Fault in Different Languages
Discover 'Fault' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'fault' carries significant weight in our vocabulary, referring to a wide range of concepts from errors and mistakes to geological fractures in the earth's crust. Its cultural importance is evident in its use in proverbs, literature, and scientific discourse. Understanding the translation of 'fault' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how other cultures perceive and express this concept.
For instance, in Spanish, 'fault' translates to 'fallo' or 'error', while in French, it's 'faute', which also means 'miss' or 'omission'. In German, 'fault' becomes 'Fehler', and in Japanese, 'fault' is 'fōrudo' (フォールド), a direct loanword from English that refers to a geological fault.
Exploring the nuances of 'fault' in various languages can enrich our understanding of this term and deepen our appreciation for the richness and diversity of human language and culture. Below, you'll find a list of translations of 'fault' in different languages, providing a window into the unique ways that people around the world express this important concept.
Fault
Fault in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | fout | ||
| The word fout is derived from the Middle Dutch word vout, meaning "wrong," and is related to the English word "foul." | |||
| Amharic | ስህተት | ||
| "ስህተት" is derived from the Proto-Semitic root *šgṭ meaning "error, mistake, or fault". | |||
| Hausa | laifi | ||
| The word laifi can also be translated to 'mistake' or 'error'. | |||
| Igbo | mmejọ | ||
| The Igbo word "mmejọ" not only means "fault" but also refers to a "sin" or "wrongdoing against a deity or person." | |||
| Malagasy | tsiny | ||
| "Tsiny" also means "misfortune" or "bad luck" in Malagasy. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | cholakwika | ||
| "Cholakwika" can mean either a fault (in a machine or circuit) or a mistake (in action or decision). | |||
| Shona | kukanganisa | ||
| The word 'kukanganisa' can also mean 'to miss', 'to make a mistake', or 'to fail to do something'. | |||
| Somali | cilad | ||
| Somali cilad 'fault, error' from Arabic khalad 'fault, error, defect' from khtl 'be mistaken' | |||
| Sesotho | phoso | ||
| The word "phoso" in Sesotho shares the same root with the word "posa" which means to put something down or to lay something flat. | |||
| Swahili | kosa | ||
| "Kosa" can also refer to a transgression against a rule or law. | |||
| Xhosa | impazamo | ||
| The word "impazamo" can also be used as an adjective referring to something that is incorrect or broken. | |||
| Yoruba | ẹbi | ||
| Ẹbi, a Yoruba word meaning "fault," has a cognate in "ebi," meaning "sin" in the Edo language. | |||
| Zulu | iphutha | ||
| The Zulu word "iphutha" (fault) originates from the verb "phutha" (to err, to make a mistake), and also carries the meaning of "failing to meet a standard or requirement." | |||
| Bambara | jalaki | ||
| Ewe | vodada | ||
| Kinyarwanda | amakosa | ||
| Lingala | libunga | ||
| Luganda | omusango | ||
| Sepedi | phošo | ||
| Twi (Akan) | mfomsoɔ | ||
Fault in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | خطأ | ||
| خطأ can also mean 'error', 'mistake', or 'incorrectness' | |||
| Hebrew | אשמה | ||
| The term 'אשמה' also appears in rabbinic literature, where it refers to a legal obligation or debt. | |||
| Pashto | خطا | ||
| "خطا" is also used to refer to 'mistake' or 'error', highlighting its broad semantic range. | |||
| Arabic | خطأ | ||
| خطأ can also mean 'error', 'mistake', or 'incorrectness' | |||
Fault in Western European Languages
| Albanian | faji | ||
| The word "faji" in Albanian has an alternative meaning of "flaw", or "defect". | |||
| Basque | akats | ||
| The word "akats" in Basque, meaning "fault", has alternative meanings such as "deficiency" and "disability". | |||
| Catalan | culpa | ||
| The word "culpa" in Catalan derives from the Latin word "culpa" meaning "blame" or "guilt" | |||
| Croatian | kvar | ||
| The word "kvar" in Croatian also means "malfunction", "damage", or "defect", and comes from the Proto-Slavic word "kwara" meaning "blemish" or "disfigurement". | |||
| Danish | fejl | ||
| In Danish, "fejl" also means "error" or "mistake" and is related to the word "fail". | |||
| Dutch | fout | ||
| The Dutch word “fout” can refer to a mistake, an error, or a flaw, but it also has a more archaic meaning of “evil” or “sinful.” | |||
| English | fault | ||
| Etymology: Middle English faute, from Old French, from Late Latin fallita, alteration of fallata, feminine past participle of fallere, "to deceive". | |||
| French | faute | ||
| "Faute" derives from the Old French word "faulte", meaning "lack" or "error", | |||
| Frisian | fout | ||
| Frisian "fout" (fault) is thought to be derived from Middle Dutch "vut", a variation on "vrot" (rotten). | |||
| Galician | culpa | ||
| The Spanish "culpa" and the Galician "culpa" have slightly different meanings and etymology, but they are not mutually exclusive and often overlap, as they derive from Latin culp(p)a which, in turn, comes from the Indo-European *kel- "to conceal". | |||
| German | fehler | ||
| Fehler originally referred to 'deviation' or 'mistake', not necessarily a 'fault'. | |||
| Icelandic | sök | ||
| "Sök" also means "lawsuit" in Icelandic, and is cognate with the English word "seek." | |||
| Irish | locht | ||
| The word "locht" (fault) in Irish also means "defect" or "blemish" and is derived from the Proto-Celtic root *lok-to- (defect). | |||
| Italian | colpa | ||
| The Latin original is "culpa," meaning "guilt," with the secondary sense of "blame," from the PIE root "*kel-, | |||
| Luxembourgish | feeler | ||
| Feeler also means 'tentacles' or 'antennae' in German, from which it is derived. | |||
| Maltese | tort | ||
| The Maltese word "tort" may derive from the Italian "torto," meaning "wrongful act," or the French "tort," meaning "harm." | |||
| Norwegian | feil | ||
| The Norwegian word "feil" is derived from the Proto-Germanic word "*fehila" meaning "crime" or "sin." | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | culpa | ||
| The word "culpa" can also mean guilt, offense, and blame. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | locht | ||
| Scots Gaelic "locht" derives from Scottish Gaelic "loch" (a lake) and Proto-Germanic "*lok-." The latter is also the root of modern "lake" in English. | |||
| Spanish | culpa | ||
| "Culpa" is also used in Spanish to refer to a "crime" or "offence." | |||
| Swedish | fel | ||
| The word "fel" in Swedish originated from the German word "fehlen", meaning "to be absent", and its cognate "fail" exists in English. | |||
| Welsh | bai | ||
| Cognate with Latin "vitium" (blemish, defect) and with English "vice," its alternate meanings include "defect," "blemish," "flaw," "error," and "blemish in character." | |||
Fault in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | віна | ||
| The word "віна" also means "guilt" or "sin" and is related to the Old Church Slavonic word "вина". | |||
| Bosnian | greška | ||
| It comes from the Proto-Slavic word *grěhъ, which originally meant "sin". | |||
| Bulgarian | грешка | ||
| The word "грешка" can also refer to a "mistake" or "error". | |||
| Czech | chyba | ||
| In Czech, "chyba" has alternate meanings including "mistake" and, archaically, "defect". | |||
| Estonian | süü | ||
| In Estonian the word "süü" can mean both "fault" and "accusation" and derives from "süüdistama" (to blame), which in turn derives from "süü". | |||
| Finnish | vika | ||
| The Finnish word "vika" (fault) is related to the Old Norse word "vík" (bay), which referred to a geographical formation on the edge of the land. | |||
| Hungarian | hiba | ||
