When 'Mistake' Isn't Strong Enough

In Japanese, you already know words like 「間違える」(machigaeru) or 「ミスする」(misu suru) for making a mistake. But sometimes, these words just don't capture the scale and the 'the-world-is-ending' feeling of a real screw-up.

That's when Japanese people bring out the ultimate weapon: やらかす (yarakasu). 🤦‍♀️

What is やらかす?

Simply put, やらかす means "to mess up badly" or "to do something you shouldn't have," usually out of carelessness or poor judgment. It carries a much stronger nuance than a simple error. It's that feeling of "Oh no, what have I done?!" that everyone has experienced.

It's not just miscalculating a number. It's sending the wrong price quote to a competitor!

やらかす in Action 💬

To really get the feel, check out these examples:

• Scenario 1: A critical blunder at work 😱

  やばい、客先に送るメール、CCに競合他社のアドレス入れちゃった…。完全にやらかした。 (Yabai, kyakusaki ni okuru mēru, shīshī ni kyōgō tasha no adoresu irechatta... Kanzen ni yarakashita.) → Oh no, in the email to the client, I accidentally CC'd a competitor's address... I totally screwed up.

• Scenario 2: The aftermath of a drunken night 🍻

  昨日の飲み会で記憶なくして、起きたら財布がなかった。絶対なんかやらかしてるわ。 (Kinō no nomikai de kioku nakushite, okitara saifu ga nakatta. Zettai nanka yarakashiteru wa.) → I blacked out at the drinking party last night, and when I woke up, my wallet was gone. I definitely did something stupid.

• Scenario 3: A slip of the tongue 🗣️

  会議中、うっかり他部署の悪口を言ってしまった。あー、やらかした…。 (Kaigichū, ukkari ta-busho no waruguchi wo itte shimatta. Ā, yarakashita...) → During the meeting, I accidentally bad-mouthed another department. Ahh, I really messed up...

The Key Takeaway ✨

• やらかす is often used in the past tense (やらかした) to confess something that has already happened.
• It implies a mistake with consequences, causing trouble for others or oneself.
• It's a very common, colloquial word used in all aspects of daily life, from the office to conversations with friends. Using it will make you sound much more natural when talking about your own memorable blunders.

Next time you really mess something up, instead of just saying 「ミスしました」, try sighing and saying, 「ああ、やらかした…」. Your Japanese colleagues are sure to pat you on the back with empathy! 😉