Inklingo

How to Say "bad habit" in Spanish

The Spanish word forbad habitis vicioA2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA2

vicio

nounA2
a repetitive negative behavior
A colorful storybook illustration of a person sitting on a sofa, surrounded by empty snack bags and candy wrappers.

Examples

Morderse las uñas es un mal vicio.

Biting your nails is a bad habit.

El juego se convirtió en un vicio para él.

Gambling became a vice for him.

No puedo dejar de ver esta serie, ¡es puro vicio!

I can't stop watching this series, it's so addictive!

Using 'vicio' with Verbs

When describing a specific habit, use 'vicio de' followed by a verb that ends in -ar, -er, or -ir (the infinitive), like 'el vicio de fumar'.

The Gender of Vicio

This word is masculine, so always use 'el' or 'un'. Even if the person with the habit is female, the word itself stays 'el vicio'.

Vicio vs. Culpa

Mistake:Using 'vicio' to mean a mistake was your fault.

Correction: Use 'culpa' for blame. 'Vicio' refers to the habit itself, not the responsibility for an error.

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