mea culpa
[ˈme.aː ˈkʊɫ.paː]
My fault in Latin is mea culpa, the classic way to admit that you are responsible for a mistake.
mea culpa admits blame. You can say Mea culpa non est, it's not my fault or Hoc erat mea culpa, this was my fault.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is made of the possessive mea, my and the noun culpa, fault or blame.
Which one should you use?
Mea Maxima Culpa means my most grievous fault and is the strongest form. Peccavi means I have sinned and is a formal way to admit a mistake.
How does it change in a sentence?
mea is feminine singular nominative to agree with the feminine noun culpa.
When do people say it?
The phrase comes from the confession prayer of the Latin Mass. English speakers also use mea culpa as a borrowed expression when they publicly admit a mistake.
Did you know?
- In the traditional Latin Mass, the phrase mea culpa is not just spoken but is often accompanied by a gesture of striking one's chest to show true contrition.
- In the Roman legal system, culpa was not just a general mistake but a specific legal category of negligence, distinguishing a careless error from a deliberate crime.
- The word culpa descends from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to bend' or 'turn', implying that a mistake was a deviation from a straight path.
Examples in context
- , Text of the Tridentine MassI confess to the Almighty God, to the blessed Mary ever Virgin, to blessed Michael the Archangel, to blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the Saints, and to you brethren, that I have sinned exceedingly, in thought, word, and deed: through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.This line comes from the confession prayer of the Tridentine Mass, which repeats through my fault three times.
- Mea culpa non est.It's not my fault.Mea culpa non est. puts non est, is not, after the phrase to deny blame.Tatoeba #9837433 by shekitten, translation #321324 by CK
- Hoc erat mea culpa.This was my fault.Hoc erat mea culpa. uses erat, was, to admit a past fault.Tatoeba #6166825 by CarpeLanam, translation #2648410 by CK
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucius accidentally knocks over a vase while talking to Lucia.
- LuciusMea culpa, Lucia!My fault, Lucia!
- LuciaCur hoc fecisti, Luci?Why did you do this, Lucius?
- LuciusNon videbam, mea culpa est.I didn't see, it is my fault.
- LuciaNihil refert, sed cave.It doesn't matter, but be careful.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mea culpa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries culpa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0, Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
