diff --git a/conformance/utils/kubernetes/helpers.go b/conformance/utils/kubernetes/helpers.go
index c743afd44d..c1208482eb 100644
--- a/conformance/utils/kubernetes/helpers.go
+++ b/conformance/utils/kubernetes/helpers.go
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ func ConditionsHaveLatestObservedGeneration(obj metav1.Object, conditions []meta
 	fmt.Fprintf(&b, " stale conditions are: ")
 
 	for i, c := range staleConditions {
-		fmt.Fprintf(&b, "%s (got %d)", c.Type, c.ObservedGeneration)
+		fmt.Fprintf(&b, "%s (generation %d)", c.Type, c.ObservedGeneration)
 		if i != len(staleConditions)-1 {
 			fmt.Fprintf(&b, ", ")
 		}