Bad in Different Languages
Discover 'Bad' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'bad' holds a significant place in our vocabulary, often used to describe something that is not good, of poor quality, or undesirable. Its cultural importance is undeniable, as it transcends languages and cultures, yet is universally understood. From a historical context, the word 'bad' has been used in various ways, such as in the phrase 'badass' which was originally used to describe someone who was rugged and tough, but has since evolved to mean something positive.
Given the cultural significance and historical context of the word 'bad', it's no wonder that someone might want to know its translation in different languages. Not only is it fascinating to learn how different cultures express the same concept, but it can also be practical for everyday communication. For instance, in Spanish, 'bad' translates to 'malo', while in French, it's 'mauvais', and in German, it's 'schlecht'.
In this article, we'll explore the translations of the word 'bad' in various languages, shedding light on the cultural nuances and language differences that make learning a new language so rewarding.
Bad
Bad in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | sleg | ||
| "Sleg" is an abbreviation of the Dutch word "slecht" through the Yiddish "shleecht" and is originally derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*sleǵʰ-," also found in the Sanskrit "sarga" and Greek "herkos". | |||
| Amharic | መጥፎ | ||
| The same word "መጥፎ" also refers to a physical deformation, possibly due to an injury. | |||
| Hausa | mara kyau | ||
| "Mara kyau" means "bad" in Hausa, and is also used to describe something ugly or unpleasant. | |||
| Igbo | ọjọọ | ||
| Ọjọọ, meaning 'bad', also relates to the Igbo calendar month of April and the concept of a 'taboo' day. | |||
| Malagasy | ratsy | ||
| In Madagascar, the word "ratsy" not only means "bad" but also "ill-tasting" or "unripe." | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | zoipa | ||
| Zopa was derived from the word zowa (to rot), thus implying that 'zoipa' means something rotten or something that is not good. | |||
| Shona | zvakaipa | ||
| Zvakaipa can also be used to refer to something that is not right or proper. | |||
| Somali | xun | ||
| Somali "xun" originally meant "rotten" or "spoiled," which is still its meaning in the Maay language. | |||
| Sesotho | mpe | ||
| The Sesotho word "mpe" can also mean "ugly" or "unpleasant to look at." | |||
| Swahili | mbaya | ||
| The word "mbaya" in Swahili also means "illness" or "pain". | |||
| Xhosa | imbi | ||
| Imbi is also the Xhosa word for a type of traditional beer made from maize. | |||
| Yoruba | buburu | ||
| Buburu is also used figuratively to refer to someone or something that is unattractive or unappealing | |||
| Zulu | kubi | ||
| The Zulu word "kubi" can also mean "rotten" or "sour" in certain contexts. | |||
| Bambara | jugu | ||
| Ewe | gbegblẽ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | bibi | ||
| Lingala | mabe | ||
| Luganda | obubi | ||
| Sepedi | mpe | ||
| Twi (Akan) | nyɛ | ||
Bad in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | سيئة | ||
| The word "سيئة" has other meanings including "evil", "harmful", "wicked", and "unlucky." | |||
| Hebrew | רַע | ||
| The original Hebrew word "רַע" means to act in a disordered or chaotic manner. | |||
| Pashto | بد | ||
| The Pashto word "بد" can also refer to a type of traditional Afghan cloak worn by women. | |||
| Arabic | سيئة | ||
| The word "سيئة" has other meanings including "evil", "harmful", "wicked", and "unlucky." | |||
Bad in Western European Languages
| Albanian | keq | ||
| The word "keq" in Albanian can also refer to something that is inferior or of poor quality, as well as being used as an intensifier in negative expressions. | |||
| Basque | txarra | ||
| Although the Basque txarra is usually translated as "bad" it also means "left" and "difficult" in other contexts | |||
