English Experts

[Rafael Andrade]

Hi folks,

When can I use "mistake" and "wrong" Because both mean "erro" in Portuguese.

[Raissa]

Olá Rafael!
WRONG x MISTAKE
Wrong (errado) é adjetivo.
Ex.: This answer is wrong (Esta resposta está errada).

Mistake (erro) é substantivo.
Ex.: I'm sorry about my mistake
(Desculpe-me pelo meu erro)

O verbo errar diz-se to err (formal) ou to make a mistake.
Ex.: Making mistakes is part of learning (Errar faz parte do aprendizado).
To err is human (Errar é humano).

A diferença é essa!
Espero ter esclarecido sua dúvida!

Take Care!

Raíssa

[sea8c2]

Valeu Raissa ! Aprendi com você também !
Sea8c2

[Henry Cunha]

I think you really need to know the context in order to decide which to use. In many cases they are interchangeable but with some difference in meaning. In Portuguese a non-speaker might have the same difficulty with "erro," "equivoco," "falta," etc. Here are some examples to think about:

I was mistaken.
I was wrong.

I mistook you for somebody else.
I wrongly identified you as someone else.

I wronged you.
The way I acted toward you was a mistake.

Two wrongs do not add up to a right.

These words can behave as nouns, verbs, adjectives or adverbs really. I think that as you get used to them you will begin to differentiate when to use one as opposed to the other!

[Rafael Andrade]

Thanks!!!!