What it means
بداخلاق (bad-akhlâgh) describes a person who is bad-tempered, ill-natured, or consistently unpleasant in their manner. The word is a compound formed from two elements: بد (bad), a native Persian prefix meaning bad or evil, and اخلاق (akhlâgh), an Arabic word meaning morals or character, itself the plural of خلق (kholq). This makes بداخلاق a cross-origin compound. The direct antonym is خوشاخلاق (khosh-akhlâgh). In spoken Persian, بداخلاق is used quite freely to describe someone who snaps at people, is hard to deal with, or has a generally sour disposition.
How to use it
- چرا امروز اینقدر بداخلاقی؟ (cherâ emruz inghadr bad-akhlâghi?) “Why are you so bad-tempered today?”
- همسایهی بداخلاقی داریم. (hamsâye-ye bad-akhlâghi dârim.) “We have an ill-natured neighbor.”
- با مشتریها بداخلاقی نکن. (bâ moshtari-hâ bad-akhlâghi nakon.) “Do not be rude to the customers.”
- آدم بداخلاقیه، کسی باهاش نمیسازه. (âdam bad-akhlâghieh, kasi bâhâsh nemisâze.) “He is an ill-natured person, nobody gets along with him.”
Cultural note
In Persian culture, اخلاق (akhlâgh) carries deep moral weight, connected to centuries of Islamic ethical philosophy as well as older Iranian ideals of the noble character. Having good اخلاق is considered a fundamental virtue, so calling someone بداخلاق is more than a casual complaint: it is a judgment on their fundamental character. Parents routinely instruct children to have خوشاخلاقی, and poor manners in public or toward guests are considered a reflection on the whole family.