# Menos mal



## Artrella

_"menos mal"_

Hola! cómo digo esto en inglés? Será "Thank God" la única manera posible?
Gracias

Moderator's note: two threads have been merged to create this one.


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## Mita

También puedes decir "just as well!"

¡Menos mal que lo encontraste! = Just as well you found it!


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## jacinta

Yo digo, "Thank Goodness!"  porque crecí en una casa donde no podíamos decir Thank God.  Se consideraba blasfemia en inglés pero no tanto en estos días.  Sigo con la creencia de mi mamá.


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## cuchuflete

So much the better.


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## Artrella

cuchuflete said:
			
		

> So much the better.




I think this is not the same cucuflete.  In Spanish it would be "mucho mejor"
"mucho mejor así" but not "menos mal"


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## Chaucer

Artrella said:
			
		

> Hola! cómo digo esto en inglés? Será "Thank God" la única manera posible?
> Gracias



Depende. Pero he aquí otra expresión que no implica dar gracias ni tener antecedentes religiosos.

*Menos mal* que has venido.
*It's a good thing* that you've come.


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## elroy

Good thing...
It's a good thing...
Thank God...
Thank goodness...
I'm so glad...
So glad...

These are some possible variants.


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## elroy

Mita said:
			
		

> También puedes decir "just as well!"
> 
> ¡Menos mal que lo encontraste! = Just as well you found it!



I don't think "just as well" works.  It doesn't quite mean the same thing.


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## cuchuflete

Artrella said:
			
		

> I think this is not the same cucuflete.  In Spanish it would be "mucho mejor"
> "mucho mejor así" but not "menos mal"


so much the better would be "mejor así" and not "*mucho* mejor así".

Mucho mejor así= That's much better.

Depending on context and tone of voice, any of these are equivalent in English, and any would serve as reasonable correspondents to "menos mal":

Just as well
Good thing
Thank goodness
thank goodness for that
thank heavens [this is stronger, would depend heavily on tone of voice]
Thank God! {likewise}
so much the better
Well, that's a relief


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## Mita

elroy said:
			
		

> I don't think "just as well" works. It doesn't quite mean the same thing.


Are you sure?  Maybe it's not the literal translation, but I think you can use it


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## jacinta

Mita said:
			
		

> Are you sure?  Maybe it's not the literal translation, but I think you can use it



To me, "just as well" has a tone of resignation.  I would sigh and say, "Oh well, it's just as well..."
So, yes, it says the same and I think the meaning depends on your tone of voice and the context.
Does this make sense??  Maybe I need more coffee (or less).


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## Artrella

Gracias a todos por su ayuda y todos los ejemplos brindados!


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## cuchuflete

jacinta said:
			
		

> To me, "just as well" has a tone of resignation.  I would sigh and say, "Oh well, it's just as well..."
> So, yes, it says the same and I think the meaning depends on your tone of voice and the context.
> Does this make sense??  Maybe I need more coffee (or less).



Jacinta- "Did I get any mail today?"

Cuchu- "Nope!"

Jacinta, smiling faintly- "Just as well, at least there won't be any more bills before tomorrow!"


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## PJ12881

O también se puede decir '(It's a) good thing that..."
Menos mal que lo encontraste.= Good thing you found it.


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## Soy Yo

Y para traducir "It's a good thing..." ... ¿se puede usar "es bueno que..."?  Y si sí lo puedes usar, es posible usar el subjuntivo.

(Ser bueno 'it's a good thing'.?)  [¿"Ser bueno"... expresión impersonal que requiere subjuntivo?)

It's a good thing Mr. Smith can support such a large family.
Es bueno que el Sr. Smith pueda mantener una familia.
Es bueno que el Sr. Smith puede mantener una familia.  

¿Una de esas oraciones es correcta?  ¿Ninguna?


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## Marcus Randall

Aquí no se dice, just as well, so much that, o so much the better. Pero yo diría algo como:
Its wonderful that...
Its great that...
Its a pleasure that....
Im pleased that...
Its wonderful that...


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## sound shift

_- It's freezing cold outside.
- *It's a good job *you wore that thick pullover.

_(Es inglés británico.)


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## plaxius

¿Cómo se traduce la frase "menos mal"?

Ejemplos:

Menos mal que salí con paraguas porque se puso a llover

Menos mal que estudié para la prueba, porque estaba difícil

Gracias.


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## albertovidal

Thank goodness


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## Chris K

"It's a good thing that I studied..." 

En otros contextos "at least" sería mejor.


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## Chris K

albertovidal said:


> Thank goodness



Also very good.


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## flyingcabbage

Aquí decimos "*Thank God*" en lugar de "*Thank goodness*" (aún he entendido a un ateista decirlo, es cómo "_Oh my God!": _ya no es religioso) 
ie. "*Thank God I'd studied for that test, it was hard!". 
*
(Other anglophones: do you say that too?)

*"It was a good thing I'd studied for that test..." *también se lo dice.


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## plaxius

thank you very much for the help


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## pachanga7

sound shift said:


> _- It's freezing cold outside.
> - *It's a good job *you wore that thick pullover.
> _
> (Es inglés británico.)


