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"Malo" is an adjective which is often translated as "bad", and "a" is a preposition which is often translated as "to". Learn more about the difference between "malo" and "a" below.
malo, el malo, la mala(
mah
-
loh
)An adjective is a word that describes a noun (e.g., the big dog).
1. (in quality)
2. (in morals)
3. (sickly)
6. (unpleasant)
a. naughty
Era un cachorro tan malo que tuvimos que regalarlo.He was such a naughty puppy that we had to give him away.
This means that the noun can be masculine or feminine, depending on the gender of the noun it refers to (e.g., el doctor, la doctora).
10. (bad person)
b. baddy (colloquial)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
La protagonista se enamora de uno de los malos.The protagonist falls in love with one of the baddies.
a, la a(
ah
)A preposition is a word that indicates the relationship between a noun and another word (e.g., He ran through the door.).
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Podía respirar a duras penas.He was hardly able to breathe.
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
¡A fregar los platos!Go do the dishes!
¡A la cama!Off to bed!
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Me encantaría ganar dinero a espuertas.I would love to earn lots of money.
Llovía a cántaros.It was pouring.
A feminine noun is almost always used with feminine articles and adjectives (e.g., la mujer bonita, la luna llena).
An abbreviation is the shortened form of a word or group of words (e.g., "UFO" = "unidentified flying object"; "p." = "page").
a. A
El circuito transporta una corriente de 1 A.The circuit carries a current of 1 A.
La intensidad de la corriente eléctrica se mide en A.The intensity of an electric current is measured in A.
