male

/ˈma.le/adverb / noun · masculineA1 / A2

Most common · Top 500

Meaning · adverb

badly, wrongly

Oggi mi sento male, resto a casa.
I feel sick today, I'm staying home.

Hai scritto male il mio nome?
Did you write my name wrong?

Non parlare male di tuo fratello.
Don't speak badly about your brother.

Use 'male' for actions done poorly, not for moral wrongness (use 'sbagliato' or 'ingiusto' instead).
Avoid overusing 'male' for physical pain; 'dolore' or 'fa male' are more natural.
No agreement with subject; always 'male' regardless of gender/number (e.g., 'Lei sta male').

pain; harm

Ho un forte male alla testa.
I have a bad headache.

Che male ti ha fatto quel ragazzo?
What harm did that boy do to you?

Per fortuna, il male è già passato.
Luckily, the illness has already passed.

Word forms (2)

Word	Word forms
male	masculine · singular
mali	masculine · plural

Use 'male' for general harm or evil; 'dolore' for physical pain, 'malattia' for illness.
Common mistake: 'male' is masculine, so say 'il male' not 'la male'.
In Southern Italy, 'male' can mean 'badly' (adverb), e.g., 'sto male' (I feel bad).