Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'error' carries a significant weight in our daily lives, often representing a deviation from the intended course or a misunderstanding in communication. Its cultural importance is evident in various fields, such as technology, mathematics, and linguistics. Errors can lead to breakthroughs, as they often reveal gaps in our understanding, prompting us to seek new solutions and deepen our knowledge.
Given the global nature of communication in today's world, understanding the translation of 'error' in different languages can be both fascinating and practical. For instance, the German equivalent of 'error' is 'Fehler,' while in Spanish, it is 'error' and in French, 'erreur.' These translations not only help break language barriers but also offer insights into how different cultures perceive and address mistakes.
Delving into the translations of 'error' across various languages can be an exciting journey, shedding light on the intricacies of language and culture. Continue reading to explore more translations and gain a better understanding of this significant term in a global context.
Afrikaans | fout | ||
The Afrikaans word "fout" can also mean "fault" or "mistake". | |||
Amharic | ስህተት | ||
The Amharic term ስህተት comes from a root word meaning "to stray" and refers to an unintentional mistake or deviation from the accepted norm. | |||
Hausa | kuskure | ||
The word | |||
Igbo | njehie | ||
In Igbo, 'njehie' can also mean 'mistake', 'fault', or 'misunderstanding'. | |||
Malagasy | fahadisoana | ||
The Malagasy word 'fahadisoana' comes from the Proto-Austronesian *padaq, meaning 'wrong' or 'mistake'. | |||
Nyanja (Chichewa) | cholakwika | ||
The word "cholakwika" can also mean "fault" or "mistake" in Nyanja. | |||
Shona | kukanganisa | ||
Although the Shona word 'kukanganisa' denotes 'error' or 'mistake', it traces its origin from 'kukandira', meaning 'to be lost in a forest'. | |||
Somali | qalad | ||
The word "qalad" comes from the Arabic word "ghalat" meaning "mistake" or "error." | |||
Sesotho | phoso | ||
"Phoso" can also refer to a mistake or a sin. | |||
Swahili | kosa | ||
"Kosa" also means "mistake, fault, or offense" in Swahili. | |||
Xhosa | impazamo | ||
"Impazamo" is a Xhosa word with multiple meanings, including "error", "fault", "blunder", and "mistake." | |||
Yoruba | aṣiṣe | ||
The Yoruba word "aṣiṣe" can also mean "blemish" or "defect". | |||
Zulu | iphutha | ||
The word "iphutha" can also refer to a "fault" or a "misdemeanor". | |||
Bambara | filijuru | ||
Ewe | vodada | ||
Kinyarwanda | ikosa | ||
Lingala | libunga | ||
Luganda | ensobi | ||
Sepedi | phošo | ||
Twi (Akan) | mfomsoɔ | ||
Arabic | خطأ | ||
"خطأ" is derived from "خ ط ر" (to risk), implying an action done at one's own peril and hence likely to be incorrect. | |||
Hebrew | שְׁגִיאָה | ||
שְׁגִיאָה (shegiyah) can also mean a "straying," "trespass," or "sin". | |||
Pashto | خطا | ||
The word "خطا" does not have alternate meanings in Pashto. | |||
Arabic | خطأ | ||
"خطأ" is derived from "خ ط ر" (to risk), implying an action done at one's own peril and hence likely to be incorrect. |
Albanian | gabim | ||
The word "gabim" in Albanian shares a common root with the Slavic "pogreb" that refers to a funeral instead of an error. | |||
Basque | errorea | ||
The Basque word "errorea" also refers to a "fault" or "sin". | |||
Catalan | error | ||
The Catalan word "error" can also refer to a mistake or a fault, and derives from the Latin "error," meaning "a wandering or going astray." | |||
Croatian | pogreška | ||
The word "pogreška" can also mean "sin" or "mistake". | |||
Danish | fejl | ||
