wrong / out of place
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out of place
Describes a person, object, or statement that is inappropriate or out of place in a particular situation.
Seine lauten Witze waren bei der Trauerfeier völlig fehl am Platz.
His loud jokes were completely out of place at the funeral.
The word 'fehl' (wrong/out of place) is closely related to the noun 'der Fehler' (mistake/error) and the verb 'fehlen' (to be missing/not be there). All these words have to do with the idea that something is not right or not present.
Es ist ein Fehler, zu glauben, dass diese Aufgabe einfach ist.
It is a mistake to believe that this task is easy.
'Fehl' (wrong/out of place) is used almost exclusively predicatively, meaning it comes after the noun it refers to. Using it directly before a noun (attributively) is unusual and sounds unnatural.
Jeder Vergleich mit der aktuellen Situation geht fehl.
Any comparison with the current situation misses the mark.
The expression 'fehl am Platz' (out of place) is a fixed phrase. It is used to express that a person, object, or remark does not fit the surroundings or situation.
In seinen Turnschuhen fühlte er sich bei der eleganten Abendveranstaltung fehl am Platz.
In his sneakers, he felt out of place at the elegant evening event.
In the meaning 'falsch' (wrong) or 'irrig' (mistaken), 'fehl' (wrong) is very formal and is mainly used in written language. It is rare in everyday spoken language.
Die Schlussfolgerung des Berichts erwies sich als fehl.
The report's conclusion proved to be wrong.
correct / right
'richtig' and 'fehl' form an opposite pair when the question is whether something is suitable or unsuitable, accurate or wrong. 'richtig' is the normal word for something that is correct or fits a situation. Today, 'fehl' is mostly used in fixed expressions like 'fehl am Platz' (out of place). Then it means that a person, thing, or remark does not fit the situation. The older meaning 'wrong' is less common. In everyday language, people usually say 'falsch' (wrong) or 'unpassend' (inappropriate), except in the fixed phrase 'fehl am Platz'.
Bei der ernsten Besprechung war sein Witz völlig fehl am Platz.
At the serious meeting, his joke was completely out of place.
Für die Reparatur ist ein kleiner Schraubenzieher das richtige Werkzeug.
For the repair, a small screwdriver is the right tool.