blunder
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blunder
A small, often embarrassing mistake or mishap that happens because of carelessness, nervousness, or clumsiness. The term is usually used colloquially.
Dem Torwart unterlief ein peinlicher Patzer, der zum Gegentor führte.
The goalkeeper made an embarrassing blunder that led to the opposing goal.
The noun 'der Patzer' (blunder) comes from the verb 'patzen' (to mess up / make a mistake). When someone 'patzt' (messes up), they make a mistake or have a mishap.
Ich habe bei der Präsentation gepatzt und wichtige Zahlen vergessen.
I messed up during the presentation and forgot important figures.
A very common and natural formulation is 'jemandem unterläuft ein Patzer' (someone makes a blunder / a blunder happens to someone). The person who makes the mistake is in the dative.
Dem erfahrenen Journalisten ist im Live-Interview ein Patzer unterlaufen.
The experienced journalist made a blunder during the live interview.
The word 'Patzer' (blunder) belongs to colloquial language. It describes a mistake in a somewhat lighter, sometimes also mocking way.
Keine Sorge, so ein kleiner Patzer kann jedem mal passieren.
Don't worry, a little blunder like that can happen to anyone.
mistake / error
'der Fehler' and 'der Patzer' both mean that something did not turn out correctly. 'Fehler' is neutral and can be small or big. It is used in many areas, for example at school, at work, or when talking about decisions. 'Patzer' usually means a small, often embarrassing mistake that happens because of carelessness, nervousness, or clumsiness. The word is more colloquial. If you are speaking objectively about something wrong, 'Fehler' fits better. If a mishap is briefly embarrassing, 'Patzer' sounds more natural.
Beim Vortrag war der falsche Name auf der Folie ein kleiner Patzer.
During the presentation, the wrong name on the slide was a small blunder.
Bitte prüf die Rechnung noch einmal, damit kein Fehler bleibt.
Please check the invoice again so that no mistake remains.