innocent mistake

[/ˈɪnəsənt mɪˈsteɪk/]
noun phrasepl: innocent mistakes
erro inocente
1. An unintentional error made without malice, deception, or knowledge of wrongdoing
It was just an innocent mistake when I forgot to send you the email.
Foi apenas um erro inocente quando esqueci de te enviar o email.
2. A minor or trivial error committed without harmful intent
The accountant made an innocent mistake in the calculation that was easily corrected.
O contador cometeu um erro inocente no cálculo que foi facilmente corrigido.
In both Brazilian and American cultures, acknowledging an 'innocent mistake' is a way to deflect blame and appeal to the other party's understanding and forgiveness. In Brazil, this phrase is often used to maintain social harmony (jogo de cintura), while in the USA it reflects a more direct approach to admitting unintentional errors without accepting blame for intent.
NYC Slang
my bad (informal acknowledgment of an innocent mistake)
Synonyms / Sinônimos
honest mistakeunintentional errorinadvertent mistakesimple oversight
Antonyms / Antônimos
deliberate errorintentional mistakemalicious actdishonest act

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
erro inocente
Most common usage in formal and informal contexts
Rio de Janeiro
erro sem maldade
Colloquial variation emphasizing lack of evil intent
São Paulo
erro ingênuo
Slightly more formal, emphasizing naivety rather than malice
Portugal
erro inocente / engano inocente
Both terms used; 'engano' more commonly emphasizes confusion or deception-free error

Related Words

miscalculationoversightslip-upunintentionalblamelessunaware

Related Idioms & Phrases

no harm, no foul
it's just an honest mistake
accidents will happen
sem intenção de ofender (without intention to offend)
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →