خطأ
khaṭa'
The English word 'wrong' is translated into Arabic as خطأ (khaṭa').
خطأ is used to describe something that is factually or logically incorrect. If you want to say that someone is 'wrong' in the sense of committing an injustice or treating someone unfairly, you should use the related verb ظَلَمَ instead.
Meaning: asserting something incorrect (adj)
Which one should you use?
The noun خطأ refers to an error or a factual mistake. In contrast, if 'wrong' is used to imply an injustice or unfair treatment, the verb ظَلَمَ is the appropriate term.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Levantine Arabic, you can express 'wrong' as مش صح. In Maghrebi Arabic, the word مغلوط is often employed to mean 'wrong'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To say that someone 'is wrong', Arabic uses the preposition على (on) with the noun خطأ, literally meaning 'on error'. The plural form of the noun خطأ (mistake/error) is أخطاء.
How do you pronounce it?
khaṭa'
Did you know?
- While خطأ denotes a factual mistake, the concept of 'wronging' someone is expressed through the root ظَلَمَ, which is fundamentally linked to the word for 'darkness'.
- The word خطأ shares a deep linguistic root with the Hebrew word חטא, which refers to 'sinning' or 'missing the mark'.
- The formal phrase على خطأ describes someone as being 'on' an error, treating the mistake as a physical platform or state the person is standing upon.
Examples in context
- كان سامي على خطأ.Sami was wrong.This sentence shows how to use the phrase على خطأ to say someone is wrong.Tatoeba #7031251 by Safa_Alfulaij, translation #6714005 by OsoHombre
- ارتكب توم خطأ" ما.Tom did something wrong.This sentence demonstrates using خطأ to describe a mistake someone made.Tatoeba #6141284 by Anasb, translation #2645396 by CK
- زيري على خطأ كالعادة.Ziri is wrong as always.This sentence illustrates using على خطأ to describe someone being wrong as usual.Tatoeba #11695734 by Amastan, translation #10241221 by Amastan
- الجواب الذي قدمته خاطئThe answer you provided is wrong.
- حسابك غير صحيحYour calculation is wrong.
- طريقتك في القيادة مش مظبوطةYour way of driving is wrong.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Layla and Yusuf are checking the answers to a test.
- ليلى Laylaأعتقد أن هذه الإجابة خطأ.A'taqidu anna hadhihi al-ijaba khata.I think this answer is wrong.
- يوسف Youssefلماذا تعتقدين ذلك يا ليلى؟Limadha ta'taqidina dhalika ya Layla?Why do you think that, Layla?
- ليلى Laylaانظر إلى الكتاب، الرقم خطأ.Unzur ila al-kitab, ar-raqm khata.Look at the book, the number is wrong.
- يوسف Youssefمعك حق، أنا أخطأت.Ma'aki haqq, ana akhta'tu.You are right, I made a mistake.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries خطأ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
