heypolyglot
Italian

colpa

/ˈkol.pa/noun · feminineB1
Very common · Top 1,000

Meaning

fault

  • blame
  • guilt
  • sin

In a sentence

Non è colpa mia se il treno è in ritardo.

It's not my fault if the train is late.

Di chi è la colpa di questo errore?

Whose fault is this mistake?

Ho dato la colpa al traffico stamattina.

I blamed the traffic this morning.

Word forms (2)
WordWord forms
colpafeminine · singular
colpefeminine · plural

Usage notes

  • Use 'colpa' for moral responsibility, not physical cause. For accidents, prefer 'causa' or 'responsabilità'.
  • Often paired with 'di' to indicate who is at fault: 'È colpa tua'. Avoid 'per' here.
  • In legal contexts, 'colpa' implies negligence, not intent. For intent, use 'dolo'.

Related words

Opposites

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