hello, Marco! How are you? - Honestly, I'm not doing well.
b. I'm having a hard time
Estoy mal en el trabajo. Mi jefe la tiene tomada conmigo.I'm having a hard time at work. My boss has got it in for me.
a. I feel sick
No tengo ni fiebre ni tos, pero estoy mal.I don't have a fever or a cough, but I feel sick.
b. I haven't been feeling well
Últimamente estoy mal. Me siento muy cansado y deprimido la mayor parte del tiempo.I haven't been feeling well lately. I'm very tired and depressed most of the time.
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muy mal(
mooee
 
mahl
)
A phrase is a group of words commonly used together (e.g., once upon a time).
phrase
a. very badly
El perro ha estado comportándose muy mal hoy.The dog has been behaving very badly today.
b. very poorly
Salí muy mal en el examen.I did very poorly on the test.
a. not well
¿Cómo está Gabriel después del divorcio? - Muy mal.How is Gabriel after the divorce? - Not well.
El paciente está muy mal, no creo que dure más de un mes.The patient is not well. I don't think he'll make it more than a month.
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