Qué interesante, sound shift. Nunca lo he escuchado por estos lares.

Estoy de acuerdo con jacinta sobre "just as well." Puede que sirve como una buena traducción en ciertos casos pero no tiene exactamente el mismo sentido como las otras frases. Implica que al principio hubo esperanzas de que algo distinto iba a suceder y cuando las cosas suceden de otra forma, es como decir "está bien" o "al fin de cuentas, era mejor así."

It's just as well we didn't go to the movies as planned because then we would have missed the wonderful meteor shower.
It's just as well class was cancelled, now we have time to work on our projects.
It's just as well I missed the bus. My best friend came along to give me a ride, and I haven't seen her in ages.


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## Rodal

Mita said:


> También puedes decir "just as well!"
> 
> ¡Menos mal que lo encontraste! = Just as well you found it!



Menos mal *no* es "just as well".
Menos mal puede ser Thank God, luckly o fortunately.


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## VIXXXTOR

Just as well = Tanto mejor


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## Cenzontle

I've learned to use a lot of Spanish idioms, but have never understood "menos mal".
On the surface it seems to imply that there was some "mal", and then something positive came along and made it "*menos* mal".
I can see that meaning in the "just as well" of this sentence:


> It's just as well we didn't go to the movies as planned because then we would have missed the wonderful meteor shower.


But with translations like "Thank goodness" and "I'm so glad", it seems that my "surface" interpretation is too limited.
Apparently "menos mal" can refer to something good without it being a "repair" to something bad.  Am I right?


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## gengo

Cenzontle said:


> Apparently "menos mal" can refer to something good without it being a "repair" to something bad. Am I right?



Yes, I think you're right, but the expression may have come from the idea of "it would have been bad if you hadn't done what you did, etc.," and therefore it is now less bad than it would have been.  That is pure speculation on my part, however.

But I have definitely heard this used many times in contexts completely devoid of anything bad.


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## duncandhu

Rodal said:


> Menos mal *no* es "just as well".
> Menos mal puede ser Thank God, luckly o fortunately.



Disculpe, pero creo que varios foreros no estamos de acuerdo con Usted. Incluso el propio diccionario de wordreference.

¿Como traduciría Ud 'just as well' al español?

Saludos,
Duncan


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## Rodal

Las expresión menos mal no se puede entender literalmente. No es menos mal por ser algo bueno. Sólo se entiende como una expresión de alivio.

Menos mal, según el diccionario.reverso.net/español

Expresa satisfacción ante el resultado positivo de algo que se esperaba fuera negativo.

Menos mal, según Origen de la expresión "menos mal"

1. loc. interj. U. para indicar alivio porque no ocurre o no ha ocurrido algo malo que se temía, o porque ocurre o ha ocurrido algo bueno con lo que apenas se contaba.

Menos mal, según WR: Menos mal (sinónimo)

Qué alivio, Qué suerte.


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## Amapolas

Cenzontle said:


> I've learned to use a lot of Spanish idioms, but have never understood "menos mal".
> On the surface it seems to imply that there was some "mal", and then something positive came along and made it "*menos* mal".
> I can see that meaning in the "just as well" of this sentence:
> 
> But with translations like "Thank goodness" and "I'm so glad", it seems that my "surface" interpretation is too limited.
> Apparently "menos mal" can refer to something good without it being a "repair" to something bad.  Am I right?


I agree with Gengo as regards the possible origin of the expression. That's how I've always understood it. However, nowadays you must understand it as a unit, without trying to break it down. It's just 'qué suerte'.


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## Rodal

duncandhu said:


> Disculpe, pero creo que varios foreros no estamos de acuerdo con Usted. Incluso el propio diccionario de wordreference.
> 
> ¿Como traduciría Ud 'just as well' al español?
> 
> Saludos,
> Duncan



Dame un ejemplo donde puedas traducir menos mal con just as well para comprenderte mejor. 
WordReference recoge el significado de alivio para menos mal tal como lo entendemos muchos foreros, incluyendo Amapolas que acaba de corroborar el significado actual de esta estructura idiomática.


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## gengo

Rodal said:


> Dame un ejemplo donde puedas traducir menos mal con just as well para comprenderte mejor.



I agree with you that "just as well" is less often the best translation (at least in AmEn), but it can be used.

-Are you ready to go to the game?
-Yes, but it's going to rain hard later.
-Just as well we have seats under the second deck!

Personally, I would say "good thing" here, but "just as well" also works.


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## VIXXXTOR

For me, as a native speaker, "¡menos mal!" (I write it with exclamative marks because it's usually uttered this way) means that a) the speaker was expecting something bad to occur and finally it didn't; or b) something bad was happening and then something else happened that somehow fixed it or made it better; or c) the speaker is glad that the situation is as it is and not as it could be (worse).
Examples: a) ¡Menos mal que al final no ha llovido! Nos habríamos puesto perdidos. b) ¡Menos mal que ha llovido! Los campos estaban demasiado secos. c) ¡Menos mal que aquí llueve bastante! Imagínate lo que debe ser vivir en el desierto.
Por cierto, en todos estos casos, y en cualquier otro, se podría sustituir "menos mal" por "gracias a Dios" (si el hablante es creyente) y el significado sería exactamente el mismo.


