dar mala vida

to make someone's life a misery

dar mala vida(dahr mah-lah bee-dah)

transitive verb phrase

1. (general)

a. to make someone's life a misery

Nunca me casé. Mi padre le dio mala vida a mi madre y yo no quería pasar por lo mismo.

I never married. My father made my mother's life a misery, and I didn't want to go through the same experience.

b. to ill-treat

Todos los hombres con los vivió le dieron mala vida, y este no iba a ser la excepción.

All men she lived with ill-treated her, and this one wasn't going to be the exception.