Signification
Doing something incorrectly.
Contexte culturel
Finns value 'sisu' (perseverance). Making a mistake is okay as long as you have the 'sisu' to fix it and don't make excuses. Flat hierarchy means even a junior employee can tell a boss 'Tässä on virhe' without fear, as long as it's factual. The Finnish school system encourages 'learning by doing,' which inherently involves 'tehdä virheitä.' Mistakes are seen as data points. A simple, direct 'Tein virheen' is preferred over long, flowery apologies. Over-apologizing can sometimes feel insincere to Finns.
The 'Tein' Shortcut
If you want to apologize quickly, just say 'Tein virheen.' It's grammatically perfect and socially acceptable everywhere.
Don't say 'Otan virheen'
Even if you 'take' a mistake in your language, in Finnish you always 'do' it. 'Otan virheen' sounds like you are ordering a mistake at a restaurant.
Signification
Doing something incorrectly.
The 'Tein' Shortcut
If you want to apologize quickly, just say 'Tein virheen.' It's grammatically perfect and socially acceptable everywhere.
Don't say 'Otan virheen'
Even if you 'take' a mistake in your language, in Finnish you always 'do' it. 'Otan virheen' sounds like you are ordering a mistake at a restaurant.
Plural Power
Use 'Tein virheitä' (partitive plural) when you want to sound humble about your learning process. It implies a general state of learning.
Honesty is Key
In Finland, admitting a mistake immediately is much better than trying to hide it. Use this phrase early and often!
Teste-toi
Fill in the correct form of the verb 'tehdä'.
Minä ______ virheen eilen.
'Eilen' (yesterday) requires the past tense (imperfetti) first-person singular form 'tein'.
Which sentence is correct?
Choose the natural way to say 'I don't make mistakes'.
In a negative sentence about general habits, the plural partitive 'virheitä' is the most natural choice.
Match the Finnish phrase with its English meaning.
Match the following:
These cover the most common variations and tenses of the phrase.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Miksi olet pahoillasi? B: Koska ______ suuren virheen.
The speaker is explaining why they *are* sorry (because they *made* a mistake in the past).
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Formality Scale
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesMinä ______ virheen eilen.
'Eilen' (yesterday) requires the past tense (imperfetti) first-person singular form 'tein'.
Choose the natural way to say 'I don't make mistakes'.
In a negative sentence about general habits, the plural partitive 'virheitä' is the most natural choice.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These cover the most common variations and tenses of the phrase.
A: Miksi olet pahoillasi? B: Koska ______ suuren virheen.
The speaker is explaining why they *are* sorry (because they *made* a mistake in the past).
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsIt is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your best friend.
'Virhe' is more general and common. 'Erehdys' often implies a misunderstanding or a slip of the mind.
No, use 'tehdä rikos' for a crime. 'Virhe' is for accidents or bad judgments.
Say 'Tein paljon virheitä.' Note the partitive plural 'virheitä'.
Yes, 'mokata' is more natural and 'cool' in casual settings.
Yes, you can say 'Kone teki virheen' (The machine made an error).
It's a specific type of 'virhe'—a typo or a printing error.
Say 'Se oli minun virheeni.'
Yes, always conjugate it to match the person (minä teen, sinä teet, etc.).
Yes, for example, 'pelaaja teki virheen' (the player made a foul/mistake).
Expressions liées
erehtyä
synonymTo be mistaken
mokata
informalTo mess up
kämmiä
slangTo screw up
korjata virhe
builds onTo fix a mistake
myöntää virhe
builds onTo admit a mistake
