foutjes

Foutjes is the plural form of foutje, a diminutive of fout. In Dutch, fout means mistake or fault, and foutje adds a nuance of smallness or mildness. Therefore foutjes refer to minor or inconsequential errors rather than serious flaws.

Foutjes can appear in many domains, such as text and typography (typo or misprint), spoken language (slip of the tongue), calculations, or practical actions. The term is used in both informal speech and professional contexts to acknowledge that an error happened but is not catastrophic. The diminutive is often intended to soften the tone and show tolerance.

In media and public communication, acknowledging a foutje is common: organizations may issue a brief correction or apology for a small error, such as a wrong date or figure. In daily life, saying "dat was een foutje" can ease discussions and shift focus to the correction rather than the mistake itself.

Relation to other terms: fout is the general term for error; foutje emphasizes smallness and casualness. Other related Dutch terms include slordige fout (careless mistake) for more serious issues, and tikfout (typing error) specifically for spelling mistakes. Overall, foutjes function as a linguistic way to frame minor mistakes as tolerable and easily corrected.