The Meaning of chigau [違う] In Japanese

違う
ちがう
Romaji: chigau N5

What does 違う mean?

Translation and Meaning

to be different, to be wrong

Definition

違う means to be different from something else, or to be incorrect in a given context; it covers both that a thing does not match another, and that an assertion or assumption is not true.

Type

Verb (godan, u-verb)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • to be different from something else
  • to be incorrect or mistaken
  • to express disagreement or correction in conversation
  • to negate a statement, often with a polite or emphatic tone in response

Composition

  • 違: conveys the idea of difference or mismatch; appears in compounds like 違反 and 相違, forming the core sense of not matching
  • う: a hiragana ending that marks the verb in its plain non-past form; attaches to the kanji to create 違う

Usage

Used in casual speech as the plain form chigau and in polite speech as chigaimasu; appears in present, past, and negative forms depending on context; commonly follows a subject or noun to indicate mismatch, or used to correct an assumption or claim without requiring a literal translation.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: Diverge with a U tail — two paths diverge (difference) and add ‘u’ to form 違う, meaning to differ or be wrong.

Variations

  • 異なる (kotonaru) — to differ
  • 相違する (sōi suru) — to differ, formal
  • 同じ (onaji) — the same; antonym
  • ちゃう (chau) — casual Kansai dialect variant

Example Phrases

  • この 書類 は 違う と 思う。
    Kono shorui wa chigau to omou.
    I think this document is different.
    Lista:
    • この (kono) – this
    • 書類 (shorui) – document
    • は (wa) – topic marker
    • 違う (chigau) – different
    • と (to) – to (quotative)
    • 思う (omou) – think
    Here 「違う」 shows that something is not the same; it’s used to mark the difference from what is expected, as in this sentence.
違う