Mistake in different languages

Mistake in Different Languages

Discover 'Mistake' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.

Mistake


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Afrikaans
fout
Albanian
gabim
Amharic
ስህተት
Arabic
خطأ
Armenian
սխալ
Assamese
ভুল
Aymara
pantjaña
Azerbaijani
səhv
Bambara
hàkɛ
Basque
akatsa
Belarusian
памылка
Bengali
ভুল
Bhojpuri
गलती
Bosnian
greška
Bulgarian
грешка
Catalan
errada
Cebuano
sayup
Chinese (Simplified)
错误
Chinese (Traditional)
錯誤
Corsican
sbagliu
Croatian
pogreška
Czech
chyba
Danish
fejl
Dhivehi
ކުށް
Dogri
गलती
Dutch
vergissing
English
mistake
Esperanto
eraro
Estonian
viga
Ewe
vodada
Filipino (Tagalog)
pagkakamali
Finnish
virhe
French
erreur
Frisian
flater
Galician
erro
Georgian
შეცდომა
German
fehler
Greek
λάθος
Guarani
jejavy
Gujarati
ભૂલ
Haitian Creole
erè
Hausa
kuskure
Hawaiian
kuhi hewa
Hebrew
טעות
Hindi
ग़लती
Hmong
ua yuam kev
Hungarian
hiba
Icelandic
mistök
Igbo
ndudue
Ilocano
biddut
Indonesian
kesalahan
Irish
botún
Italian
sbaglio
Japanese
間違い
Javanese
kesalahan
Kannada
ತಪ್ಪು
Kazakh
қателік
Khmer
កំហុស
Kinyarwanda
ikosa
Konkani
चूक
Korean
잘못
Krio
mistek
Kurdish
şaşî
Kurdish (Sorani)
هەڵە
Kyrgyz
ката
Lao
ຜິດພາດ
Latin
errat
Latvian
kļūda
Lingala
libunga
Lithuanian
klaida
Luganda
ensobi
Luxembourgish
feeler
Macedonian
грешка
Maithili
गलती
Malagasy
fahadisoana
Malay
kesilapan
Malayalam
തെറ്റ്
Maltese
żball
Maori
hape
Marathi
चूक
Meiteilon (Manipuri)
ꯑꯁꯣꯏꯕ
Mizo
tihsual
Mongolian
алдаа
Myanmar (Burmese)
အမှား
Nepali
गल्ती
Norwegian
feil
Nyanja (Chichewa)
kulakwitsa
Odia (Oriya)
ଭୁଲ
Oromo
dogoggora
Pashto
خطا
Persian
اشتباه
Polish
błąd
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)
erro
Punjabi
ਗਲਤੀ
Quechua
pantay
Romanian
greşeală
Russian
ошибка
Samoan
mea sese
Sanskrit
त्रुटि
Scots Gaelic
mearachd
Sepedi
phošo
Serbian
грешка
Sesotho
phoso
Shona
kukanganisa
Sindhi
غلطي
Sinhala (Sinhalese)
වැරැද්ද
Slovak
omyl
Slovenian
napaka
Somali
qalad
Spanish
error
Sundanese
kasalahan
Swahili
kosa
Swedish
misstag
Tagalog (Filipino)
pagkakamali
Tajik
хато
Tamil
தவறு
Tatar
хата
Telugu
పొరపాటు
Thai
ความผิดพลาด
Tigrinya
ጌጋ
Tsonga
xihoxo
Turkish
hata
Turkmen
ýalňyşlyk
Twi (Akan)
mfomsoɔ
Ukrainian
помилка
Urdu
غلطی
Uyghur
خاتالىق
Uzbek
xato
Vietnamese
sai lầm
Welsh
camgymeriad
Xhosa
impazamo
Yiddish
גרייז
Yoruba
aṣiṣe
Zulu
iphutha

