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mal

badly

adverb MAL Common

Also means

wrong

Usage Note

Mal as an adverb pairs with many verbs: se sentir mal means to feel unwell, and ça tombe mal means 'it comes at a bad time.' It also functions as a noun (le mal, meaning 'pain' or 'evil') and appears in expressions like avoir du mal à meaning to have difficulty doing something.

Examples

"Elle a mal dormi cette nuit."

Natural Translation

She slept badly last night.

Literal Translation

She has badly slept this night.

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