間違える

• Reading: まちがえる
• Romaji: machigaeru
• Kanji breakdown: 間 (kan/ma) — interval, space; 違 (i/chiga) — differ, mistake
• Pronunciation: /ma.tɕi.ɡa.e.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To make a mistake; to confuse one thing for another. Accidentally doing something incorrectly.

A Group 2 (ichidan) transitive verb. The intransitive counterpart is 間違う (to be wrong). Used for concrete mistakes like taking the wrong train (電車を間違える), confusing dates (日にちを間違える), or making errors on a test. Very common in learner-friendly contexts.

Examples

1. 道を間違えて遅刻してしまいました。 I took the wrong road and ended up being late.
2. 漢字の読み方を間違えました。 I misread the kanji.
3. 電話番号を間違えないように気をつけてください。 Please be careful not to get the phone number wrong.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, school, travel

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 間 (interval, space) and 違える (to make different). Literally 'making the interval different,' suggesting missing the correct target or confusing one thing with another.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal