Portuguese · Emotions & Descriptions
"Bad" in Portuguese: ruim
ruim
Note: also: mau / má
Bad in Portuguese is often ruim for quality: um dia ruim, uma ideia ruim. Mau and má also mean bad, especially before nouns for character or luck: um mau hábito, má sorte. Beginners can start with ruim.
Weather talk
Hoje está um dia ruim para ir à praia.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce ruim
Say it
hoo-EENG
/ˈʁuim/
hoo-EENG in much of Brazil (r like h), or roughly HWEENG. One syllable feel with a glide.
"Bad" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ruim | bad Default for poor quality or a rough day. | Default for poor quality or a rough day. |
| mau | bad (masculine) Often before masculine nouns: mau exemplo. | Often before masculine nouns: mau exemplo. |
| má | bad (feminine) Before feminine nouns: má ideia, má sorte. | Before feminine nouns: má ideia, má sorte. |
| péssimo / péssima | awful Stronger than ruim. | Stronger than ruim. |
| não está bom | it's not good Softer negative review. | Softer negative review. |
How to use ruim in real life
- 1Weather talk
Hoje está um dia ruim para ir à praia.
Today is a bad day to go to the beach.
Ruim stays the same for many noun genders in this use.
- 2Reviewing food
A pizza estava ruim e fria.
The pizza was bad and cold.
Ruim is the natural quality judgment.
- 3Warning a friend
Isso é uma ideia ruim agora.
That is a bad idea right now.
Ruim works after the noun for a quick quality judgment.
Mistakes English speakers make with ruim
Incorrect: Um malo dia
Correct: Um dia ruim / Um mau dia
Malo is Spanish. Portuguese uses ruim or mau.
Incorrect: Ela é ruim pessoa
Correct: Ela é má pessoa / Ela é uma pessoa ruim
Before pessoa, má pessoa is the smoother pattern for character.
Good to know
Ruim is the workhorse word for bad quality in Brazilian speech. Mau/má still appear in set phrases like má sorte and mau humor. Softening a complaint with não estava bom often sounds more polite than a blunt ruim.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Leaving a disappointing movie
ChatPal
Sério? Você achou o filme ruim?
Really? You thought the movie was bad?
You
Achei. O final foi ruim demais.
I did. The ending was really bad.
ChatPal
Eu só achei a trilha sonora má, não o filme inteiro.
I only thought the soundtrack was bad, not the whole film.
You
Concordo em parte. Mas a história ficou ruim no segundo tempo.
I partly agree. But the story went bad in the second half.
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 Portuguese
Should I learn ruim or mau first?
Start with ruim for quality. Add mau/má for phrases like má sorte and mau humor.
Does ruim change for gender?
No. Um filme ruim, uma ideia ruim.
How do I say very bad?
Muito ruim or the stronger péssimo/péssima.
What is a polite way to complain?
Não estava bom or Esperava mais softens a blunt ruim.
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
