不ふ徳とくの致いたすところ

Meanings

my fault; due to my lack of virtue; mea culpa

A formal, self-deprecating set phrase used in apologies, often by public figures or in official statements, to take personal responsibility for an undesirable outcome. Carries a strong apologetic tone.

今こん回かいの不ふ祥しょう事じは、すべて私わたしの不ふ徳とくの致いたすところでございます。
This scandal is entirely my fault, due to my own lack of virtue.
このような結けっ果かになったのは、ひとえに私わたしの不ふ徳とくの致いたすところです。
That things turned out this way is solely because of my own moral failings.

See all 3 example sentences ›

Kanji

不negative, non-, bad
徳benevolence, virtue, goodness
致doth, do, send
所place, extent

Related words

自じ業ごう自じ得とく
自業自得 means 'you reap what you sow' and can be used about oneself or others, often with a nuance of deserved consequences. 不徳の致すところ is a formal, self-blaming apology phrase used only about the speaker's own responsibility.
申もうし訳わけございません
A general very polite apology. 不徳の致すところ is more specific, explicitly attributing fault to one's own moral inadequacy, and is used in formal statements rather than everyday apologies.

Built from

不ふ徳とく+いたす

Written forms

不ふ徳とくの致いたすところ
Standard kanji form of this set phrase.
不ふ徳とくの致いたす所ところ
Variant with 所 instead of ところ; less common but still seen.

Etymology

A set phrase combining 不徳 (lack of virtue) and 致すところ (what is brought about). The expression is rooted in Confucian-influenced formal apology language, where a leader takes moral responsibility for failures.