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"Malo" is an adjective which is often translated as "bad", and "bien" is an adverb which is often translated as "well". Learn more about the difference between "malo" and "bien" 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.
bien, el bien(
byehn
)An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or other adverbs (e.g., to run quickly, very tired).
2. (properly)
a. well
Si la carne molida no se cocina bien, las bacterias no mueren.If the ground meat is not cooked well, the bacteria don't die.
3. (all right)
4. (extremely)
a. very
Me di un paseo bien largo para despejar mi mente.I went for a very long walk to clear my mind.
a. well
Cuando viajé a España, me comentaban que sabía hablar bien el español.When I traveled to Spain, people told me I could speak Spanish well.
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Se hace el tonto pero bien sabía que no nos había pagado.He's pretending he didn't, but he knew full well he hadn't paid us.
Bien podías habérselo dicho.You really could have told him.
A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
8. (benefit)
a. good
Está dispuesto a sacrificar su vida por el bien de la nación.He is willing to sacrifice his own life for the good of the nation.
9. (possession)
A conjunction is a word that connects words, phrases, clauses, or sentences (e.g., The cat and the dog slept.).
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Bien nos vamos, bien no, pero hay que decidirlo ya.We either go or we don't, but we need to decide.
Tenemos que mudarnos, bien este año, bien el que viene.We have to move, whether it's this year or next.
