“Lo Malo” is one of those songs that makes you want to put on your shoes, leave the house, and decide that tonight is very much about you.
Originally performed by Aitana and Ana Guerra, the 2018 remix brings in Greeicy and TINI for an even bigger, more international version. The song is all about leaving behind the “chico malo,” taking back your time and attention, and realizing that sometimes losing someone is actually winning yourself back. The remix was released on August 24, 2018. (Apple Music – Web Player)
And honestly, the line “Solo con perderte, ya gané” is doing a lot of emotional heavy lifting here.
▶️ Watch “Lo Malo (Remix)” by Aitana, Ana Guerra, Greeicy & TINI on YouTube: Watch on YouTube
🎵 About the Song
At its heart, “Lo Malo” is about drawing a line under a relationship that isn’t working and choosing yourself instead. The narrator isn’t interested in pretending anymore, answering calls, or making space for someone who has already taken up too much of it.
The language is particularly useful for Spanish learners because it mixes everyday Spanish with colloquial shortcuts like pa’, conversational expressions such as pasar de alguien, and some wonderfully dramatic imagery. There is also a little English mixed in with game, which feels very natural in the context of contemporary pop music.
The song became closely associated with themes of independence and self-assertion, and its original version was one of Spain’s candidates for Eurovision 2018 before finishing third in the national selection. (Wikipedia)
📖 Reading Comprehension Level: A2-B1
I’d put this song at around A2-B1 for Spanish learners.
The basic story is easy to follow, but there are several expressions where knowing the individual words isn’t enough. “Paso de ti,” “ya gané,” “me has hecho rabiar,” and “pa’ fuera” are much more useful when understood as complete expressions.
We will focus on:
- Everyday relationship vocabulary
- Colloquial forms such as pa’
- Useful verbs including fingir, servir, colgar, perder, ganar, fijarse and rabiar
- Ir a + infinitive for future plans
- Acabar + gerund and other ways of describing completed changes
- Pasar de alguien as a colloquial expression
- Lo que + verb
- Direct and indirect object pronouns
- Understanding expressions beyond their literal translations
🎶 Lo Malo – Spanish Lyrics + English Translation
Voy a salir, no más fingir, no más servir
I’m going out, no more pretending, no more serving.
La noche es pa’ mí, no es de otro
The night is for me, it’s not someone else’s.
Te voy a colgar, ya no hay vuelta atrás
I’m going to hang up on you, there’s no turning back.
Si me llamas, no respondo
If you call me, I won’t answer.
Tira porque te toca a ti perder
Go ahead, because it’s your turn to lose.
Que aquí ya se perdió tu game
Because your game has already been lost here.
Tiro porque me toca a mí otra vez
I go because it’s my turn again.
Solo con perderte, ya gané
Just by losing you, I’ve already won.
Pero si me toca, toca, tócame
But if it’s my turn, it’s my turn, touch me.
Yo decido el cuándo, el dónde y con quién
I decide the when, the where, and with whom.
Que voy a darme a mí de una y otra y otra vez
That I’m going to give myself, again and again.
Lo que tanto me quité, que pa’ ti tan poco fue
What I took away from myself for so long, which was so little for you.
Y yo voy, voy, voy lista pa’ bailar
And I’m going, going, going, ready to dance.
Porque tú hoy, hoy me has hecho rabiar
Because today, today you’ve made me furious.
Y yo voy, voy, voy lista pa’ bailar
And I’m going, going, going, ready to dance.
Tengo claro que no me voy a fijar
I know for sure that I’m not going to pay attention.
En un chico malo, no, no, no
To a bad boy, no, no, no.
Pa’ fuera lo malo, no, no, no
Out with the bad stuff, no, no, no.
Yo no quiero nada malo, no, no, no
I don’t want anything bad, no, no, no.
En mi vida, malo, no, no, no, no
In my life, bad stuff, no, no, no, no.
Tú ya no estás dentro de mí
You’re no longer inside me.
Se han podrido las flores aquí
The flowers here have rotted.
Ahora ya no quiero rosas
Now I don’t want roses anymore.
Soy el león que se comió las mariposas
I’m the lion that ate the butterflies.
Tira porque te toca a ti perder
Go ahead, because it’s your turn to lose.
Que aquí ya se perdió tu game
Because your game has already been lost here.
Tiro porque me toca a mí otra vez
I go because it’s my turn again.
Solo con perderte, ya gané
Just by losing you, I’ve already won.
Pero si me toca, toca, tócame
But if it’s my turn, it’s my turn, touch me.
Yo decido el cuándo, el dónde y con quién
I decide the when, the where, and with whom.
Que voy a darme a mí de una y otra y otra vez
That I’m going to give myself, again and again.
Lo que tanto me quité, que pa’ ti tan poco fue
What I took away from myself for so long, which was so little for you.
Y yo voy, voy, voy lista pa’ bailar
And I’m going, going, going, ready to dance.
Porque tú hoy, hoy me has hecho rabiar
Because today, today you’ve made me furious.
Y yo voy, voy, voy lista pa’ bailar
And I’m going, going, going, ready to dance.
