Translation guide
How to express 'commit an error' in Japanese, covering mistakes, sports errors, and formal contexts.
To say someone made a mistake or error in a general sense.
The most common and versatile way to say 'make a mistake/error'. 'ミス' comes from English 'miss' and is widely used in daily life, work, and sports.
He made a mistake at work.
Be careful not to make a mistake.
A basic verb meaning 'to make a mistake' or 'to get something wrong'. Often used for factual errors or choosing the wrong thing.
I got the answer wrong.
I might have taken the wrong road.
Means 'to fail' or 'to make a blunder'. Implies a more significant mistake or failure, not just a small error.
The experiment failed.
To refer to a fielding error or a fault in sports.
Directly borrowed from English 'error', used in sports like baseball for a fielding error, or in computing/technical contexts.
The shortstop committed an error.
A run scored due to his error.
A more formal term for 'error' or 'blunder', often used in sports statistics or formal reports. In baseball, it's synonymous with エラー but sounds more technical.
To express a formal error, such as in official procedures, judgment, or a serious blunder.
A formal and weighty expression meaning 'to commit an error/mistake'. Often used for moral errors, serious misjudgments, or official misconduct.
He committed an error due to youthful indiscretion.
The company committed a serious error.
Similar to 過ちを犯す but slightly less heavy; '誤り' means 'error/mistake' in a factual or procedural sense. Used in formal contexts.
We committed an error in the procedure.
Combines the casual 'ミス' with the formal verb '犯す'. It sounds a bit mismatched but is sometimes used in business contexts to emphasize the seriousness of a mistake.
I made a serious mistake in the report.
ミス is a casual, all-purpose 'mistake' (often a slip or oversight). 間違い is a factual error or wrong choice. 失敗 is a failure or blunder, often with consequences. For 'commit an error', ミスをする is the safest default.
That's my mistake (slip).
That's my error (I was wrong).
That's my failure/blunder.
English 'commit an error' uses 'commit' as a light verb. Japanese does not use a direct equivalent of 'commit' with all error words. Use する or 犯す only in specific combinations. Do not say エラーをコミットする or 間違いを犯す (the latter is unnatural).
彼は今シーズン3つの失策を記録している。
He has recorded three errors this season.