The word "fejl" in Danish derives from the Old Norse word "fela", meaning "to fail". | |||
Dutch | fout | ||
"Fout" in Dutch can also refer to a mistake, misstep, or blunder. | |||
English | error | ||
The word "error" derives from the Latin "errare," meaning "to wander," and originally referred to a deviation from a correct path or course. | |||
French | erreur | ||
"Erreur" is etymologically linked to "errer" (to stray, to roam), meaning a "departure from the right course or conduct" | |||
Frisian | fersin | ||
The Frisian word "fersin" is related to the Dutch word "verzinnen", which means "to invent or imagine". | |||
Galician | erro | ||
In Galician, "erro" can also refer to a bad habit or a mischievous act. | |||
German | error | ||
In German, the word "Irrtum" can also refer to a misunderstanding or a mistake in judgment. | |||
Icelandic | villa | ||
In Icelandic, "villa" can also refer to a stray sheep or a lamb that has lost its mother. | |||
Irish | earráid | ||
Earraid in Irish can also mean an errand, which comes from a different root word. | |||
Italian | errore | ||
Errore (error) can also refer to a fault or mistake in logic, reasoning, or judgment. | |||
Luxembourgish | feeler | ||
The German word "Fühler" is also used in Luxembourgish as a synonym for "Feeler" but can also refer to insects' antennas and other animal parts that are used for sensing. | |||
Maltese | żball | ||
"Żball" can refer to an error or mistake, but it can also mean a slip-up or blunder in Maltese. | |||
Norwegian | feil | ||
The word "feil" in Norwegian can also refer to a physical defect or flaw. | |||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | erro | ||
"Erro" also means "roving", "wandering", or "errand" in Portuguese. | |||
Scots Gaelic | mearachd | ||
Meareachd can also mean a boundary or border, and is related to the Irish word mearach meaning a gap or defect. | |||
Spanish | error | ||
"Error" comes from the Latin word "errare", which means "to wander or stray". | |||
Swedish | fel | ||
In Scandinavian languages 'fel' can also mean 'fault' in terms of a mistake you make, e.g. a 'felbedömning' (misjudgement) or a 'felköp' (bad purchase). | |||
Welsh | gwall | ||
The word 'gwall' can also mean 'wall' in Welsh, sharing its origin with the Old English word 'weall'. |
Belarusian | памылка | ||
"Памылка" is a cognate of the Russian "ошибка" and the Polish "omylka", all derived from the Proto-Slavic *omyliti, meaning "to deceive". | |||
Bosnian | greška | ||
The word greška also means "fault" or "mistake" and originates from the Slavic word "grih," meaning "sin". | |||
Bulgarian | грешка | ||
The Bulgarian word "грешка" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word "gъreshka", which had the additional meaning of "sin". | |||
Czech | chyba | ||
"Chyba" in Czech comes from the Old Czech "chybiti", meaning "to miss the mark," and is cognate with the Polish "chybić" and the Russian "хи́ба" (khíba). | |||
Estonian | viga | ||
"Viga" is Estonian for "error" but also refers to "fault" and "defect" and is related to the word "viga" meaning "lever". | |||
Finnish | virhe | ||
The word "virhe" can also refer to a flaw or defect in an object. | |||
Hungarian | hiba | ||
"Hiba" also means "sin", "fault" or "mistake" and it derives from the Proto-Slavic word “chýba”. | |||
Latvian | kļūda | ||
Kļūda shares the same root as "klūpt", meaning "to stumble". This relates to the idea of errors as obstacles in one's path. | |||
Lithuanian | klaida | ||
The word "klaida" in Lithuanian is also a synonym for the word "lie". | |||
Macedonian | грешка | ||
The Macedonian word "грешка" also means "mistake" or "fault". | |||
Polish | błąd | ||
