# mala mía, my bad



## Tatzingo

Hi,

Last night I learn't about the English expression "my bad" which apparently in certain countries is used to mean "my mistake." Does anyone  know which countries this is used in? I am from the UK and had never heard of this expression before.... then again, i could be the only one!

On a related note, another forero kindly pointed out to me that in Spanish, "Mala Mia" can be used to mean "Oops, I slipped up" (therefore, "it was my mistake.") 

Ref:

http://forum.wordreference.com/showpost.php?p=1433677&postcount=25

Can any hispanohablantes tell me in which countries this expression is used and whether it is derived from the English "my bad" or whther it is the other way around?


Tatz.


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## Manuel Herman

In Spain, at least, is used "Fallo mío", when you want to say "My fault". I think that "mala mía" would be from América.


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## mazbook

"My bad" is finally dying out in the U.S., ¡Gracias de Díos!  I've never heard ¡Mala mia! in my part of México, but that doesn't mean that isn't used elsewhere in México.  It doesn't sound nearly as bad to me as that awful "My bad." in English.

Saludos desde Mazatlán


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## danielfranco

I've never heard "mala mía" used like this before in Mexico or in Texas. The closest expression I've heard before is the Spanish for "mea culpa": "es mi culpa".
Regards.


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## Tatzingo

Thanks for all your answers. If anyone else has an opinion, feel free to jump right in!

Tatz.


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## Monnik

I have never heard "mala mía" being used in my part of Mexico, either.  Yet, what some of us do use is the common Latin phrase "_mea culpa".  _Might not be extremely common, but I have heard and used it many times.

Be good...


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## renneo

Actually "my bad" it is used by teenagers and young adults, although it is becoming mainstream for all ages. The use of "mea culpa" although it's right, who has ever heard a young adult say it? let alone a teenager! I moved to the US almost 10 years, so I would not know the right terminology for it at the moment....and "mala mia"....I've never heard of it.....sounds weird!


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## Monnik

renneo said:


> Actually "my bad" it is used by teenagers and young adults, although it is becoming mainstream for all ages. The use of "mea culpa" although it's right, who has ever heard a young adult say it? let alone a teenager! I moved to the US almost 10 years, so I would not know the right terminology for it at the moment....and "mala mia"....I've never heard of it.....sounds weird!


 

Okay, okay, so I'm not a teenager...


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## Moritzchen

Neither am I Monnik, but I use "my bad" sometimes, and its use is quite widespread, at least in LA.


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## mariposita

I think *my bad* is more mainstream than ever... This summer when I was traveling around the US (East Coast, the South, Florida, the Midwest), I heard it pretty much everywhere, even rural areas. When I first heard it--maybe ten years ago--I think it was pretty much restricted to big cities (I was living in DC at the time). 

I really don't see what's wrong with it. It's an idiomatic expression like any other. "*I'm sorry*" is so overused by Americans that it has nearly lost it's meaning and impact for small transgressions. I think this is why* my bad* has been successful.


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## Tatzingo

Another question branching off from the first. It ("my bad") seems to be fairly mainstream in the US as one forero put it, but is it also used in say Canada? Australia? UK - has it reached our shores yet ;-) ?

And am i correct then in concluding that Mala mia would be confined to parts of Uruguay?

Tatz.


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## PolCas

As for the "Mala mía" thing, I'd like to give some context to the participants here, because sometimes when you see something out of its common context you may not find it familiar.

Google shows nearly 28.000 hits for "mala mía".

This is a excerpt from a song by "Calle 13":

"Aquí se respeta o se te espeta
No me agites, no me hagas decir *puñeta *
Ya lo dije, *mala mía*, pero es que no voy con los gringos 
Los tengo del tingo al tango, y del tango al tingo 
Y yo voy a mí aunque sean un *chingo*"

Given the words in Blue, I think the Group is from Mexico. http://www.letrascanciones.com.mx/index.php?search=songid&id=228094

Another song excerpt:
Llamo A Tu Celular Y No Contestas
Escuchame, Aunque Sea Una Vez
Tu Me Haces Falta, Te Nesecito
Perdoname, Contigo Quiero Volver

Mala Mia Si Te Engañe,
Mala Mia Si Te Fui Infiel,
Mala Mia, Se Que La Culpa Es Mia
Mala Mia Si Te Falle,
Mala Mia Si Te Lastime,
Mala Mia, Se Que La Culpa Es Mia (I have no clue where these guys are from).
http://www.musica.com/letras.asp?letra=800780

"Disculpen todos, este punto fue mala mia, se me olvido incluirlo, ya actualize el pack e incluye un desintalador, gracias Marte!"
http://www.macthink.net/community/viewtopic.php?t=11298&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15

My point here is to show that the expression seems to be used in many places although it may not be used by all people.


