mishap
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mishap
A small unfortunate event or mistake that is usually annoying or embarrassing, but not serious.
Mir ist heute Morgen ein kleines Missgeschick passiert und ich habe den Kaffee über mein Hemd geschüttet.
A little mishap happened to me this morning, and I spilled coffee all over my shirt.
The word consists of the prefix 'Miss-' (mis-), which indicates something negative or wrong, and 'Geschick', which here means 'fate' or 'turn of events.' So a 'Missgeschick' (mishap) is literally a 'bad turn of events.'
Die Vorsilbe „Miss-“ drückt oft ein Scheitern aus, wie in „Misserfolg“.
The prefix 'Miss-' often expresses failure, as in 'Misserfolg' (failure).
If you want to say whom a mishap happened to, that person is in the dative. The typical sentence structure is: '[Person in the dative] ist ein Missgeschick passiert.'
Meinem Kollegen ist heute ein peinliches Missgeschick passiert.
An embarrassing mishap happened to my colleague today.
'Missgeschick' (mishap) is very frequently used with the verb 'passieren' (to happen). A somewhat more formal alternative is 'unterlaufen' (e.g., 'Mir ist ein Missgeschick unterlaufen' — a mishap occurred to me / I made a mishap).
Dem Kellner ist ein Missgeschick unterlaufen und er hat das Glas fallen lassen.
A mishap occurred to the waiter, and he dropped the glass.
mistake / error
'der Fehler' and 'das Missgeschick' can both describe that something does not go as it should. 'Fehler' emphasizes more strongly that something was done incorrectly. It can also have more serious consequences. 'Missgeschick' sounds lighter and often more human: it is a small unfortunate event or oversight that is annoying or embarrassing, but usually not very serious. Learners may confuse the words because a mishap often comes from a small mistake. When you are speaking objectively about something wrong, use 'Fehler'. When you see the situation more as a bit of bad luck or an oversight, 'Missgeschick' fits better.
In der Küche passiert Max ein Missgeschick, und die Suppe landet auf dem Boden.
Max has a mishap in the kitchen, and the soup ends up on the floor.
Bitte korrigiere den Fehler im Formular, bevor du es abgibst.
Please correct the mistake in the form before you submit it.