je vais mal vs je suis malade

Question

What is the difference between mal and malade? It looks like aller is used for mal and être for malade, but what's the difference. There's also "j'ai mal" using avoir, (not in this lesson). But given the context in comparison to this lesson, I'm guessing j'ai mal is used to say specifically where it hurts, but I'm not understanding the other two.

Accepted Answer

Hi Pj,
Aller mal doesn't necessarily mean illness in French. You would use it if things weren't going well generally.
e.g.
Ça va mal chez Peugeot= There are problems at Peugeot 
But if you say of your elderly grandmother when someone asks you how she is -
Elle va très mal
you would think of her health rather than anything else. 
If you say,
j'ai mal 
it will be followed normally by a part of the body -
J'ai mal aux dents = I have a toothache
You will use 'être + malade' for a general illness -
Je suis malade depuis deux jours = I have been ill for two days 
Hope this helps!

Answer

Je vais mal. — I am not well. But doesn’t necessarily mean that you are sick.Je suis malade. — I am sick.