French · Emotions & Descriptions
"Bad" in French: mauvais(e)
mauvais(e)
Bad in French is mauvais for masculine words and mauvaise for feminine ones. Ce n'est pas bon often softens "it's not good". Pas terrible is a casual "not great".
Weather chat
Il y a un mauvais temps aujourd'hui.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce mauvais(e)
Say it
mov-EH / mov-EZ
/mɔ.vɛ/, /mɔ.vɛz/
Mov-EH (mauvais) and mov-EZ (mauvaise). The au sounds like o. Soft French v. Final s in mauvais is usually silent; in mauvaise it sounds like z.
"Bad" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| mauvais / mauvaise | bad General adjective with gender agreement. | General adjective with gender agreement. |
| pas bon / pas bonne | not good Softer everyday negative. | Softer everyday negative. |
| pas terrible | not great Informal understatement. | Informal understatement. |
| mauvais temps | bad weather Fixed phrase with masculine temps. | Fixed phrase with masculine temps. |
How to use mauvais(e) in real life
- 1Weather chat
Il y a un mauvais temps aujourd'hui.
There's bad weather today.
Also: il fait mauvais.
- 2Film review
Le film est mauvais, franchement.
The film is bad, frankly.
Direct opinion with masculine film.
- 3Spoiled food
Cette pomme est mauvaise.
This apple is bad.
Mauvaise agrees with feminine pomme.
Mistakes English speakers make with mauvais(e)
Incorrect: Une mauvais idée.
Correct: Une mauvaise idée.
Idée is feminine: mauvaise.
Incorrect: Il fait mauvaise.
Correct: Il fait mauvais.
The weather expression is il fait mauvais, invariable in this pattern.
Good to know
French speakers often prefer understatement: pas top, pas terrible, bof. Mauvais is clear and strong, so it can sound blunt about people; for food, pas bon is gentler.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Leaving a disappointing concert early
ChatPal
Le son est mauvais, non ?
The sound is bad, right?
You
Oui, c'est vraiment mauvais ce soir.
Yes, it's really bad tonight.
ChatPal
On part ? Ce n'est pas une mauvaise idée.
Shall we leave? That's not a bad idea.
You
D'accord. Dommage, j'espérais mieux.
Okay. Shame, I hoped for better.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Bad" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Bad" in French
How does mauvais agree?
Mauvais for masculine, mauvaise for feminine; mauvais/mauvaises in the plural.
How do I say bad weather?
Il fait mauvais or un mauvais temps.
Is mauvais rude about people?
It can sound harsh. Softer options: pas sympa, désagréable.
What does pas terrible mean?
Informal for not great / rather mediocre.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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