違う
ちがう
chigau
= to be different / to be wrong
違う is one of the most versatile words in everyday Japanese, doing double duty as both “to be different” and a quick, direct way to say “No, that’s not right.” Knowing when and how to use it is key to sounding natural in real conversations.
違う (chigau) carries two closely related meanings that Japanese speakers switch between fluidly. The first is “to differ” or “to be different”: it describes a gap between two things — sizes, opinions, facts, people. The second, equally common meaning is “to be wrong” or “that’s not it”, used as an immediate correction or denial in conversation, often equivalent to a firm but natural “No” or “That’s not what I meant.”
In casual speech, 違う functions almost like a standalone interjection. Saying 違う! at the start of a reply signals disagreement before the speaker even explains why. In polite register, the form 違います (chigaimasu) is used, and in written or formal contexts 異なる (kotonaru) often replaces it. The casual negative 違わない (chigawanai) means “not different” or “that’s correct,” while the past tense 違った (chigatta) means “it was different” or “I was wrong.”
The most important distinction to learn is 違う vs 間違う (machigau). 間違う specifically means “to make a mistake” and implies an error caused by someone’s action — you pressed the wrong button, you said the wrong name. 違う is more neutral: it simply states that something does not match or is not the case, without necessarily blaming anyone.
In casual spoken Japanese, you will often hear ちがくない (chigakunai) as a colloquial negative form, treating 違う as if it were an i-adjective. This is grammatically non-standard but extremely common among younger speakers. In polite or written Japanese, stick to 違いません (chigaimasen) for the negative.
Key conjugations to know: 違う (plain present) → 違います (polite present) → 違った (plain past) → 違いました (polite past) → 違わない (plain negative) → 違いません (polite negative).
The kanji 違 is built from the radical 辶 (shinnyuu), a movement radical suggesting walking or traveling, combined with 韋 (なめしがわ/i), which historically conveyed the idea of going against or turning away. Together they form the sense of deviating from a path — something that diverges from an expected course. This captures both meanings of 違う well: to differ is to deviate from a common point, and to be wrong is to have strayed from the correct answer.
Everyday use
このサイズは私のものと違う。
Kono saizu wa watashi no mono to chigau.
This size is different from mine.
Casual / Social Media
違う、そういう意味じゃないよ！
Chigau, sou iu imi ja nai yo!
No, that’s not what I meant!
Formal / Cultural context
ご報告いただいた数字は、こちらの記録と違います。
Go-houkoku itadaita suuji wa, kochira no kiroku to chigaimasu.
The figures you reported differ from our records.
In Japanese conversation, saying 違う to correct a misunderstanding is far softer than it might sound to English ears. Rather than a blunt “You’re wrong,” it functions as a redirect — pulling the conversation back on course without direct confrontation. This aligns with the broader Japanese preference for maintaining harmony (和, wa) even during disagreement. A speaker who says 違う, そうじゃなくて… (“No, what I mean is…”) is not being rude; they are simply resetting the context.
The word also appears frequently in discussions about identity and individuality. Phrases like 人それぞれ違う (“everyone is different”) are used to acknowledge diversity in opinions or lifestyles without judgment. In workplaces and schools alike, 違う is used matter-of-factly to point out discrepancies in data, schedules, or instructions — making it one of the most practical words a Japanese learner can master early.