The Italian word male is both a noun and an adverb.

 

As a noun it is in the masculine gender, and is used to describe the pain someone is experiencing, someone’s harm, the lowest moral condition (il male). It translates in English as evil / ill / pain, ache / disease / harm.

 

Examples:

 

L’eterna lotta tra il bene e il male. / The eternal fight between good and evil

Dove ti fa male? / Where does it hurt?

Non ho fatto nulla di male. / I didn’t do anything wrong.

Che male c’è nell’essermi innamorato di te? / What’s wrong in having fallen for you?

Che tu te ne vada è veramente un male? / Is it really a bad thing that you’re leaving?

 

Some compounds:

 

mal di pancia / bellyache

mal di testa / headache

mal di schiena / backache

mal sottile (literary) / tuberculosis

mal di mare / seasickness

 

Some expressions:

 

Fare male (alla salute) / To be bad for one’s health

Non ti farebbe male (fare qualcosa) / It wouldn’t do you any harm (to do something, or something)

Volere male a qualcuno / To bear ill will to someone

Andare a male / To go bad

Aversene a male / To take something amiss

A mali estremi, estremi rimedi / Drastic times call for drastic measures

 

As an adverb male translates in English as badly / poorly / wrongly

 

Examples:

 

Anna stava male, è andata a casa / Anna was feeling bad, she went home.

La radio funziona male / The radio doesn’t work properly.

Marco è pigro e lavora male / Marco is lazy and works badly.

Hai capito male, non intendevo dire questo / You misinterpreted my words, I didn’t mean that.

“Pronto? Puoi ripetere? Ti sento male” / “Hello? Can you repeat it? I can’t hear you very well”

Mi hai fatto male. / You hurt me.

 

Some expressions:

 

Comportarsi male / To misbehave (oneself)

Abituarsi male / To get into a bad habit

Volersi bene / To love each other

Andare male (in qualcosa) / To be bad (at something)

Non mi sta bene / I don’t agree

Mal che vada / At worst

Andare di male in peggio / To go from bad to worse

Parlare male di qualcuno / to badmouth somebody

La vedo male (figurative) / I don’t like the look of it

 

Its comparative is peggio or più male (used only in some particular contexts).

Its superlative (absolute) is malissimo or pessimamente.

 

male (badly, bad)—> peggio (worse)—> malissimo, pessimamente (very bad, awful)

 

Examples:

 

Anna sta male. / Anna is feeling bad.

Anna sta peggio di prima. / Anna feels worse than before.

Anna sta malissimo. / Anna feels awful.