| Catalan | dolent | ||
| In Catalan, dolent means "bad" but has roots in the Latin "dolere" meaning "to feel pain." | |||
| Croatian | loše | ||
| "Loše" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "*loti̯ь", meaning "bad, evil, wicked". | |||
| Danish | dårligt | ||
| The Danish word "dårligt" originally meant "foolish" or "clumsy," and is related to the Swedish word "dåre" ("fool"). | |||
| Dutch | slecht | ||
| The Old Saxon word "sleht" originally meant "simple" or "straightforward", which later evolved into the modern Dutch "slecht" meaning "bad". | |||
| English | bad | ||
| The word "bad" originated from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bhəd-", meaning "to pierce, to strike, to hurt". | |||
| French | mal | ||
| The term 'mal' derives from the Latin verb 'maledicere', meaning 'to speak ill of'. | |||
| Frisian | min | ||
| The Frisian word for "bad," "min," may derive from the Proto-Germanic "minnutha," meaning "less" or "inferior." | |||
| Galician | malo | ||
| The word "malo" also refers to an evil spirit or demon | |||
| German | schlecht | ||
| The word "Schlecht" can also refer to a "small group of people" or the "trailing end of something," such as a line of people. | |||
| Icelandic | slæmt | ||
| The word "slæmt" in Icelandic originally meant "wrong" or "awkward". | |||
| Irish | olc | ||
| The Irish word 'olc' not only means 'bad' in English, but can also refer to 'evil', 'harmful', 'unlucky', 'ill' or 'poor'. | |||
| Italian | male | ||
| The Italian word “male” can also mean “evil” or “pain,” due to its origin in the Latin word “malus,” which had a similar meaning. | |||
| Luxembourgish | schlecht | ||
| Maltese | ħażina | ||
| The word 'ħażina' derives from the Semitic root H-Z-N, meaning 'to lack' or 'to be evil'. | |||
| Norwegian | dårlig | ||
| "Dårlig" can also mean "sick" or "poor" in Norwegian, and it's derived from the Old Norse word "darrligr," meaning "sluggish" or "unwell." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | ruim | ||
| The word "ruim" in Portuguese is also used to describe evil, low-quality, or unpleasant things | |||
| Scots Gaelic | dona | ||
| The Scots Gaelic word "dona" comes from the Gaelic root "do-," meaning "black, bad, ugly, evil." | |||
| Spanish | malo | ||
| The word "malo" in Spanish originates from the Latin word "malus", which means "bad", "evil", or "unfavorable". | |||
| Swedish | dålig | ||
| "Dålig" can also mean "poor" or "weak" depending on its context. | |||
| Welsh | drwg | ||
| The Welsh word "drwg" has a dual usage, also meaning "affliction" or "misfortune" depending on context. | |||
Bad in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | дрэнна | ||
| The word "дрэнна" in Belarusian is related to the Russian word "дрянь" and the Ukrainian word "дрянь", all of which mean "trash" or "rubbish". | |||
| Bosnian | loše | ||
| The word 'loše' is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'losъ', which also meant 'fate'. | |||
| Bulgarian | лошо | ||
| The word “лошо” is also used to describe something that is unpleasant, harmful, or evil. | |||
| Czech | špatný | ||
| The word špatný also has a secondary meaning of 'unlucky' in Czech | |||
| Estonian | halb | ||
| "Halb" is a word in Estonian that means "bad", but it can also mean "badly" or "poorly". | |||
| Finnish | huono | ||
| "Huono" is a cognate with "good" in English, "gut" in German, and "goed" in Dutch. | |||
| Hungarian | rossz | ||
| The Hungarian word "rossz" has Slavic roots and is related to the words "roz" (rye) and "rozhda" (birth), implying a connection to spoiled crops and hence misfortune. | |||
| Latvian | slikti | ||
| The word "slikti" has cognates in the Sanskrit words "sligh" and "slagh" (to be lax) and "slig" (to loosen). | |||
| Lithuanian | blogai | ||
| While 'blogas' means 'bad' in Lithuanian, in Old Prussian and Old Latvian the word 'blogas' meant 'good'. The word 'blogas' also has the connotation of 'ugly' in the Lithuanian language. | |||
