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.
この車の欠点は燃費が悪いことだ。
This car's fault is its poor fuel economy.
彼の欠点はすぐ怒ることだ。
His fault is that he gets angry quickly.
Often used for personal weaknesses or demerits, especially when contrasting with strengths (長所).
短所を長所に変える努力が必要だ。
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.
システムに不具合が見つかった。
A fault was found in the system.
A serious defect or flaw, often used for products, structures, or systems. Implies something is fundamentally wrong.
この製品には欠陥がある。
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'.
それは私の責任です。
That's my fault.
誰の責任でもない。
It's nobody's fault.
Used to place blame, often in casual speech. 'Noun + のせい' means 'Noun's fault'. Can sound accusatory.
遅刻したのは電車のせいだ。
It's the train's fault that I was late.
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.
この地域には活断層がある。
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.
彼はダブルフォールトをした。
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.
失敗は私の責任です。
The failure is my responsibility (fault).
失敗は彼のせいだ。
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 all your fault.
The accident was the driver's fault.
It wasn't my fault.