schlecht

/ʃlɛçt/

adjective, adverb A1

der (masc.) die (fem.) das (neut.)

Underline = a spelling pattern that usually signals that gender.

Meaning

bad; badly
- Mir geht es heute schlecht.
  
  I'm not doing well today.

Similar words

schlecht is the general word for "bad" (quality, taste, mood); schlimm is used for something seriously bad or harmful, like an injury or situation.

Similar in other languages

Spanish

desfavorable

Close — bad relates to unfavourable (desfavorable).

Spanish

travieso

Close — bad (behavior) relates to naughty (travieso).

English

dreadful

schlecht is the plain word for bad, while dreadful intensifies it -- something far worse than just bad.

Practice

1 What does schlecht mean?

2 Fill the gap: Mir geht es heute ___.

3 Which fingerprint chart matches schlecht?

Opposites

adjectiveadverbcore-vocabulary

Last updated 2026-09-16