Italian · Emotions & Descriptions
"Bad" in Italian: cattivo/a
cattivo/a
Note: also: brutto/a
Bad in Italian is often cattivo/a (kaht-TEE-voh) for a bad person or bad behaviour. For bad weather, food gone wrong, or a nasty situation, brutto/a is extremely common. Match the ending to gender and number.
About behaviour
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How to pronounce cattivo/a
Say it
kaht-TEE-voh
/katˈti.vo/
Cattivo stresses TEE: kaht-TEE-voh. Double t is held. Brutto is BROOT-toh with the same double-consonant hold.
"Bad" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| cattivo / cattiva | bad, naughty, mean People, behaviour, sometimes food taste. | People, behaviour, sometimes food taste. |
| brutto / brutta | bad, ugly, nasty Weather, situations, appearance. | Weather, situations, appearance. |
| male | badly; unwell Adverb or in sto male (I feel ill). | Adverb or in sto male (I feel ill). |
| pessimo/a | awful, terrible Strong negative quality. | Strong negative quality. |
How to use cattivo/a in real life
- 1About behaviour
Non essere cattivo con tua sorella.
Don't be mean to your sister.
Cattivo for unkind behaviour.
- 2Looking outside
Guarda fuori: quel cane è cattivo.
Look outside: that dog is mean.
Cattivo describes mean behaviour, even for animals.
- 3Food feedback
Questo latte ha un sapore cattivo.
This milk tastes bad.
Cattivo can describe off flavours.
Mistakes English speakers make with cattivo/a
Incorrect: Oggi c'è cattivo tempo.
Correct: Oggi c'è brutto tempo.
Weather uses brutto tempo, not cattivo tempo.
Incorrect: Sto cattivo.
Correct: Sto male.
Feeling unwell is sto male, not sto cattivo.
Good to know
English bad maps onto several Italian words. Cattivo leans moral or behavioural; brutto covers unpleasant weather and ugly situations; male covers feeling ill. Choosing the habitual collocation matters more than a single translation.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Cancelling a picnic because of the sky
ChatPal
Guarda fuori: che brutto cielo.
Look outside: what an ugly sky.
You
Hai ragione. Un picnic con questo tempo sarebbe cattivo come idea.
You're right. A picnic in this weather would be a bad idea.
ChatPal
Sì, cattiva idea. Restiamo a casa e vediamo un film.
Yes, bad idea. Let's stay home and watch a film.
You
Perfetto. Meglio evitare una brutta sorpresa di pioggia.
Perfect. Better to avoid a nasty rain surprise.
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 Italian
Should I learn cattivo or brutto first?
Learn both. Cattivo for mean behaviour; brutto for weather and unpleasant situations.
How do I say I feel bad?
Sto male for illness or feeling unwell. Mi sento male is the same idea.
Does cattivo agree with gender?
Yes: cattivo, cattiva, cattivi, cattive.
How do I say bad news?
Una brutta notizia is the usual phrase.
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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