Etymology & Notes

LanguageEtymology / Notes
AfrikaansThe Afrikaans word "fout" is cognate with the Dutch, Norwegian and German word "fout", all of which mean "wrong" or "incorrect".
Albanian"Gabim" comes from the Arabic word "ghabn", meaning "error" or "fraud", and it also has a secondary meaning of "harm" or "injury".
AmharicThe word "ስህተት" can also mean "error" or "fault" in Amharic.
Arabic"خطأ" derives from the root word "خطو" meaning "step" or "move", signifying an erroneous move or departure from the right path.
ArmenianThe Armenian word "սխալ" comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷr̥s- or *kʷr̥t-, meaning "to turn" or "to twist".
Azerbaijani"Səhv" is a Persian-origin word that can also mean "bad habit" or "defect" in Azerbaijani.
BasqueThe word "akatsa" comes from the verb "akatu" meaning "to fail" or "to be wrong".
BelarusianПамылка ultimately derives from the Proto-Slavic *pamlъka 'blunder'. An alternative meaning of the word is 'disgrace'.
BengaliThe term 'ভুল' not only means 'mistake' but is used also for 'forget' and 'error'.
BosnianThe word "greška" in Bosnian also means "sin".
BulgarianThe word is also related to the word "грях" which means "sin" and shares a similar etymology to "griek" in Dutch and "грех" in Russian, indicating the moral connotation of the word.
CatalanThe word "errada" in Catalan derives from the Latin word "errata", which means "list of errors" or "mistake".
CebuanoThe Cebuano word "sayup" can also be derived from the Proto-Austronesian word *saqup, meaning "to go astray" or "to be lost".
Chinese (Simplified)The Chinese word "错误" also means "something wrong or improper" and is composed of the characters "错" (wrong) and "误" (mistake or error), indicating a broader sense of deviation or incorrectness.
Chinese (Traditional)「錯誤」的詞源來自拉丁語「errare」,意指「流浪」、「迷失方向」或「犯錯」。
CorsicanIn Corsican, "sbagliu" can also mean "misfortune" or "error".
CroatianThe word 'pogreška' in Croatian also means 'flaw' or 'defect'.
CzechThe Czech word "chyba" is derived from the German word "Fehler", which also means "mistake".
DanishThe Danish word "fejl" derives from the Old Norse word "fall", with related cognates in many other Indo-European languages.
DutchVergissing is derived from the verb 'vergissen', which can also mean 'to be mistaken' or 'to make a mistake'.
EsperantoThe Esperanto word "eraro" derives from the Latin "errare", meaning "to wander".
EstonianThe word "viga" originally meant "fault", but it was later extended to include "mistake".
FinnishThe word "virhe" originally meant "error" or "shortcoming" in Finnish.
FrenchThe French word 'erreur' originates from the Latin word 'errare', meaning 'to wander' or 'to go astray.
FrisianFlater is also the Frisian word for "flat" and is cognate with "flat" in English and "plat" in Dutch, all sharing a root with "plane" and its derivatives.
GalicianIn Galician, "erro" can also mean "itinerary" or "path", akin to the French "erre".
GermanFehler is a German word that has the same root as the English word "failure" and also means "fault" or "defect."
GreekThe word "λάθος" is derived from the Ancient Greek word "λαθεῖν," meaning "to escape notice" or "to be concealed.
GujaratiThe Gujarati word 'ભૂલ' ('mistake') originates from the Sanskrit word 'bhūli' which means 'forgetfulness' or 'slip of memory'.
Haitian CreoleErè is derived from the French word 'erreur' and can also mean 'error' or 'fault'.
HausaThe word "kuskure" can also mean "carelessness" or "negligence" in Hausa.
HawaiianThe word 'kuhi hewa' is a compound of two words: 'kuhi,' meaning 'to miss the mark or deviate from the right path,' and 'hewa,' meaning 'crime, wrong, or fault.'
HebrewThe word "טעות" in modern Hebrew is derived from the Aramaic word "טעותא" and means "error" or "mistake," while in Biblical Hebrew, it was used to refer to "wandering" or "going astray."
