실수를 하다
silsu-reul hada
Make a mistake.
Phrase in 30 Seconds
The essential Korean phrase for admitting you've made an error or a social slip-up.
- Means: To make a mistake or commit an error in action or judgment.
- Used in: Daily conversations, workplace apologies, and reflecting on personal growth.
- Don't confuse: With '잘못하다', which often implies a more serious moral wrong.
Explanation at your level:
Signification
To do something incorrectly or commit an error.
Contexte culturel
Apologizing for a mistake often involves a slight bow and using 'honorifics' to show respect to the person affected. It's not just about the words, but the posture. In many Korean companies, a 'Kyun-je-seo' (letter of apology/explanation) might be required for significant '실수' to document what happened and how to prevent it. The concept of 'Sool-sil-su' (alcohol mistakes) is a common trope in K-Dramas, where characters confess feelings or act out while drunk, then apologize the next day. There is a high pressure for perfection, so 'Sil-su' on the Suneung (CSAT) exam is a nightmare for students. Teachers often emphasize 'Sil-su-do sil-lyeok' (Mistakes are also skill).
Drop the '를'
In 90% of conversations, Koreans say '실수했어요' instead of '실수를 했어요.' It sounds much more natural.
Don't over-apologize
If it's a tiny mistake, a simple '실수예요' is enough. Over-apologizing can make the situation more awkward.
Signification
To do something incorrectly or commit an error.
Drop the '를'
In 90% of conversations, Koreans say '실수했어요' instead of '실수를 했어요.' It sounds much more natural.
Don't over-apologize
If it's a tiny mistake, a simple '실수예요' is enough. Over-apologizing can make the situation more awkward.
Use with '말'
Combine it with '말' (speech) to get '말실수' (slip of the tongue). It's one of the most useful compound words in Korean.
The 'Drunk' Excuse
While '술 실수' is common, don't rely on it too much in professional settings. It's becoming less acceptable in modern Korea.
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank with the correct form of '실수를 하다'.
너무 긴장해서 면접에서 ____. (I was so nervous that I made a mistake in the interview.)
The context implies a past event (the interview happened), so the past tense '실수했어요' is correct.
Which sentence is the most natural way to apologize for a small error?
Choose the best option:
In Korean, you 'do' (하다) a mistake, not 'make' (만들다) or 'have' (가지다) one.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 보고서에 오타가 너무 많아요. B: 죄송합니다. 제가 ____.
The formal '했습니다' is appropriate for a workplace setting when admitting an error.
Match the type of mistake to the sentence.
Match: 1. 말실수 2. 계산 실수 3. 술 실수
말실수 is a slip of the tongue, 계산 실수 is a math error, and 술 실수 is a mistake made while drunk.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
실수 vs 잘못
Questions fréquentes
14 questionsIt is a noun (실수) combined with the verb (하다). You can use it as a single verb '실수하다'.
No, for missing a bus, use '버스를 놓쳤어요.' '실수' is for errors in action or judgment.
'실수' is a mistake (like a typo), while '실패' is a failure (like failing a business).
You can say '큰 실수를 했어요' or '치명적인 실수를 했어요' (I made a fatal mistake).
It can be, as it sounds like a command. Use it only with subordinates or in a very helpful context.
Yes, if the accident was caused by your error, like '운전 실수' (driving error).
It's a slip of the tongue—saying something you didn't mean to say.
Use '실수를 해서 대단히 죄송합니다' (I am very sorry for making a mistake).
Usually, we use '오류' (error) for computers, but if *you* caused it, you can say '제 실수예요'.
They both use the character '실' but different ones. '실수' is 失 (lose), '실력' is 實 (real/fruit).
It means 'full of mistakes' or 'a person who is a total klutz.'
Yes, you can call it a '패션 실수'.
You can say '실수해도 괜찮아요' or '실수할 수도 있죠'.
Yes, '뻘짓' (doing something stupid) or '삽질' (shoveling/wasting time on a mistake).
Expressions liées
잘못하다
similarTo do wrong / be at fault
틀리다
similarTo be incorrect
착오가 있다
specialized formThere is an error
실패하다
contrastTo fail
말실수하다
specialized formTo make a slip of the tongue
Où l'utiliser
At a Restaurant
Waiter: 죄송합니다, 주문 실수를 해서 음식이 늦어졌습니다.
