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.
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.
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.
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).
I might have taken the wrong road.
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.
We committed an error in the procedure.
I made a serious mistake in the report.