Tengo claro que no me voy a fijar
I know for sure that I’m not going to pay attention.
En un chico malo, no, no, no
To a bad boy, no, no, no.
Pa’ fuera lo malo, no, no, no
Out with the bad stuff, no, no, no.
Yo no quiero nada malo, no, no, no
I don’t want anything bad, no, no, no.
En mi vida, malo, no, no, no, no
In my life, bad stuff, no, no, no, no.
En un chico malo, no, no, no
To a bad boy, no, no, no.
Pa’ fuera lo malo, no, no, no
Out with the bad stuff, no, no, no.
Yo no quiero nada malo, no, no, no
I don’t want anything bad, no, no, no.
En mi vida, malo, no, no, no, no
In my life, bad stuff, no, no, no, no.
Yo no te miro, y tú me vas a ver
I don’t look at you, and you’re going to see me.
Yo no te escucho, y tú me vas a oír
I don’t listen to you, and you’re going to hear me.
Paso de largo, yo voy a por mí
I walk right past, I’m going after myself.
Esta noche bailo mejor sin ti
Tonight I dance better without you.
Yo no te miro, y tú me vas a ver
I don’t look at you, and you’re going to see me.
Yo no te escucho, y tú me vas a oír
I don’t listen to you, and you’re going to hear me.
Paso de largo y paso de ti
I walk right past and I ignore you.
Esta noche bailo solo para mí
Tonight I dance only for myself.
En un chico malo, no, no, no
To a bad boy, no, no, no.
Pa’ fuera lo malo, no, no, no
Out with the bad stuff, no, no, no.
Yo no quiero nada malo, no, no, no
I don’t want anything bad, no, no, no.
En mi vida, malo, no, no, no, no
In my life, bad stuff, no, no, no, no.
En un chico malo, no, no, no
To a bad boy, no, no, no.
Pa’ fuera lo malo, no, no, no
Out with the bad stuff, no, no, no.
Yo no quiero nada malo, no, no, no
I don’t want anything bad, no, no, no.
En mi vida, malo, no, no, no, no
In my life, bad stuff, no, no, no, no.
Pa’ mala yo
I’m the bad one.
Pa’ mala yo
I’m the bad one.
Pa’ mala yo, oh
I’m the bad one, oh.
Pa’ mala yo, oh-oh-oh
I’m the bad one, oh-oh-oh.
Pa’ mala yo
I’m the bad one.
Pa’ mala tú, Ana War
You’re the bad one, Ana War.
Pa’ mala tú, Aitana
You’re the bad one, Aitana.
(Greeicy, TINI)
(Greeicy, TINI)
¡Aitana, War!
Aitana, War!
📚 Vocabulary We Learned Through “Lo Malo”
| Spanish | English | Context / Meaning |
| salir | to go out, leave | Here, voy a salir means “I’m going out.” |
| fingir | to pretend | No más fingir = no more pretending. |
| servir | to serve | Here it carries the idea of serving or putting someone else’s needs first. |
| colgar | to hang up | Te voy a colgar = I’m going to hang up on you. |
| la vuelta atrás | turning back | No hay vuelta atrás = there is no turning back. |
| perder | to lose | Central to the song’s game metaphor. |
| ganar | to win | Ya gané = I’ve already won. |
| tocar | to be someone’s turn / to touch | Te toca = it’s your turn. |
| decidir | to decide | Yo decido = I decide. |
| fijarse en | to pay attention to / take notice of | No me voy a fijar en… = I’m not going to pay attention to… |
| rabiar | to be furious / get angry | Me has hecho rabiar = you’ve made me furious. |
| podrirse | to rot | Se han podrido = they have rotted. |
| el león | lion | Used metaphorically in the song. |
| la mariposa | butterfly | Part of the song’s imagery contrasting softness and strength. |
| mirar | to look at | No te miro = I don’t look at you. |
| escuchar | to listen to | No te escucho = I don’t listen to you. |
| oír | to hear | Me vas a oír = you’re going to hear me. |
| pasar de largo | to walk straight past | To pass by without stopping. |
| pasar de alguien | to ignore / not care about someone | A colloquial Spanish expression. |
| ir a por | to go after / go for | Voy a por mí = I’m going after myself / choosing myself. |
🎧 A Note on pa’
You’ll hear pa’ several times:
- pa’ mí = para mí
- pa’ ti = para ti
- pa’ bailar = para bailar
- pa’ fuera = para fuera
Pa’ is a very common informal shortening of para, especially in spoken Spanish and music. You’ll understand it constantly once you start listening to Spanish outside textbooks.