Customer: 괜찮아요. 실수할 수도 있죠.
Job Interview
Interviewer: 자신의 가장 큰 실수는 무엇이었나요?
Applicant: 예전 직장에서 마감 기한을 놓치는 실수를 한 적이 있습니다.
Texting a Friend
Friend A: 야, 아까 단톡방에 메시지 잘못 보냈어?
Friend B: 응, 완전 실수했어 ㅠㅠ 어떡해?
Language Class
Student: 선생님, 제가 조사를 틀리는 실수를 했어요.
Teacher: 괜찮아요. 실수를 하면서 배우는 거예요.
After a Party
Person A: 어제 술 마시고 너한테 전화했더라. 미안해.
Person B: 술 마시면 실수할 수도 있지. 신경 쓰지 마.
At the Office
Manager: 김 대리, 보고서에 숫자가 틀렸는데?
Employee: 죄송합니다. 제가 큰 실수를 했습니다. 바로 수정하겠습니다.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Sil-su' as 'Seal-Slip'. Imagine a Seal slipping on ice—it's a 'Sil-su' (mistake)!
Visual Association
Imagine a hand ({수|手}) trying to catch a ball but losing ({실|失}) it. The ball drops—that's a 'Sil-su'.
Rhyme
실수는 누구나 해 (Sil-su-neun nu-gu-na hae), 걱정은 이제 그만해 (Geok-jeong-eun i-je geu-man-hae).
Story
Min-su was writing a love letter. He used the wrong name by 'Sil-su'. He felt so embarrassed that he 'did' (하다) a 'Sil-su' and ran away!
Word Web
Défi
Write down three mistakes you made this week in Korean using '저는 [mistake] 실수를 했어요.'
In Other Languages
Cometer un error
Korean '실수' is a noun-verb combo, while Spanish often uses the reflexive verb 'equivocarse'.
Faire une erreur
French 'faute' is closer to Korean '잘못' (moral fault).
Einen Fehler machen
German 'Fehler' is more general and used for both 'wrong answers' and 'slips'.
失敗する (shippai suru)
Japanese 'shippai' often feels heavier (like 'failure') than Korean '실수'.
ارتكب خطأ (irtakaba khaṭa')
Arabic has a very strong distinction between 'khata' (unintentional) and 'ithm' (sin/intentional).
犯错 (fàncuò)
In modern Chinese, 'shiwu' is often used for sports or technical errors.
Cometer um erro
Portuguese 'errar' can be used more broadly for 'to miss' (like missing a target).
To make a mistake
English 'mistake' can be a noun or a verb (to mistake someone), but '실수' is strictly a noun.
Easily Confused
Learners use '실수하다' for any wrong answer.
If 2+2=5, that's '틀리다'. If you knew 2+2=4 but wrote 5 by accident, that's '실수하다'.
They are often used interchangeably for apologies.
Use '잘못하다' when you want to say 'It's my fault.' Use '실수하다' when you want to say 'I didn't mean to.'
FAQ (14)
It is a noun (실수) combined with the verb (하다). You can use it as a single verb '실수하다'.
No, for missing a bus, use '버스를 놓쳤어요.' '실수' is for errors in action or judgment.
'실수' is a mistake (like a typo), while '실패' is a failure (like failing a business).
You can say '큰 실수를 했어요' or '치명적인 실수를 했어요' (I made a fatal mistake).
It can be, as it sounds like a command. Use it only with subordinates or in a very helpful context.
Yes, if the accident was caused by your error, like '운전 실수' (driving error).
It's a slip of the tongue—saying something you didn't mean to say.
Use '실수를 해서 대단히 죄송합니다' (I am very sorry for making a mistake).
Usually, we use '오류' (error) for computers, but if *you* caused it, you can say '제 실수예요'.
They both use the character '실' but different ones. '실수' is 失 (lose), '실력' is 實 (real/fruit).
It means 'full of mistakes' or 'a person who is a total klutz.'
Yes, you can call it a '패션 실수'.
You can say '실수해도 괜찮아요' or '실수할 수도 있죠'.
Yes, '뻘짓' (doing something stupid) or '삽질' (shoveling/wasting time on a mistake).
