過ちを文る · godan verb (-ru)
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 過ちを文る | 過ちを文らない |
| Polite | 過ちを文ります | 過ちを文りません |
| Past polite | 過ちを文りました | 過ちを文りませんでした |
| Past | 過ちを文った | 過ちを文らなかった |
| Te-form | 過ちを文って | 過ちを文らないで |
| Desire | 過ちを文りたい | 過ちを文りたくない |
| Potential | 過ちを文れる | 過ちを文れない |
| Passive | 過ちを文られる | 過ちを文られない |
| Causative | 過ちを文らせる | 過ちを文らせない |
| Causative passive | 過ちを文らせられるalso 過ちを文らされる | 過ちを文らせられないalso 過ちを文らされない |
| Volitional | 過ちを文ろう | |
| Polite volitional | 過ちを文りましょう | |
| Imperative | 過ちを文れ | 過ちを文るな |
| Conditional | 過ちを文れば | 過ちを文らなければ |
| Tara conditional | 過ちを文ったら | 過ちを文らなかったら |
to gloss over a mistake; to cover up an error with a veneer of correctness
A literary expression meaning to make a mistake look presentable rather than truly correcting it. The verb 文る (かざる) is an archaic or literary equivalent of 飾る, used here in a figurative sense.
He only glossed over his mistakes and never tried to address the root cause.
The politician didn't admit the gaffe and spent the whole time giving an explanation that merely papered over the error.