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## Monnik

Moritzchen said:


> Neither am I Monnik, but I use "my bad" sometimes, and its use is quite widespread, at least in LA.


 
Oh, absolutely... Lived in Ca for quite some time, and I am very familiar with the phrase.


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## Soy Yo

I think the problem with "my bad" is that it is a flip expression and doesn't really mean "I'm sorry"... it is recognition of a mistake but makes no apology for the mistake.  That's why it's objectionable.  It shows the same amount of sincerity as "whatever!".  Sorry to be such a grouch


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## Sabelotodo

Soy Yo said:


> I think the problem with "my bad" is that it is a flip expression and doesn't really mean "I'm sorry"... it is recognition of a mistake but makes no apology for the mistake. That's why it's objectionable. It shows the same amount of sincerity as "whatever!". Sorry to be such a grouch


 
That's EXACTLY the way I feel about it.  I guess I'm a grouch too.  I feel that if one wants to take responsibility for a mistake and make a proper apology, a simple "I'm sorry" or "Pardon me" shows so much more class.  It wouldn't kill anyone to utter one additonal syllable.


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## mariposita

Soy Yo said:


> I think the problem with "my bad" is that it is a flip expression and doesn't really mean "I'm sorry"... it is recognition of a mistake but makes no apology for the mistake. That's why it's objectionable. It shows the same amount of sincerity as "whatever!". Sorry to be such a grouch


 
I must be an even bigger grouch, because when we say "*I'm sorry*" in America, I don't think that we really mean it most of the time.

The way that I have heard *my bad* used most is not equivalent to "*whatever*," instead it is much closer to _*mea culpa*_, *my mistake*,* oops, I'm sorry, ha sido fallo mío*... that sort of thing. 

Which is not to say that an obnoxious person couldn't use the expression sarcastically. But the same can be said of *I'm sorry*, which can mean anything but a sincere expression of regret when said in a snotty tone or as a pavlovian reflex. That doesn't mean that its use can't be sincere under the right conditions.

P.S. I'm wondering if those who feel negatively about the expression have children or are around young people who say it to them in a sarcastic, disaffected way...


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## Soy Yo

I didn't mean that "my bad" means "whatever"... rather that it is offered in the same attitude as a "whatever!"...  But I don't see any kind of apology in "my bad"...whereas "I'm sorry" at least implies it whether it is sincere or not.  Sorry!


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## diseña

Tatzingo said:


> Hi,
> 
> Last night I learn't about the English expression "my bad" which apparently in certain countries is used to mean "my mistake." Does anyone know which countries this is used in? I am from the UK and had never heard of this expression before.... then again, i could be the only one!


I have heard it, but only on TV (probably American drama series).
I've seen it written on the Internet a lot, though.


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## Mirlo

We do not use "mala mía" in Panamá neither, I though I let you know.
Greetings,


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## mariposita

Soy Yo said:


> I didn't mean that "my bad" means "whatever"... rather that it is offered in the same attitude as a "whatever!"


 
That's not my experience at all... But then again, I don't watch TV and have only heard it used first-hand by friends, family, and other people in my life.


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## Tatzingo

Thanks for all the input so far! I'm still awaiting input from down under ;-) Any Australians care to shed light on the usage of "my bad" over there? ;-)

Tatz.


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## M.mac

> is it also used in say Canada? Australia? UK


 
How about New Zealand? It is understood here, but I don't know if I've heard it used.


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## Tatzingo

M.mac said:


> How about New Zealand? It is understood here, but I don't know if I've heard it used.



Apologies for that omission. Thanks for the contribution too ;-)

Tatz.


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## M.mac

> Any Australians care to shed light on the usage of "my bad" over there? ;-)


Also, it may be a bit early for the Aussies, it's only 6.30am over there.


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## M.mac

No worries Tatz, I know there's not that many of us - and even fewer on this forum.


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## Tatzingo

M.mac said:


> No worries Tatz, I know there's not that many of us - and even fewer on this forum.



It's not really numbers that matter but rather those who are willing to speak up! Still waiting for Australia ;-)

Tatz.


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## Reina140

When someone says "my bad" they usually haven't done anything serious that would require an apology, for example:

"You put the dishes on the wrong shelf."
"Oh, my bad."

Also, as someone stated earlier, anything can be said with sarcasm, but this is usually said in casual conversation.


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## Mirlo

Mirlo said:


> We do not use "mala mía" in Panamá neither, I though I let you know.
> Greetings,


 
I also wanted to add, that my translations are not based in what "google" says. I learned to read, speak and write Spanish way before "google".


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## losher

According to my OED, it is a US colloquialism, circa 1986, and 
the origin is thought to be from basketball, 
viz: "...an expression of contrition uttered after
making a bad pass or missing an opponent...".

It's useful when one wants to convey extreme informality
when apologizing, for example, if the transgression is too
minor to warrant anything more formal.  At the risk of sounding ageist, 
be aware that it's one of those terms that may
sound faintly ridiculous when uttered by someone much over 35.

Cheers,

Losher


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## fundaddynerd

Ok, shedding some light.

Mala Mia is a puertorican phrase and yes it stands for My Bad. Calle 13, whose lyrics were quoted before is also from Puerto Rico.

Trust me, we use mala mia on Puerto Rico on a daily basis.


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## carpintero

Oh no! I thought "my bad" was confined to my area of the southeast US, since I have never heard it on TV.  I was hoping it would die out before it spread. Oh well.  I must admit that I have caught myself saying it at times, _as an apology.  And I sincerely meant it as an apology._  I don't like the phrase because it sounds stupid, but I have heard it so much that I used it without thinking.  I have always perceived it to be an apology, delivered with the tone and demeanor of an apology.


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## Silver Sapphire

carpintero said:


> I must admit that I have caught myself saying it at times, _as an apology.  And I sincerely meant it as an apology._  I don't like the phrase because it sounds stupid, but I have heard it so much that I used it without thinking.



Same here. It seldom happens now, though. Which is a good thing, I guess.


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## Dbgonzal

Simply wanted to add that "mala mia" is not typically used or recognized by native Spanish speakers from Spain, or Latin America. For the most part, when you say it, you'll probably get a confused look on the face of whomever your speaking with. 

Now that being said, as slang, my Venezuelan friends use both mala Mia and mala tuya.... But in both of those cases: 
Mala Mia seems to mean more like... My bad, but not because you did something wrong, but because you have something someone else wants... Like I just got a new fresh pair of shoes..."mala mia"

Conversely,you just found out you got an F on a test, or your girlfriend was cheating on you... 
Someone if there cruel might say, "mala tuya" which would be understood more like... It sucks to be you.

As already mentioned, this was something said amongst my friends from Venezuela, and when I met other Venezuelans they seemed to know exactly what I was referring to....

Audience typically included Venezuelans between the ages of 18-35


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## Jaime Bien

Para mí, "Ha sido mala mía/tuya" o simplemente "Mala mía/tuya" sí que es común, por lo menos yo lo utilizaba así de pequeño, y aún lo podría utilizar si estuviera practicando un deporte de dos o más personas. Y vendría a significar que el fallo que se ha producido ha sido comentido por mí/ti.

 Por ejemplo (aunque no sé si es el mejor ejemplo), si estamos jugando al tenis y devuelvo la pelota muy cerca de la línea de fondo de la otra parte del campo, imaginando que haya ido afuera, mi contricante podría decir "Mala tuya". Y sí tú lo tienes claro, podrías responder "Sí, sí, ya he visto que ha sido mala mía".


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## ivb8921

Jaime Bien said:


> Para mí, "Ha sido mala mía/tuya" o simplemente "Mala mía/tuya" sí que es común, por lo menos yo lo utilizaba así de pequeño, y aún lo podría utilizar si estuviera practicando un deporte de dos o más personas. Y vendría a significar que el fallo que se ha producido ha sido comentido por mí/ti.
> 
> Por ejemplo (aunque no sé si es el mejor ejemplo), si estamos jugando al tenis y devuelvo la pelota muy cerca de la línea de fondo de la otra parte del campo, imaginando que haya ido afuera, mi contricante podría decir "Mala tuya". Y sí tú lo tienes claro, podrías responder "Sí, sí, ya he visto que ha sido mala mía".



Si pero no en el sentido del uso de "mala mía" como "mi culpa" o "culpa mía".


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## Jaime Bien

Tienes razón. Supongo que no leí con la debida atención. Bueno, pero ahí queda otro uso posible de la expresión.


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## Cacofilus

I guess it has a very intuitive meaning. However, that doesn't implies that is correct. If you say "mala mía" to any spanish speaker, at least in Southamerica, probably it would be understood, but it wouldn't sound natural.