🧠 Grammar We Learned Through “Lo Malo”
| Grammar Point | Example from the Song | What We Learn |
| Ir a + infinitive | Voy a salir. | Ir a + infinitive is one of the most useful ways to talk about future plans: “I’m going to go out.” |
| Ir a + infinitive | Te voy a colgar. | The same structure can express an imminent action: “I’m going to hang up on you.” |
| No más + infinitive | No más fingir, no más servir. | No más + noun/infinitive means “no more…” and is commonly used to reject or end something. |
| Tocar + indirect object pronoun | Te toca a ti perder. | Te toca means “it’s your turn.” The te identifies whose turn it is. |
| Solo con + infinitive | Solo con perderte, ya gané. | Solo con + infinitive can express that one action is enough to produce a result: “Just by losing you, I’ve already won.” |
| Me has hecho + infinitive | Me has hecho rabiar. | Hacer + person + infinitive means to cause someone to do or experience something. Here, me has hecho rabiar = “you’ve made me furious.” |
| Present perfect | Se han podrido las flores. | Han + past participle describes an action that has happened and has a present result: “The flowers have rotted.” |
| Fijarse en | No me voy a fijar en un chico malo. | Fijarse en is a pronominal verb meaning “to pay attention to” or “take notice of.” The en is essential. |
| Lo que + verb | Lo que tanto me quité. | Lo que means “what” or “that which.” Here it refers to things the speaker deprived herself of. |
| Pasar de + person | Paso de ti. | Pasar de alguien is a colloquial expression meaning to ignore someone, brush them off, or not care about them. |
| Para + pronoun | Solo para mí. | Para expresses who something is intended for. Solo para mí = “only for me.” |
💬 Spanish Expressions We Learned Through “Lo Malo”
No hay vuelta atrás
There is no turning back.
A very useful expression for saying that a decision is final.
Te toca
It’s your turn.
You can use this everywhere:
Ahora te toca a ti.
Now it’s your turn.
Solo con perderte, ya gané
Just by losing you, I’ve already won.
This is one of the best lines in the song because the meaning goes beyond the individual words. Losing the relationship is presented as gaining freedom and getting yourself back.
No más
No more.
A simple but powerful way to reject something:
No más excusas.
No more excuses.
No puede / no quiero nada malo
I don’t want anything bad.
The repetition makes the message very clear: the speaker is setting a boundary around what she wants in her life.
Pasar de alguien
To ignore someone / not care about someone.
This is particularly useful conversational Spanish.
Paso de él.
I don’t care about him / I’m ignoring him.
Paso de largo
I walk straight past.
Literally, pasar de largo means to continue past something without stopping. In the song, it reinforces the idea of refusing to engage.
Pa’ fuera
Out / get out.
Pa’ fuera lo malo is essentially “out with the bad stuff.” It is short, punchy, and very natural in the context of the song.
🎯 Quick Spanish Quiz
A2-B1 Reading Comprehension
Read the Spanish lyrics and choose the best answer. These questions focus on understanding the meaning of the Spanish in context rather than translating every word individually.
1. What does the speaker mean by “Solo con perderte, ya gané”?
A. She wants to win a competition against him.
B. Losing him feels like a victory because she is choosing herself.
C. She wants him to give her something back.
D. She thinks they should start the relationship again.
2. In “Te toca a ti perder”, what does “te toca” mean?
A. You have to touch me.
B. You are going to leave.
C. It’s your turn.
D. You are going to win.
3. What does “No me voy a fijar en un chico malo” communicate?
A. She is looking for a dangerous person.
B. She is not going to pay attention to a bad boy.
C. She doesn’t know who the boy is.
D. She wants to talk to him.
4. What does “Paso de ti” mean in the context of the song?
A. I walk toward you.
B. I pass something to you.
C. I ignore you / I don’t care about you.
D. I follow you.
5. Why is “Pa’ fuera lo malo” particularly effective in the chorus?
A. It expresses a decision to remove the negative things from her life.
B. It means she is leaving the country.
C. It tells the other person to dance outside.
D. It means she wants to find another bad boy.
✅ Answer Key
- B
- C
- B
- C
- A
📚 Spanish Book Recommendation for Beginners
If you’re enjoying learning Spanish through songs but want something more structured alongside them, a beginner-friendly Spanish book can help you build the vocabulary and grammar that songs assume you already know.
Spanish in 60 Days: The Language Learning Workbook
This beginner workbook focuses on everyday Spanish, conversational phrases, grammar, and slang rather than only textbook-style Spanish. That makes it a particularly relevant companion to SST, where the goal is to understand the Spanish people actually use in songs and conversation.
As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.
💭 Final Thoughts + Subscribe & Learn Spanish
I love songs like “Lo Malo” for Spanish learning because they give us language with an actual personality.
You don’t just learn perder and ganar. You learn “solo con perderte, ya gané.” You don’t just learn pasar. You learn “paso de ti.” And suddenly, a grammar lesson becomes a tiny piece of someone’s life, attitude, and sense of humour.
That’s really what I want SST to be about: not memorising Spanish because you’re supposed to, but finding little pieces of the language that make you want to understand more.
📩 Want a new Spanish song translation in your inbox?
Enter your email in the box below to subscribe and receive an email every time I post a new Spanish song translation.
I promise I don’t spam!
And if you’d like Spanish training, help with learning Spanish, conversation practice, or have any questions or queries, drop me an email:
Note: the Amazon.com link above uses the book’s ASIN-based product URL. If you have a specific Amazon Associates tracking tag, that tag should be appended to the URL before publishing.
Leave a Reply