General word for a mistake or error in action, judgment, or speech. Often used in everyday contexts.
See also: ミス
There was a mistake in the calculation.
Refers to an unintended incident or mishap, often with a nuance of something going wrong unexpectedly. Less common than sense 1.
indiscretion; improper conduct
Euphemistic use for a moral slip, especially a romantic or sexual indiscretion. Often used in set phrases like 間違えを起こす.
He often makes mistakes with names.
A small mishap turned into a big problem.
In his youth, he had an indiscretion with a woman.
slip of the tongue; verbal mistake
wrong number
Derived from the verb 間違える (まちがえる, 'to make a mistake'), functioning as its nominalized form. The kanji 間 (interval, gap) and 違 (differ, mistake) combine to convey the idea of an error in judgment or action.