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## DrSnooze

Buenas! Bueno, entre buscando la traducción a esta frase, ya que el My Bad no me parecía del todo acertado. En Argentina tenemos varias situaciones en la cual poder usar la frase.

Deportivas, como bien informaba alguien mas arriba, pero también se usa entre amigos, cuando alguno de ellos se ha mandado una macana (mandarse una macana se traduce como cometer un error), pero dentro de lo amigable de la situación, uno reconoce con algo de complicidad y diversión el error y dice esa frase. 

Ejemplos: 

Todos reunidos antes de entrar a un boliche, tomando fernet con coca cola y el encargado de comprar el fernet en vez de traer uno marca Branca trae uno de menor calidad, 1882 por ejemplo. Cuando alguien dice: EH quien fue el boludo que compro este fernet? El que lo hizo se levantara y dirá: mala mía! 

O por ejemplo si están discutiendo por algo, y uno le dice, El lápiz salio 15$, el otro contesta, no sale 20$ y discuten hasta que uno le dice: sale 20, no viste que publique una foto de la factura? Y el que decía que salia 15 se hace cargo del error y dice: mala mía.

Como ven, el termino puede ser usado en muchas situaciones, y en la Argentina se usa mucho.

Abrazo


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## matthews028

"My bad" is perfect informal American English and I use it all the time.

It is useful because it is more *precise and specific* than "I'm sorry". If I live with someone else and they pay the utilities for the house, and one month the utility bill is very high, if I say "I'm sorry" it can mean either "I apologize" *OR* "I share your pain; it is unfortunate that the bill is so high"--that is, though it's used sincerely, it's not necessarily an apology. But sometimes I want to be explicit that it *is* my fault that the utility bill is high (because I take three hour-long baths a week or something), so I say "my bad" to emphasize that it is MY fault that it happened. I don't just lament someone else's sorrow; I accept responsibility for it.

BAM! Don't you talk smack about my dialect!!


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## Mirlo

> Untranslatability is a property of a text, or of any utterance, in one language, for which no equivalent text or utterance can be found in another language when translated.
> 
> Terms are, however, neither exclusively translatable nor exclusively untranslatable; rather, the degree of difficulty of translation depends on their nature, as well as on the translator's knowledge of the languages in question.
> 
> Quite often, a text or utterance that is considered to be "untranslatable" is actually a lacuna, or lexical gap. That is, there is no one-to-one equivalence between the word, expression or turn of phrase in the source language and another word, expression or turn of phrase in the target language. A translator can, however, resort to a number of translation procedures to compensate for this. Therefore, untranslatability or difficulty of translation does not always carry deep linguistic relativity implications; denotation can virtually always be translated, given enough circumlocution, although connotation may be ineffable or inefficient to convey.


In my personal opinion I would not use "mala mia" for my bad.  It sounds awful and It really doesn't convey nothing in Spanish either.


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## gengo

mazbook said:


> "My bad" is finally dying out in the U.S.



Say what?  Nothing could be farther from the truth, where I live, and I'm writing this eight years after the above quotation.  This phrase is now entrenched in modern AmEn, and everyone I know uses it, not just young people.  And it is used to mean "I"m sorry," but it sometimes makes me laugh.  I coach youth baseball, and whenever a kid commits an error, he invariably says "My bad" to his teammates, which is comical because, duh!, who else's bad would it be?  "I'm sorry" would fit much better there, but it is never, ever used by the players.

I understand why some people may not like this phrase, but all languages are full of phrases that are odd if you analyze them.  For example, why do we say "thank you" without a subject pronoun?  It makes no sense, but that's the way it is.


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## Adrianleo

Hello, My bad is a translation of "Mala Mia", those words comes from Argentina, my Country.
In low zones (en la villa), the people says "Mala Mia" as an apologize for a mistake, bad expression or a bad reference.
Example: "Perdón, me equivoqué" or "Mala Mia".

Is a language of cumbia people (cumbieros).


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## sabate

Hi, I cannot but disagree with Adrianleo. The origin of the Spanish "mala mía" is unclear but the use is certainly not restricted to popular classes today. You can see in this link the official tweet by the Government of the city of Buenos Aires: "Mala nuestra", they apologized when they wrongly attributed a quote to Borges.  Con errores ortográficos la Ciudad se disculpó por el papelón de Borges


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## Raposu

Now (2016) I still hear "my bad" in New England where I live, but I've never heard it used as a real apology for anything.  It has more the flavor of an acknowledgment of the speaker's responsibility for something that is a relativeyl minor fault or failure.


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