German word

fehl

Pronunciation

IPA/feːl/

Meaning

  • adjectiveout of place

Example

Sein Kommentar war fehl am Platz.

His comment was out of place.

Illustration for fehl (out of place)

More examples

Auf dem Diplomatenempfang war lautstarkes Verhalten fehl am Platz.

At the diplomatic reception, loud behavior was out of place.

Core concept

A puzzle piece put into the wrong setting, making the whole scene feel inappropriate.

Common phrases

  • fehl am Platz

    out of place

Similar words

unangebracht: Unsuitable for the situation and best avoided.
unangemessen: Not appropriate for the situation or expected standards of conduct.
deplatziert: Awkwardly out of place in the surroundings or atmosphere.
unpassend: Not suited to the purpose, expectations, or circumstances.

Definition in German

Wenn etwas nicht zum Anlass oder Umfeld passt und daher als unangemessen empfunden wird.

Word origin

German fehl developed from older forms such as Middle High German vel and is related to fehlen, linking the adjective with being wrong or missing.

Usage tips

  • In modern German, fehl is most familiar in the fixed expression "fehl am Platz", which can describe a person, remark, or thing.

Other meanings

  • inappropriateadjective
  • unsuitableadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • Fehlkommunikationmiscommunicationnoun
  • Fehlinterpretationmisinterpretationnoun

Word lists with this word