| The word "hiba" also means "demerit" and "error" in Hungarian. | |||
| Latvian | vaina | ||
| The word "vaina" in Latvian can also refer to a "sheath" or "scabberd". | |||
| Lithuanian | kaltė | ||
| "Kaltė" can also mean "guilt" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | грешка | ||
| According to Vasmer's dictionary, the word "грешка" is borrowed from Bulgarian and can also mean "sin". | |||
| Polish | wina | ||
| "Wina" in Polish also means "blame," "guilt," and "responsibility." | |||
| Romanian | vina | ||
| The Romanian word "vină" (fault) also means "wine" in Romanian and "guilt" in French. | |||
| Russian | вина | ||
| The Russian word "вина" (вина) can also mean "guilt" or "punishment". | |||
| Serbian | грешка | ||
| The word "грешка" is also used to describe a mistake or error, and it can be traced back to the Old Church Slavonic word "грѣхъ" (sin). | |||
| Slovak | chyba | ||
| The word "chyba" can also mean "mistake" or "error" in Slovak. | |||
| Slovenian | napaka | ||
| The term 'napaka' has historically been used to describe both errors and sins | |||
| Ukrainian | несправність | ||
| The Ukrainian word "несправність" (fault) also means "malfunction" or "defect" | |||
Fault in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | দোষ | ||
| The word "দোষ" in Bengali shares its etymology with other Indo-Aryan languages and carries additional meanings such as "flaw", "blemish", or "sin". | |||
| Gujarati | ખામી | ||
| The Gujarati word "ખામી" is derived from Sanskrit, and can also mean "defect", "blemish" or "imperfection" | |||
| Hindi | दोष | ||
| दोष (dosh) is a Hindi word meaning "fault", but it can also refer to a "sin", "defect", or "ailment". | |||
| Kannada | ತಪ್ಪು | ||
| The Kannada word "ತಪ್ಪು" (fault) shares the root "tap" with "tapa" (heat, penance), suggesting an association with "doing something wrong" or "heating something up" when used in the sense of a "fault". | |||
| Malayalam | തെറ്റ് | ||
| The word 'തെറ്റ്' in Malayalam can also mean 'a mistake' or 'an error'. | |||
| Marathi | चूक | ||
| The word "चूक" in Marathi can also mean "mistake" or "error". | |||
| Nepali | गल्ती | ||
| The Nepali word "गल्ती" also refers to a slip or mistake made by a person. | |||
| Punjabi | ਨੁਕਸ | ||
| The word "ਨੁਕਸ" (fault) in Punjabi also refers to a small hole or defect in something. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | වරද | ||
| වරද (varada) is cognate to the Sanskrit word 'varad' signifying 'giving', 'bestowal' or 'blessing' | |||
| Tamil | தவறு | ||
| Tamil "தவறு" derives from Sanskrit "sthavir", originally meaning "old" or "senior", but evolved in Tamil to signify a "mistake". | |||
| Telugu | తప్పు | ||
| The word "తప్పు" can also be used to refer to a "mistake". | |||
| Urdu | غلطی | ||
| "غلطی" in addition to meaning "fault," also means "mistake" and "error." | |||
Fault in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 故障 | ||
| 故障 in Chinese can refer to a fault in machinery or an error in judgment or thinking. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 故障 | ||
| 故障 in Chinese can mean a breakdown, malfunction, or error but can also mean a crime or wrongdoing | |||
| Japanese | 障害 | ||
| 障害 in Japanese can also refer to mental impairments, disabilities, or challenges. | |||
| Korean | 결점 | ||
| "결점" originally meant "good point" in Chinese, but its meaning changed to "bad point" in Korean. | |||
| Mongolian | алдаа | ||
| The word "алдаа" can also mean "mistake" or "error". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အမှား | ||
Fault in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kesalahan | ||
| "Kesalahan" can also mean "wrongdoing" or "mistake." | |||
| Javanese | kaluputan | ||
| In Javanese, "kaluputan" can also mean "mistake" or "error". | |||
| Khmer | កំហុស | ||
| The word "កំហុស" can also mean "mistake" or "error". | |||