| Macedonian | лошо | ||
| The word 'лошо' in Macedonian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word 'lǫdъ', which also means 'bad' or 'evil'. | |||
| Polish | zły | ||
| The word "zły" in Polish also refers to something or someone that is unpleasant or harmful | |||
| Romanian | rău | ||
| In Romanian, the word "rău" not only signifies "bad" but also "evil" or even "illness". | |||
| Russian | плохо | ||
| The word "плохо" also means "poor" or "ill" in Russian. | |||
| Serbian | лоше | ||
| In Serbo-Croatian it has also alternate meanings of "worse", "evil" or "badly (in terms of health)" | |||
| Slovak | zlé | ||
| "Zlé" can also mean "sick" in Slovak, as it does in many other Slavic languages. | |||
| Slovenian | slab | ||
| "Slabo" was originally a verb - "oslabeti" in some Slavic languages still means to get loose, weak or powerless. | |||
| Ukrainian | погано | ||
| The word "погано" in Ukrainian is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "pagъ", meaning "unlucky" or "unclean." | |||
Bad in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | খারাপ | ||
| In Bengali, "খারাপ" (kharap) can have different negative connotations, including "unpleasant," "unfavorable," "rotten," or "wicked." | |||
| Gujarati | ખરાબ | ||
| The word "ખરાબ" in Gujarati originates from the Persian word "خراب" (kharāb), meaning "ruined" or "desolate". | |||
| Hindi | खराब | ||
| "खराब" originated from "कराप" meaning "evil" in Prakrit and "खराप" in Marathi, later getting its current form in Hindi. | |||
| Kannada | ಕೆಟ್ಟದು | ||
| The word 'ಕೆಟ್ಟದು' can also mean 'spoiled' or 'went bad', especially when referring to food. | |||
| Malayalam | മോശം | ||
| In Malayalam, "മോശം" can also mean "ugly" or "unsuitable". | |||
| Marathi | वाईट | ||
| The Marathi word "वाईट" ("bad") originally meant "harmful" in Sanskrit but evolved to mean "bad" due to its usage alongside negative adjectives in religious texts like the Bhagavad Gita. | |||
| Nepali | नराम्रो | ||
| The Nepali word "नराम्रो" can also mean "ugly", "disgusting", "wicked", and "harmful." | |||
| Punjabi | ਬੁਰਾ | ||
| The word "ਬੁਰਾ" can also mean "evil", "wicked", or "unlucky" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නරක | ||
| The word 'නරක' in Sinhala is derived from the Sanskrit word 'नरक' (naraka), meaning 'hell' or 'a place of punishment for the wicked'. | |||
| Tamil | மோசமான | ||
| The Tamil word மோசமான (mosamaana) is also used to describe something that is not very good, but not necessarily bad, like a mediocre film. | |||
| Telugu | చెడు | ||
| The Telugu word "చెడు" (chedu) also has alternate meanings such as "spoiled" and "corrupted". | |||
| Urdu | برا | ||
| برا 'barā' also means 'twelve' in Urdu. | |||
Bad in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 坏 | ||
| The character '坏' (huài) originally depicted a broken earthenware pot, hence its meaning 'spoiled' or 'faulty'. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 壞 | ||
| The character 壞 (坏) can also mean 'to spoil' or 'to break', and is composed of the radicals 阜 (fù, 'mound') and 歹 (dǎi, 'bad'). | |||
| Japanese | 悪い | ||
| "悪い" can also mean "not good" or "inferior" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 나쁜 | ||
| "나쁜" originally meant "salty" or "bitter" but over time came to mean "bad" in general. | |||
| Mongolian | муу | ||
| The word “муу” can mean “dark”, “black”, or “unlucky” in Mongolian. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | မကောင်းဘူး | ||
Bad in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | buruk | ||
| "Buruk" in Indonesian also means "sour" and derives from a Proto-Malay-Polynesian word root meaning "spoiled". | |||
| Javanese | ala | ||
| The word "ala" in Javanese can have multiple meanings with distinct etymologies, including being derogatory, unfortunate, or indicating a lack of quality. | |||
| Khmer | អាក្រក់ | ||