HindiThe word "ग़लती" is also used to describe a fault or defect in a material object.
HmongThe Hmong word "ua yuam kev" literally translates to "fall from the path", emphasizing the idea of deviation from the correct course.
Hungarian"Hiba" (meaning "mistake") comes from the Turkish "hata", also meaning "mistake", which in turn comes from the Arabic "khata'" (meaning "error").
IcelandicMistök is a cognate of the Old English word "mistacan" and the Modern German word "misslingen".
IgboThe word "ndudue" in Igbo can also mean "ignorance" or "error".
Indonesian"Kesalahan" can also mean "deficit" or "bad manners" in Indonesian.
IrishThe word 'botún' also means 'profit' in Old Irish, suggesting a complex history of its semantic development.
Italian"Sbaglio" is derived from the Lombard word "sbagliare" which means "to go out of the way"
JapaneseIn Japanese, the term "間違い" can also refer to a "wrong answer" or a "mistaken idea."
JavaneseThe word 'kesalahan' in Javanese has an alternate meaning of 'fate' or 'destiny'.
KannadaThe Kannada word "ತಪ್ಪು" can also refer to a fault or defect in an object, or to a flaw in one's character.
Kazakh"Қателік" also means "defect" or "error" in the context of technical issues.
KhmerThe word កំហុស can also be broken down into "កំ" meaning "hand" and "ហុស" meaning "to move incorrectly," thus implying a physical mistake.
KoreanThe word "잘못" can also mean "incorrectly" or "unfairly".
KurdishThe term "şaşî" also carries the meanings of "defect" and "disorder".
Kyrgyz"Ката" (mistake) also can mean "layer" or "row". It comes from the word "катуу" (firm). So you can say: катуу жаткан ката (a mistake I made while lying firmly or on purpose; also means 'an obvious mistake').
Lao"ຜິດພາດ" can also refer to a mistake or error in conduct or behavior.
LatinThe Latin word "errat" also means "wanders": the "e" expresses the notion of movement away, and "errare" derives from the same root as "extra" or "exile".
LatvianThe word "kļūda" in Latvian is thought to be derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*kleud-", which also gave rise to the English word "clot".
LithuanianThe Lithuanian word "klaida" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root *kley-, meaning to lean or bend.
LuxembourgishIn Luxembourgish, "Feeler" can also refer to a "mistake" or "blunder".
MacedonianIn medieval Macedonian, "грешка" meant "sin" but in modern Macedonian it only means "mistake".
MalagasyOriginating from the Malay "Salah," this word can refer to errors in speech, mistakes in behavior, and incorrect assumptions, along with an error in grammar, judgment, or action.
Malay"Kesilapan" derives from Sanskrit "kṣiti" meaning "earth" or "ground," implying a lapse or fall from grace.
MalayalamThe Malayalam word 'തെറ്റ്' (t̠eṟṟ) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'त्रुटि' (truti), meaning 'slip' or 'error', also cognate with the English word 'error'.
MalteseThe word "żball" in Maltese originates from the Arabic word "ghلط" (ghalat), meaning "error" or "mistake".
MaoriThe word "hape" also means "to err" or "to be led astray" in Maori.
MarathiThe word "चूक" (mistake) in Marathi can also refer to "negligence" or "omission".
MongolianThe word "алдаа" can also refer to a "defect" or an "imperfection".
Myanmar (Burmese)Although အမှား normally means "mistake", it can also mean "miscarriage." It has similar etymology to the English word "error".
NepaliThe Nepali word "गल्ती" derives from Sanskrit "घृष्टि," which initially meant "error, confusion," and later "crime," then "sin."
Norwegian"Feil" can also mean "failure" or "fault" in Norwegian.
Nyanja (Chichewa)The word "kulakwitsa" in Nyanja signifies "mistake" and also "to misunderstand, to misread, or to mishear something."
PashtoIn Pashto, "خطا" also means "sin" or "error".
