Olá, queridos alunos! (Hello, dear students!)
Do you know the difference between the words MAL (with L) and MAU (with U)?
An easy way to understand the meaning of these words is to remember that MAL (with L) is the opposite of “bem” (well) and MAU (with U) is the opposite of “bom” (good).
In other words, MAL (with L) is an adverb, while MAU (with U) is an adjective, but what does that mean?
Don’t worry! In this lesson, you’re going to learn how to use the words MAL (with L) and MAU (with U) in several different contexts.
👉 This lesson comes with a free worksheet with the summary of the lesson, many examples in sentences, and exercises for you to practice. Click here to download your worksheet.
How to use the word “mal”
The word MAL (with L) is an adverb, that is, it modifies a verb or adjective.
In Portuguese, adverbs are invariable. Therefore, the word MAL does not vary in gender and number.
The word MAL can be used in many different contexts. Let’s study the most common uses:
- MAL means “sem conforto ou bem-estar, ou estado ruim de saúde” (without comfort or well-being, or bad health). For example:
Carolina está se sentindo mal hoje. (Carolina is feeling unwell today.)
- MAL means “de maneira cruel, desumanamente” (cruelly, inhumanly). For example:
Eu não gosto de pessoas que tratam mal os animais. (I don’t like people who mistreat animals.)
- MAL means “com baixo nível de qualidade, ou de modo imperfeito” (with a low level of quality or in an imperfect way). For example:
João dirige muito mal. (João drives very poorly.)
- MAL means “rapidamente, de modo ligeiro, assim que” (quickly, barely, as soon as). For example:
Mal chegou em casa, Maria foi se deitar. (As soon as she got home, Maria went to bed.)
- MAL means “de forma incorreta e injusta” (in an incorrect or unfair way). For example:
Ele agiu muito mal. (He handled it very badly.)
- MAL means “de modo desfavorável” (in an unfavorable way). For example:
Não devemos falar mal de pessoas que não estão presentes. (We must not speak ill of people who are not present.)
- The word MAL can also be a masculine noun. Here are some examples:
Todos sabemos o mal que o cigarro faz. (We all know the harm that cigarettes cause.)
Não quero o mal de ninguém. (I don’t wish harm upon anyone.)
How to use the word “MAU”
The word MAU (with U) is an adjective, that is, it modifies a noun.
In Portuguese, adjectives are variable. Therefore, the word MAU varies in gender and number: MAU, MÁ, MAUS, MÁS.
But here is something interesting: in Brazil, we rarely use the adjective MAU, as it is much more common to use the adjective RUIM. We usually use the adjective MAU/MÁ to refer to a mean, bad-natured person:
Ele é mau. Ela é má. (He is bad. She is bad.)
In other contexts, it’s more common to use the word RUIM.
The words MAU and RUIM can be used in many different contexts. Let’s study the most common uses:
- MAU or RUIM means “maldoso, que pratica atos maus, que não tem bons sentimentos” (evil, someone who does bad deeds, who doesn’t have good intentions). For example:
Aquele homem é mau e perigoso. (That man is evil and dangerous.)
Aquele homem é ruim e perigoso. (That man is evil and dangerous.)
- MAU or RUIM means “malfeito ou com baixa qualidade” (poorly made or of poor quality). For example:
Estes filmes são maus. (These movies are bad.)
Estes filmes são ruins. (These movies are bad.)
- MAU or RUIM means “ falta de talento ou competência” (lacking talent or competence). For example:
Ele é um mau motorista. (He’s a bad driver.)
Ele é um motorista ruim. (He’s a bad driver.)
- MAU or RUIM refers to someone who “não cumpre seus deveres ou obrigações” (does not fulfill their duties or obligations). For example:
Elas são más alunas. (They’re bad students.)
Elas são alunas ruins. (They’re bad students.)
- MAU or RUIM means “inconveniente ou inoportuno” (inconvenient or inopportune). For example:
Esta é uma má hora para falar sobre este assunto. (This is a bad time to talk about this topic.)
Esta é uma hora ruim para falar sobre este assunto. (This is a bad time to talk about this topic.)
- MAU or RUIM means “ desagradável” (unpleasant). For example:
Este lugar tem um mau cheiro. (This place has a bad smell.)
Este lugar tem um cheiro ruim. (This place has a bad smell.)
- The word MAU can also be a masculine noun. Here are some examples:
Às vezes os maus também ganham. (Sometimes the bad guys win too.)
O mau do Brasil é a burocracia. (The bad thing about Brazil is bureaucracy.)
To Summarize
MAL (badly) with L is an adverb and is the opposite of the word BEM (well).
MAU (bad) with U is an adjective and is the opposite of the word BOM (good).
Let’s look at some common examples with these four words:
Ele é bem-humorado. Ele é mal-humorado. (He’s good-humored. He is ill-humored.)
Ela está de bom humor. Ela está de mau humor. (She’s in a good mood. She is in a bad mood.)
Este computador é bom. Funciona muito bem. (This computer is good. It works very well.)
Este computador é ruim. Funciona muito mal. (This computer is bad. It works very badly.)
Ela é uma boa aluna e muito bem-educada. (She is a good student and very well behaved.)
Ele é um mau aluno e muito mal-educado. (He is a bad student and very ill behaved.)
➔ To learn more about the words “bem” and “bom”, click here.
Free worksheet!
👉 This lesson comes with a free worksheet with the summary of the lesson, many examples in sentences, and exercises for you to practice. Click here to download your worksheet.
Online Brazilian Portuguese Courses
If you enjoyed this lesson, you’ll love our courses! At Speaking Brazilian School, we offer digital courses, small group classes, and private lessons. Click here to learn more about our Brazilian Portuguese online classes.