| The Khmer word អាក្រក់ originally meant "unripe" or "raw," and only later came to mean "bad" or "defective." | |||
| Lao | ບໍ່ດີ | ||
| The term "ບໍ່ດີ" originates from the Sanskrit word "duṣṭa" meaning "corrupted; defective." | |||
| Malay | buruk | ||
| "Buruk" can also mean "dirty" or "evil" or used to describe skin sores or wounds in Malay. | |||
| Thai | ไม่ดี | ||
| The Thai word "ไม่ดี" can also be used to express disapproval, dislike, or unsatisfactoriness in a less severe way compared to "เลว" (lew). | |||
| Vietnamese | xấu | ||
| "Xấu" in Vietnamese means "ugly" as well. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | masama | ||
Bad in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | pis | ||
| In Turkic languages, including Azerbaijani, "pis" means both "bad" and "dirty". | |||
| Kazakh | жаман | ||
| The Kazakh word "жаман" derives from Old Turkic "çaman", "bad", "unlucky". | |||
| Kyrgyz | жаман | ||
| The word "жаман" in Kyrgyz can also refer to a type of evil spirit or demon. | |||
| Tajik | бад | ||
| This word also means “bad quality” and is used to say that something has a “bad smell”. | |||
| Turkmen | erbet | ||
| Uzbek | yomon | ||
| The Uzbek word 'yomon' is of Persian origin and has cognates in other Iranian languages like Tajiki, Pashto, and Kurdish. | |||
| Uyghur | ناچار | ||
Bad in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | maikaʻi ʻole | ||
| ʻBadʼ and its more forceful term ʻinoʻ are often paired in a word play that emphasizes the negative qualities of something, as in ʻMaikaʻi ʻole kino, ʻino mau loa.ʼ (A bad body endures forever). | |||
| Maori | kino | ||
| In Maori, "kino" can also refer to a physical or spiritual illness or something that is morally wrong. | |||
| Samoan | leaga | ||
| The word leaga can also refer to a type of Samoan tattoo or a Samoan war club. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | masama | ||
| "Masama" can also mean "dirty," "unclean," or "evil," depending on the context. | |||
Bad in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | qhuru | ||
| Guarani | vai | ||
Bad in International Languages
| Esperanto | malbona | ||
| "Malbona" also means "sinister" from Greek "malos" and Latin "malus" and "malignant" from Greek "malakós" (soft) referring to its effect on living tissues. | |||
| Latin | malus | ||
| The Latin word "malus" also means "apple tree" and is the origin of the word "malice", meaning "ill will". | |||
Bad in Others Languages
| Greek | κακό | ||
| The word "κακό" in Greek can also mean "pain" or "evil" and is related to the word "κακός" (wicked, bad). | |||
| Hmong | phem | ||
| The word "phem" can also have negative connotations, such as meaning "broken" or "spoiled". | |||
| Kurdish | xerab | ||
| The word "xerab" in Kurdish derives from the Proto-Iranian term *ksarap- and is also an antonym of "baş" ("good"). | |||
| Turkish | kötü | ||
| The word "kötü" is derived from Proto-Turkic *kötüg meaning "rotten", and is cognate with Mongolian hötii "rotten, decayed". | |||
| Xhosa | imbi | ||
| Imbi is also the Xhosa word for a type of traditional beer made from maize. | |||
| Yiddish | שלעכט | ||
| The Yiddish word "שלעכט" (shlekht) can also refer to something unpleasant or disagreeable. | |||
| Zulu | kubi | ||
| The Zulu word "kubi" can also mean "rotten" or "sour" in certain contexts. | |||
| Assamese | বেয়া | ||
| Aymara | qhuru | ||
| Bhojpuri | खराब | ||
| Dhivehi | ގޯސް | ||
| Dogri | भैड़ा | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | masama | ||
| Guarani | vai | ||
| Ilocano | dakes | ||
| Krio | bad | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | خراپ | ||
| Maithili | खराब | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯐꯠꯇꯕ | ||
| Mizo | chhia | ||
| Oromo | badaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଖରାପ | ||
| Quechua | mana allin | ||
| Sanskrit | असमीचीनः | ||
| Tatar | начар | ||
| Tigrinya | ሕማቅ | ||
| Tsonga | biha | ||