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.
彼は仕事でミスをした。
He made a mistake at work.
ミスをしないように気をつけて。
Be careful not to make a mistake.
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.
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.
彼は若気の至りで過ちを犯した。
He committed an error due to youthful indiscretion.
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.
それは私のミスです。
That's my mistake (slip).
それは私の間違いです。
That's my error (I was wrong).
それは私の失敗です。
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).
A basic verb meaning 'to make a mistake' or 'to get something wrong'. Often used for factual errors or choosing the wrong thing.
答えを間違えた。
I got the answer wrong.
道を間違えたかもしれない。
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.
実験に失敗した。
The experiment failed.
ショートがエラーをした。
The shortstop committed an error.
彼のエラーで点が入った。
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.
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.
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.
手続きに誤りを犯した。
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.
報告書に重大なミスを犯した。
I made a serious mistake in the report.