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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner

How do you say "i made a mistake" in Japanese?

間違いを犯しました

machigai wo okashi mashita

Phrase Kanji

In Japanese, "i made a mistake" is 間違いを犯しました (machigai wo okashi mashita).

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Pronunciation

Say mah-CHEE-gai oh oh-kah-shee mah-shee-ta, with machigai's diphthong 'ai' drawn out slightly, like wincing at your own error.

Writing and usage

間違いを犯しました is written using kanji. It's a phrase, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

i made a mistake

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How to remember 間違いを犯しました

Machigai sounds like 'match a guy' — picture matching the wrong guy's name tag by mistake.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 間違いを犯しました

How do you pronounce 間違いを犯しました?

Say mah-CHEE-gai oh oh-kah-shee mah-shee-ta, with machigai's diphthong 'ai' drawn out slightly, like wincing at your own error.

Is 間違いを犯しました formal or casual?

間違いを犯しました is a common everyday expression. Context and tone of voice matter more than the words themselves for how formal it sounds.

How is 間違いを犯しました written in Japanese?

間違いを犯しました is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as machigai wo okashi mashita.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"I made a mistake" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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