The word "błąd" also has the archaic meaning of "wandering or straying" and shares etymology with the word "błądzić" (to wander). | |||
Romanian | eroare | ||
In Romanian, the word "eroare" has an alternative meaning related to "errant behavior", tracing back to a Proto-Slavic term connected to "wander". | |||
Russian | ошибка | ||
The word "ошибка" (error) in Russian originally meant "slip of the tongue" or "false step". | |||
Serbian | грешка | ||
The word 'грешка' not only means 'error' in Serbian, but can also refer to 'sin' or 'mistake'. | |||
Slovak | chyba | ||
The word 'chyba' is also used to refer to a 'fault' or 'mistake' in Slovak. | |||
Slovenian | napaka | ||
Related to a Serbian or Croatian word napaka meaning an "overhanging part". Possibly cognate with napač "wrong" | |||
Ukrainian | помилка | ||
The word 'помилка' comes from the Old Ukrainian word 'мылковаты', which means 'false'. This word is related to the Old Slavic word 'мылт' ('false'), which is also the root for the word 'мылить'. This verb refers to the action of rubbing, especially with soap. In this way, one might see the etymology of 'помилка' to mean an act of rubbing out something that has been put in the wrong place. |
Bengali | ত্রুটি | ||
"ত্রুটি" comes from the Sanskrit word "त्रुटि" (druti), which means "falling" or "slipping". | |||
Gujarati | ભૂલ | ||
The Gujarati word "ભૂલ" (error) is derived from the Sanskrit word "भ्रम" (confusion) and also means "mistake" or "fault". | |||
Hindi | त्रुटि | ||
The Sanskrit root of the Hindi word "त्रुटि" is "trut," which means "to pierce" or "to damage" | |||
Kannada | ದೋಷ | ||
The word "ದೋಷ" (error) in Kannada also refers to a flaw, defect, or blemish. | |||
Malayalam | പിശക് | ||
The word "പിശക്" can also mean "mistake" or "fault" and is derived from the Sanskrit word "piśa", meaning "impurity" or "blemish". | |||
Marathi | त्रुटी | ||
In Marathi, the word "त्रुटी" can also mean a "deficiency" or a "disadvantage". | |||
Nepali | त्रुटि | ||
The Nepali word "त्रुटि" also means "a small quantity" or "a mistake". | |||
Punjabi | ਗਲਤੀ | ||
The word "ਗਲਤੀ" (error) in Punjabi is derived from the Sanskrit word "गलति" (galati), which means "mistake" or "blunder". It has the same meaning in Hindi and other related languages. | |||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) | දෝෂයකි | ||
දෝෂයකි (doshayaki) derives from the Pali verb dussati, meaning “to spoil, injure, or ruin”. | |||
Tamil | பிழை | ||
The word "பிழை" (error) in Tamil also has meanings of "difference" and "mistake". | |||
Telugu | లోపం | ||
The Telugu word "లోపం" can also refer to something missing or incomplete. | |||
Urdu | غلطی | ||
The word "غلطی" is derived from the Arabic word "غلط", meaning "wrong" or "false", and is also used to describe a mistake, slip, or blunder. |
Chinese (Simplified) | 错误 | ||
The word "错误" can also mean "wrongdoing" or "mistake". | |||
Chinese (Traditional) | 錯誤 | ||
The Chinese character 錯 (cuò) in 錯誤 (cuòwù) originally meant 'intertwined threads' or 'knots,' and later came to mean 'mistake' or 'error'. | |||
Japanese | エラー | ||
The word エラー (eroru) is derived from the English word "error" and is used to describe mistakes or inaccuracies. | |||
Korean | 오류 | ||
The Korean word "오류" is often used to refer to mistakes or inaccuracies, but it can also mean "false rumor" or "fallacy." | |||
Mongolian | алдаа | ||
The Mongolian word "алдаа" also means "mistake". | |||
Myanmar (Burmese) | အမှား | ||
Indonesian | kesalahan | ||
The word kesalahan in Indonesian is derived from the Malay word khilaf, which means 'mistake' or 'error' | |||
Javanese | kesalahan | ||
