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How to Say "harmful" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “harmful” is “malo” — use 'malo' when referring to something generally bad for one's health or overall well-being, like a bad habit.

English → Spanish

malo

MAH-loh'malo

adjectiveB1general
Use 'malo' when referring to something generally bad for one's health or overall well-being, like a bad habit.
A cartoon character failing to hit a large target with a tennis ball, missing widely.

Examples

Fumar es malo para la salud.

Smoking is harmful to your health.

Soy muy malo para recordar nombres.

I'm very bad at remembering names.

Mi hermano es malo jugando al tenis.

My brother is bad at playing tennis.

Structure for 'Bad At'

To say you're bad at something, use the pattern 'ser malo para' + [the thing] or 'ser malo' + [an action ending in -ando/-iendo]. For example, 'Soy malo para el fútbol' or 'Soy malo jugando al fútbol'.

perjudicial

pehr-hoo-dee-SYALpeɾxuðiˈsjal

adjectiveB2general
Use 'perjudicial' for a more formal or technical term indicating a general negative impact or detriment.
A wilted, brown plant sitting next to a bottle of toxic liquid that has spilled.

Examples

Fumar es perjudicial para la salud.

Smoking is harmful to your health.

El ruido excesivo es perjudicial para los oídos.

Excessive noise is damaging to the ears.

Estas medidas son perjudiciales para la economía local.

These measures are detrimental to the local economy.

One size fits all

This word doesn't change based on gender. You can use it for 'masculine' things like 'un hábito' (a habit) or 'feminine' things like 'una dieta' (a diet) without changing the ending.

Making it plural

To talk about multiple harmful things, simply add '-es' to the end: 'perjudiciales'.

Wrong Preposition

Mistake: “perjudicial a la salud”

Correction: perjudicial para la salud

tóxico

adjectiveA2general
Choose 'tóxico' when the harm comes from a substance or has a poisonous effect, or to describe a negative environment or person.

Examples

Ten cuidado, esos productos de limpieza son tóxicos.

Be careful, those cleaning products are toxic.

destructivo

des-trook-TEE-bohdes.tɾukˈti.βo

adjectiveB1general
Use 'destructivo' when the harm involves significant damage, destruction, or a severe negative impact on progress or property.
A child's wooden block tower knocked over and scattered across the floor.

Examples

El fuego fue muy destructivo y quemó todo el bosque.

The fire was very destructive and burned the whole forest.

Debes evitar los comentarios destructivos en el trabajo.

You should avoid destructive comments at work.

Tiene un comportamiento autodestructivo que me preocupa.

He has self-destructive behavior that worries me.

Matching Gender and Number

This word changes its ending to match the thing it describes. Use 'destructivo' for masculine items (un fuego destructivo) and 'destructiva' for feminine items (una crítica destructiva).

Word Placement

In Spanish, describing words usually go after the thing they describe. For example, say 'comportamiento destructivo' (behavior destructive) rather than 'destructivo comportamiento'.

Destructivo vs. Destruido

Mistake: “La casa está destructiva.”

Correction: La casa está destruida.

maligno

mah-LEEG-nohmaˈliɣno

adjectiveC1formal
Opt for 'maligno' in a medical or serious context, referring to something that causes death or severe deterioration, like a disease.
A cluster of dark, jagged purple cells spreading across a clean surface.

Examples

Los resultados mostraron que el tumor no era maligno.

The results showed that the tumor was not malignant.

Es una forma maligna de la enfermedad.

It is a malignant form of the disease.

El cirujano extirpó el tejido maligno con éxito.

The surgeon successfully removed the malignant tissue.

Medical Accuracy

When discussing health in a professional way, 'maligno' is the technical term. Using 'malo' (bad) is understood but sounds less precise.

Confusing with 'Benigno'

Mistake: “El doctor dice que es maligno, ¡qué alivio!”

Correction: El doctor dice que es benigno, ¡qué alivio! ('Maligno' means it IS harmful/dangerous, 'Benigno' means it is not.)

Malo vs. Perjudicial

Learners often confuse 'malo' and 'perjudicial' as both can translate to 'harmful to health'. Remember, 'malo' is more common and general for well-being, while 'perjudicial' sounds more formal and emphasizes the detrimental effect.

Related Translations

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