PersianThe word "اشتباه" is derived from Arabic and can also mean error, fault, omission, or slip-up.
Polish"Błąd" derives from Proto-Slavic *blodъ "error, deviation, fault" and possibly related to Polish "błądzić" "to wander".
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil)The word "erro" comes from the Latin word "errare", meaning "to wander" or "to go astray."}
PunjabiThe word "ਗਲਤੀ" in Punjabi shares its roots with the Sanskrit word "गलति" (galati), meaning "error" or "fault".
RomanianThe word "greşeală" comes from the Slavic word "grěhъ" meaning both "sin" and "mistake".
RussianThe Russian word "ошибка" can also refer to a "deviation", "error" or "divergence".
SamoanMea sese is also used to refer to something that is done wrongly or incorrectly.
Scots GaelicThe Scots Gaelic word "mearachd" has its roots in Old Gaelic and is related to the Irish word "mearachas", both meaning "error" or "mistake."
SerbianThe word "greška" in Serbian can also mean a "fault" or a "flaw".
SesothoSesotho 'phoso' derives from the verb 'hoposa' meaning 'to err' or 'to deviate from the right path'.
ShonaThe word "kukanganisa" in Shona has Bantu roots and is related to the word "kukanganwa," meaning "to forget" or "to make a mistake.
SindhiThe Sindhi word "غلطي" is derived from the Arabic word "غلط" meaning "incorrect" and has a secondary meaning of "error" or "fault".
Sinhala (Sinhalese)"වැරැද්ද" can also be used to indicate an error or fault in a machine or system.
SlovakThe word "omyl" in Slovak comes from the Proto-Slavic word *omyliti, meaning "to deceive" or "to lead astray.
SlovenianIn Slovene, the word "napaka" can also mean "lapse" or "failure".
Somali"Qalad" can also mean "difference" or "disagreement" in various contexts.
SpanishIn Spanish, "error" can also refer to an "omission" or a "lack of precision".
SundaneseThe Sundanese word "kasalahan" is also used to mean "sin" or "wrongdoing."
SwahiliThe word "kosa" can also refer to a "fault" or "defect" in Swahili.
SwedishThe Swedish word "misstag" originates from the Middle Low German word "misstake", meaning "misstep" or "wrong action".
TajikThe word "хато" can also mean "error" or "fault".
Tamil"தவறு" (mistake) is derived from the root "தவிர" meaning "to avoid". The word originally meant "omission" or "neglect" but has since come to mean "mistake" in modern Tamil.
TeluguThe word "పొరపాటు" (porapatu) in Telugu is derived from the Sanskrit word "प्रमाद" (pramāda), which means "carelessness, negligence, or overconfidence".
ThaiThe Thai word "ความผิดพลาด" comes from two root words: "ผิด" meaning "wrong" or "incorrect", and "พลาด" meaning "to miss" or "to fail".
TurkishHata is derived from the Persian word 'khata' which also means 'mistake', 'error' but has the additional meaning of 'mark', 'spot'
UkrainianThe word "помилка" is derived from the Old Church Slavonic word "polmiti," meaning "to err" or "to make a mistake."
UrduUrdu word "غلطی" is derived from the Arabic word "غلط" and also means "erroneous," "false," or "defective."
Uzbek"Xato" also means "a bad habit" in Uzbek.
Vietnamese"Sai lầm" literally means "to do wrongly" as "sai" means "wrong" and "lầm" means "to do".
WelshThe word "camgymeriad" can also refer to a "wrong step" or "misdeed".
XhosaThe word "impazamo" has a second meaning: "a chance to learn and grow"
YiddishEtymology of 'גרייז' (Yiddish): from German 'Greis' ('gray') via Polish 'gryz' ('badly dyed') with a change of meaning to 'mistake'.
Yoruba"Aṣiṣe" also means "fate" or "destiny" in Yoruba and this reflects the Yoruba belief that mistakes are often preordained.
ZuluIn Zulu, "iphutha" can also mean "fault" or "error" and is derived from the verb "phutha" meaning "to miss" or "to err."
EnglishThe word 'mistake' derives from the Old Norse word 'mistaka', meaning 'to lose one's way' or 'to go astray'.

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