Kesalahan (error) berasal dari kata dasar salah yang berarti menyimpang dari keadaan yang sebenarnya. | |||
Khmer | កំហុស | ||
The word "កំហុស" can also mean "mistake", "fault", or "failure". | |||
Lao | ຄວາມຜິດພາດ | ||
ຄວາມຜິດພາດ can also mean 'difference between something as it is and as it is understood or believed to be,' 'incorrectness or wrongness,' 'a mistaken action or judgment,' and the difference between two measurements. | |||
Malay | kesilapan | ||
'Kesilapan' derives from the Sanskrit word 'kṣala', meaning 'to wash' or 'to cleanse'. | |||
Thai | ข้อผิดพลาด | ||
The word "ข้อผิดพลาด" not only means "error" but also can mean "mistake", "fault", or "deficiency" | |||
Vietnamese | lỗi | ||
The word "lỗi" can also mean "fault" or "mistake". | |||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pagkakamali | ||
Azerbaijani | səhv | ||
"Səhv" also means "forgetting" in Azerbaijani, coming from the Persian word "sahv" meaning "negligence". | |||
Kazakh | қате | ||
The Kazakh word "қате" is derived from the Persian word "хата" (khata), which means "mistake" or "sin." | |||
Kyrgyz | ката | ||
In Kyrgyz, the word "ката" also means "fault" or "mistake". | |||
Tajik | хатогӣ | ||
The word "хатогӣ" can also mean "mistake", "blunder", or "fault" in Tajik. | |||
Turkmen | ýalňyşlyk | ||
Uzbek | xato | ||
The word "xato" also means "a lie" or "a mistake" in Uzbek. | |||
Uyghur | خاتالىق | ||
Hawaiian | kuhi hewa | ||
In Hawaiian, "kuhi hewa" literally translates to "crooked or mistaken thought or direction," highlighting the connection between errors and deviations from the intended path. | |||
Maori | hapa | ||
In Maori, 'hapa' also means 'to miss' or 'to fall short', and is related to the word 'hapainga', meaning 'mistake' or 'fault'. | |||
Samoan | mea sese | ||
The word "mea sese" in Samoan also means "a mistake" or "a fault". | |||
Tagalog (Filipino) | kamalian | ||
Aymara | pantja | ||
Guarani | jejavy | ||
Esperanto | eraro | ||
"Eraro" can also refer to a mistake in the sense of a "fault" or "sin." | |||
Latin | error | ||
In Latin, "error" can also refer to a wandering or a deviation from a path. |
Greek | λάθος | ||
"Λάθος": in ancient Greek it could also indicate “forgetting,” while today its opposite is “σωστό" (“correct"), which derives from the verb “σώζω" (“to save, rescue,” but also “correct, repair") | |||
Hmong | yuam kev | ||
"Yuam kev" is also used to refer to a "mistake", a "fault", a "flaw", or an "incorrect action or statement". | |||
Kurdish | şaşî | ||
The word "şaşî" also means "squint" or "crooked" in Kurdish, indicating a deviation from the correct or desired path. | |||
Turkish | hata | ||
The word "hata" (error) also means "line" or "track"} | |||
Xhosa | impazamo | ||
"Impazamo" is a Xhosa word with multiple meanings, including "error", "fault", "blunder", and "mistake." | |||
Yiddish | טעות | ||
The Yiddish term "טעות" (pronounced tay-ut) shares a root with the Hebrew word "טעה" (pronounced tah-ah), which means "to wander," suggesting that an "error" is a deviation from a straight or intended path. | |||
Zulu | iphutha | ||
The word "iphutha" can also refer to a "fault" or a "misdemeanor". | |||
Assamese | আঁসোৱাহ | ||
Aymara | pantja | ||
Bhojpuri | त्रुटि | ||
Dhivehi | ކުށް | ||
Dogri | गलती | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) | pagkakamali | ||
Guarani | jejavy | ||
Ilocano | biddut | ||
Krio | mistek | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) | هەڵە | ||
Maithili | दोष | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯁꯣꯏꯕ | ||
Mizo | dik lo | ||
Oromo | dogoggora | ||
Odia (Oriya) | ତ୍ରୁଟି | ||
Quechua | pantay | ||
Sanskrit | त्रुटि | ||
Tatar | хата | ||
Tigrinya | ስሕተት | ||
Tsonga | xihoxo | ||