fault
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fault
Responsibility or blame for a negative incident, damage, or misconduct. This term is often used in a legal context to clarify whether an action can be attributed to someone.
Der Unfall geschah ohne sein Verschulden.
The accident happened through no fault of his own.
The word 'Verschulden' (fault) is the nominalization of the verb 'verschulden' (to be responsible for / to cause). It derives from 'die Schuld' (guilt, blame, debt) and describes the circumstance of being responsible for something.
Ein Verschulden des Piloten konnte nicht nachgewiesen werden.
Fault on the part of the pilot could not be proven.
'Verschulden' (fault) is a formal term used mainly in legal, insurance, and official language. In everyday speech, people are more likely to say 'Schuld' (fault / blame).
Die Versicherung prüft, ob ein Verschulden des Fahrers vorliegt.
The insurance company is checking whether there was fault on the part of the driver.
The word is often used with the prepositions 'ohne' (without) and 'durch' (through / due to). 'Ohne sein Verschulden' means that he is not at fault, while 'durch sein Verschulden' means that he was the cause.
Der Schaden entstand durch sein alleiniges Verschulden.
The damage occurred solely due to his fault.
guilt / debt
'die Schuld' and 'das Verschulden' both mean that someone is responsible for a mistake, damage, or negative incident. 'die Schuld' is very common in everyday language and fits many situations. 'das Verschulden' sounds more formal and is used especially often when it needs to be determined exactly who is legally or officially responsible. In many sentences, both words can be understood in a similar way, but in conversation, 'Schuld' sounds more natural.
Die Versicherung prüft, ob ein Verschulden des Kunden vorliegt.
The insurance company is checking whether the customer was at fault.
Nach dem Unfall gab der Fahrer seine Schuld zu.
After the accident, the driver admitted he was at fault.