ma faute
The French phrase for "my fault" is ma faute.
ma faute is used to accept responsibility for a mistake or an error. You can use the more formal Je suis responsable to convey the meaning "I am responsible."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the possessive adjective ma (my) and the noun faute (fault/mistake).
Which one should you use?
While ma faute means "my fault," the phrase mon erreur is often used for more formal or technical errors, whereas faute often implies a blunder or a moral lapse.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the phrase in a full sentence to say "It is my fault," you must include the preposition de after the verb être. For example, C'est de ma faute.
Did you know?
- In French sports, particularly football, a faute is the standard term used for a foul.
- The French word faute is a linguistic relative of the English word 'bankruptcy' via the French term faillite.
- While faute means 'fault', it can also mean 'lack' or 'absence', such as in the phrase à faute de meaning 'for lack of'.
Examples in context
- Est-ce ma faute ?Is this my fault?This example is useful for asking if something is your fault using ma faute.Tatoeba #11642724 by Aiji, translation #4500108 by CK
- C'est de ma faute !It's my fault!This example is useful for emphasizing that something is your fault using ma faute.Tatoeba #5992243 by christian63, translation #6794597 by Eccles17
- C'était de ma faute.It was my fault.This example is useful for describing a past situation where something was your fault using ma faute.Tatoeba #4585937 by sacredceltic, translation #1745701 by Spamster
- Désolé, c'est de ma faute si nous sommes en retard.Sorry, it's my fault we are late.
- 94 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are cleaning the kitchen together.
- GabrielOh non, le verre est cassé !Oh no, the glass is broken!
- ChloéDésolée, c'est de ma faute.Sorry, it's my fault.
- GabrielCe n'est pas grave, Chloé.It's not a big deal, Chloé.
- ChloéJe vais ramasser les morceaux.I will pick up the pieces.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries faute, ma, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
