Translation guide
The English word 'fault' covers several distinct ideas: a flaw or defect, responsibility for a mistake, a geological crack, and a mistake in sports. This guide helps learners choose the right Japanese expression for each meaning.
Describing a physical or character imperfection, something wrong with an object, system, or person.
General word for a fault, defect, or shortcoming. Used for both objects and people.
This car's fault is its poor fuel economy.
His fault is that he gets angry quickly.
Often used for personal weaknesses or demerits, especially when contrasting with strengths (長所).
You need to make an effort to turn faults into strengths.
Technical term for a malfunction, defect, or bug in a machine, system, or software.
A fault was found in the system.
A serious defect or flaw, often used for products, structures, or systems. Implies something is fundamentally wrong.
This product has a fault.
Saying that someone is responsible for a mistake or problem.
The most common way to express fault as responsibility. Used in phrases like 'it's my fault'.
That's my fault.
Used to place blame, often in casual speech. 'Noun + のせい' means 'Noun's fault'. Can sound accusatory.
Formal word for fault, negligence, or error, often used in legal or official contexts.
A mistake or fault, often implying a minor error or oversight. Used in phrases like 'there was no fault on my part'.
A crack in the Earth's crust where earthquakes occur.
The standard geological term for a fault line.
There is an active fault in this area.
An invalid serve in tennis or similar sports.
Loanword from English, used in tennis and similar sports.
He made a double fault.
責任 (sekinin) is neutral and can be used in formal situations. せい (sei) is more casual and often carries a nuance of blame or accusation. Use せい carefully to avoid sounding rude.
The failure is my responsibility (fault).
The failure is his fault (blaming him).
English often uses 'fault' in phrases like 'It's not your fault'. In Japanese, using 欠点 (ketten) or 欠陥 (kekkan) for this meaning would be unnatural. Use 責任 or せい instead.
It's nobody's fault.
It's the train's fault that I was late.
It's all your fault.
The accident was the driver's fault.
It wasn't my fault.