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## Rodal

gengo said:


> Personally, I would say "good thing" here, but "just as well" also works.



I would understand good thing as _menos mal_ in this context. I didn't know _just as well_ could be used in the same context. Wikipedia offers a good definition and I won't argue against it.  However _just as well_ is not as common as _menos mal_ and other expressions such as good thing, thank goodness that are closer in meaning to _menos mal_ specially when Google itself translates _just as well as "igual de bien"_.


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## Cerros de Úbeda

- (It's) just as well that...
- (It's a) good thing that...
- (It's a) good job that...

- It's a relief that...
- What a relief that...




Cenzontle said:


> Apparently "menos mal" can refer to something good without it being a "repair" to something bad.  Am I right?


Uhmmm, not quite... I think your initial interpretation is quite right.

The thing with 'menos mal' is that it is a figurative phrase. You shouldn't consider it literally, or you fall down a rabbit hole, spiralling and twisting out of your mind, onto a confusing labyrinth that makes less and less sense as you keep thinking about it...


'Menos mal que...' expresses a relief... The 'correction of either a bad situation, or a possible, anticipated problem.

It's either relief that something bad didn't in the end happen, or that something good or helpful did happen that you needed or didn't expect. For example:

- Me vine de vacaciones sin ropa de abrigo. *Menos mal que* estamos teniendo buen tiempo...
- ¡*Menos mal que* pillé el bus, porque era el último que había...!
- *Menos mal que* me estás ayudando tú, porque no tenía tiempo para hacer todo solo.


*(*) DLE
- Mal
- Menos mal*
1. loc. interj. U. para indicar alivio porque no ocurre o no ha ocurrido algo malo que se temía, o porque ocurre o ha ocurrido algo bueno con lo que apenas se contaba.

mal | Diccionario de la lengua española


It can be used either as an expression, inserted into a sentence (followed by 'que', as in the previous sentences).

But it can also be used an interjection, just by itself, in response to a situation or to what someone says, as follows:

1- You see the bus coming.

'¡Menos mal!'


2- Coming from the supermarket, your mother tells you:

A- No había leche en el súper, pero traje esta alternativa vegetal...
B- ¡Menos mal! Porque me había quedado sin...


I think that 'just as well' is probably the best option as a translation - although many of all the others mentioned work as well:



cuchuflete said:


> Jacinta- "Did I get any mail today?"
> Cuchu- "Nope!"
> Jacinta, smiling faintly- "Just as well, at least there won't be any more bills before tomorrow!"


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## Cenzontle

I'm getting the impression that it's futile to try to translate "Menos mal" to English without knowledge of the situation.
It seems to always indicate approval and desirability of an event or situation,
but there may or may not be an implied undesirable event that was averted.
• "It's a good thing I caught the bus, because it was the last one of the evening."
(I might have had to walk, and that would have been bad.)
• "It's just as well that I missed the bus:  I needed the exercise of walking."
(Something bad happened, but I can find something good in it.)
• "You worried that I wouldn't like soy milk, but, oh well, I accept it because it's better than having nothing to pour in my coffee."
(Something undesirable that happened isn't the worst that could have happened.)


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## Cerros de Úbeda

Cenzontle said:


> • "It's just as well that I missed the bus:  I needed the exercise of walking."
> (Something bad happened, but I can find something good in it.)




'Just as well' seems to have two possible meanings:

1- A first one, and more literal one, that refers to 'acceptance' or 'conformity' with a negative situation. This, in Spanish would be:

'No importa que...'
'Da igual que...'
'Al menos...'


2- Another one, with a more figurative sense, that would correspond with the Spanish 'menos mal':

'Menos mal que...'
'Es un alivio que...'
'Gracias a Dios que...'
'Es de agradecer que...'
'Me alegro de que...'


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## Katzuhiko Minohara

*Menos mal*. Literally "Less bad", but does it exist this expression in English?
As it has the meaning that the result is less bad from the original problem.
My try is "*at least it is nicer*". I would like to ask if it is valid or functional?

----extract from above example of Gengo (=meaning idiom in Japanese)-------.
Are you ready to go to the game?
Yes, but it's going to rain hard later.
*(Menos mal) Just as well* we have seats under the second deck! 
------end of example-------
My try:
*At least what it was nicer is that *we have seats under the second deck!

----extract from another related thread----
El divorcio no será tan complicado puesto que ambas partes están de acuerdo en que se tienen que divorciar.
¡*Menos ma*l!
The divorce won't be that complicated as both parties agree that they have to get divorced
*Thank goodness*! 
-----end of example-------
My try:
*At least that is nicer!*


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## gdiaz

duncandhu said:


> Disculpe, pero creo que varios foreros no estamos de acuerdo con Usted. Incluso el propio diccionario de wordreference.
> 
> ¿Como traduciría Ud 'just as well' al español?
> 
> Saludos,
> Duncan



"Qué bueno que"... y sirve también para reemplazar "menos mal que"


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