A veces hablo mal en público.

Sometimes I speak badly in public.

Breakdown of A veces hablo mal en público.

• yo: I
• en: in
• hablar: to speak
• a veces: sometimes
• el público: the public
• mal: badly

Questions & Answers about A veces hablo mal en público.

Why is there no yo in the sentence? In English we say I sometimes speak badly in public, but in Spanish it’s just A veces hablo mal en público.

Spanish usually omits subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who the subject is.
Hablo can only mean I speak, so yo is not needed.

If you say Yo a veces hablo mal en público, it’s still correct but it adds emphasis, like I sometimes speak badly in public (as opposed to other people).

What’s the difference between a veces, algunas veces, de vez en cuando, and a menudo?

All of them talk about frequency, but with slightly different nuances:

• a veces = sometimes. Very common and neutral.
• algunas veces = sometimes / on some occasions. A bit more specific or careful; often interchangeable with a veces.
• de vez en cuando = from time to time / every now and then. Suggests it happens less frequently.
• a menudo = often / frequently. It means more frequent than a veces.

In Latin America, a veces and de vez en cuando are extremely common. A menudo is understood everywhere but is less common in some areas, where people might say seguido or muy seguido instead.

Can a veces go in other places in the sentence, or does it have to be at the beginning?

You can move a veces around; the meaning stays basically the same:

• A veces hablo mal en público. (most common)
• Hablo mal en público a veces.
• Yo a veces hablo mal en público.

Putting a veces at the beginning sounds very natural and sets the tone (Sometimes...). Moving it to the end or after yo is fine but slightly changes the rhythm and where the emphasis feels stronger.

What exactly does hablo mal mean? Is it about my language skills, or that I say rude/mean things?

On its own, hablo mal usually means I speak badly in terms of:

• speaking style (I get nervous, I don’t express myself well),
• grammar mistakes,
• pronunciation, etc.

It can sometimes be understood as I say bad / inappropriate things, but normally, to express “I speak badly about people”, Spanish uses hablar mal de (more on that below). In your sentence with en público, the most natural reading is I don’t speak well / I perform badly when I speak in front of others.

What’s the difference between hablar mal and hablar mal de alguien?

They are different:

• hablar mal (alone) = to speak badly (poorly), in terms of how you speak.
  
  • Hablo mal en público. = I speak badly in public.
• hablar mal de alguien = to speak badly about someone, to criticize or bad‑mouth them.
  
  • Ella siempre habla mal de su jefe. = She always speaks badly about / bad‑mouths her boss.

So if you mean you criticize people in public, you’d say:
A veces hablo mal de la gente en público.

Why is it mal and not malo? In English we say bad and badly; how does that work in Spanish?

Spanish uses different forms, too:

• malo / mala / malos / malas is an adjective (describes nouns):
  • una idea mala = a bad idea
  • un libro malo = a bad book
• mal is usually an adverb (describes verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs):
  • hablar mal = to speak badly
  • canta mal = he/she sings badly
  • escribe muy mal = he/she writes very badly

In Hablo mal en público, mal modifies the verb hablo, so you need the adverb mal, not the adjective malo.

Can I say Hablo malo en público?

No, Hablo malo en público is not correct in standard Spanish.

With verbs like hablar, cantar, escribir, etc., you describe how you do the action using mal:

• Hablo mal en público.
• Canto mal.
• Escribe mal.

Using malo here sounds wrong to native speakers.

What does en público mean exactly? Is it only for big audiences?

En público means in public, in front of other people, as opposed to in private.

It doesn’t have to be a big audience; it could be:

• giving a presentation to a small group,
• speaking in a meeting,
• talking in front of classmates, etc.

Roughly, it means when there are other people watching or listening, not just in a private one‑to‑one situation. Similar expressions are delante de la gente, frente a otras personas, or en frente de todos.

Why is it en público, not al público?

Because these two expressions mean different things:

• en público = in public, in front of others.
  
  • Me da vergüenza cantar en público. = I’m embarrassed to sing in public.
• al público = to the public (as a group / audience or “the general public”).
  
  • La tienda está abierta al público. = The store is open to the public.
  • El político habló al público. = The politician spoke to the public.

So for “in public” (situation), you use en público, not al público.

Is the accent in público important? What changes if I forget it?

Yes, it’s important, because it changes both pronunciation and meaning:

• público (with accent) = the public (noun) or public (adjective), stressed on the first syllable: PÚ‑bli‑co.
• publico (no accent) = I publish (1st person singular of publicar), stressed on the second syllable: pu‑BLI‑co.
• publicó (accent on the last syllable) = he/she/you (formal) published, stressed on the last: pu‑bli‑CÓ.

In en público, you must write and pronounce the accent on the ú, because you’re using the noun/adjective meaning public.

Can I say A veces no hablo bien en público instead of A veces hablo mal en público? Is there a difference?

Both are correct and very close in meaning:

• A veces hablo mal en público. = Sometimes I speak badly in public.
  (directly says you do it badly)
• A veces no hablo bien en público. = Sometimes I don’t speak well in public.
  (a bit softer, more like “not very well”)

Native speakers use both. No hablo bien can sound slightly less harsh or more modest than hablo mal, but in everyday conversation they’re almost interchangeable.

How would I say “Sometimes I speak badly in Spanish in public”?

A natural way in Latin American Spanish would be:

• A veces hablo mal en español en público.

Other very natural options:

• A veces hablo mal cuando hablo en español en público.
• A veces, cuando hablo en español en público, hablo mal.

To emphasize the language, Spanish usually says hablar en español (to speak in Spanish), rather than something like hablar español malo.

Why is the simple present hablo used? In English we might also say Sometimes I’m speaking badly in public.

Spanish uses the simple present tense a lot more than English does. Hablo here expresses a habitual action: I sometimes (tend to) speak badly in public.

The progressive (estoy hablando) is normally only for actions happening right now.
A veces estoy hablando mal en público sounds strange, because a veces (sometimes) refers to a general habit, not an action in progress at this exact moment.