| Lao | ຄວາມຜິດ | ||
| Malay | kesalahan | ||
| Kesalahan' also translates to 'mistake', 'error', or 'wrongdoing' depending on the context | |||
| Thai | ความผิด | ||
| The Thai word "ความผิด" (fault) is also spelled "ความเป็นผิด" and can also refer to "wrongdoing" or "guilt". | |||
| Vietnamese | lỗi | ||
| "Lỗi" is the Vietnamese word for an error or a mistake, but it can also refer to a sin or wrong-doing; a defect or a flaw; a shortcoming or a failing. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kasalanan | ||
Fault in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | günah | ||
| "Günah" is also used in the sense of "the act of eating something forbidden by religious law" in Azerbaijani. | |||
| Kazakh | кінә | ||
| The word 'Кінә' also means 'sin' or 'guilt' in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | күнөө | ||
| The word "күнөө" in Kyrgyz can also mean "sin" or "guilt". | |||
| Tajik | айб | ||
| The word "айб" can also refer to a disgrace or a shame and is derived from the Old Persian word "aib" meaning "crime" or "offense". | |||
| Turkmen | ýalňyşlyk | ||
| Uzbek | ayb | ||
| The word "ayb" has been derived from the Persian word "aib", | |||
| Uyghur | خاتالىق | ||
Fault in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hewa | ||
| The Hawaiian word "hewa" also means "to miss, to err, to deviate, to mistake". | |||
| Maori | hē | ||
| The word "hē" in Maori can also mean "error", "mistake", or "defect". | |||
| Samoan | sese | ||
| Sese has the alternate meaning of "a wrong". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kasalanan | ||
| The word "kasalanan" can also refer to a sin or transgression, which ultimately results in a fault or mistake. | |||
Fault in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | pantja | ||
| Guarani | angaipa | ||
Fault in International Languages
| Esperanto | kulpo | ||
| Esperanto's "kulpo" derives from Latin culpa, meaning blame or guilt, or French "coupable", meaning guilty. | |||
| Latin | culpam | ||
| Culpa is Latin for fault or guilt, but its root culpa is related to sculpture, where it meant a flaw or error in a piece. | |||
Fault in Others Languages
| Greek | σφάλμα | ||
| The word 'σφάλμα' originally meant 'trip' or 'misstep' and was later applied to errors in general. | |||
| Hmong | txhaum | ||
| In the Hmong language 'txhaum', meaning “a fault,” also refers to "an inability to produce a desired outcome." | |||
| Kurdish | şaşî | ||
| The word "şaşî" in Kurdish also refers to a "flaw" or "defect", particularly in the context of physical appearance or character. | |||
| Turkish | hata | ||
| The word "hata" in Turkish has multiple meanings, including "fault", "mistake", and "error", and comes from the Arabic word "haṭā", meaning "to deviate from the right path". | |||
| Xhosa | impazamo | ||
| The word "impazamo" can also be used as an adjective referring to something that is incorrect or broken. | |||
| Yiddish | שולד | ||
| The Yiddish word "שולד" (shuld) can also refer to a "burden" or "responsibility." | |||
| Zulu | iphutha | ||
| The Zulu word "iphutha" (fault) originates from the verb "phutha" (to err, to make a mistake), and also carries the meaning of "failing to meet a standard or requirement." | |||
| Assamese | দোষ | ||
| Aymara | pantja | ||
| Bhojpuri | दोष | ||
| Dhivehi | ކުށް | ||
| Dogri | गलती | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kasalanan | ||
| Guarani | angaipa | ||
| Ilocano | basol | ||
| Krio | fɔlt | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هەڵە | ||
| Maithili | गलती | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯑꯔꯥꯟꯕ | ||
| Mizo | diklohna | ||
| Oromo | dogoggora | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଦୋଷ | ||
| Quechua | hucha | ||
| Sanskrit | दोषः | ||
| Tatar | гаеп | ||
| Tigrinya | ጥፍኣት | ||
| Tsonga | xihoxo | ||