tener mala leche
Lemma Details
Translation: to be ill-tempered; to be bad-natured; to have a nasty disposition; to be in a foul mood
Part of Speech: idiom
Etymology: This Spanish idiom literally translates to 'to have bad milk.' Its origin relates to the old belief that a mother's milk could transmit character traits to a baby. If a woman had 'mala leche' (bad milk), it was thought her child would develop a bad temperament. Over time, the expression evolved to describe anyone with a bad attitude or nasty disposition, regardless of how they were fed as infants.
Commonality: 70%
Guessability: 20%
Register: informal
Example Usage
No le pidas favores a Juan, tiene mala leche y seguro te dice que no.
Don't ask Juan for favors, he's ill-tempered and will surely say no.
El jefe tiene mala leche hoy, mejor no molestarlo.
The boss is in a foul mood today, better not bother him.
María siempre ha tenido mala leche, desde que la conozco.
Maria has always been bad-natured, since I've known her.
Mnemonics
- Think of someone drinking spoiled milk and getting cranky as a result.
- Imagine that 'bad milk' creates 'sour' people, just like milk turns sour when it goes bad.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
This expression is very common in Spain and some Latin American countries. It's used colloquially to describe someone who is consistently bad-tempered or who is temporarily in a foul mood. While not extremely vulgar, it's considered informal and would not be appropriate in formal settings or professional environments.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'tener mala leche' means to be ill-tempered, 'tener leche' (literally 'to have milk') is often used colloquially to mean 'to have good luck'.
Confused word:
Juan tiene mucha leche, ganó la lotería dos veces.
Juan is very lucky, he won the lottery twice.
Notes: The contrast between these expressions shows how the addition of the adjective 'mala' completely changes the meaning from something positive (luck) to something negative (bad temper).
Mnemonic: Bad milk (mala leche) makes you sour; just milk (leche) makes you fortunate.
Explanation: 'Tener mala leche' refers to a permanent character trait or disposition, while 'estar de mala leche' refers to a temporary state or mood.
Confused word:
Hoy está de mala leche porque perdió su teléfono.
Today he's in a bad mood because he lost his phone.
Notes: The difference between these expressions follows the general Spanish distinction between 'ser/tener' (permanent states) and 'estar' (temporary conditions).
Mnemonic: 'Tener' (to have) is permanent, 'estar' (to be) is temporary.