A1 Expression Formal 1 min de lectura

違います

chigaimasu

That's wrong / It's different

Practícalo

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use {違|ちが}います to politely but firmly state that information is incorrect or that you disagree with a statement.

  • Means: 'That is incorrect' or 'That is different'.
  • Used in: Correcting misunderstandings, answering 'no' to questions, or clarifying facts.
  • Don't confuse: It is not a direct 'no' (いいえ); it specifically targets the truth value of a statement.
❌ + 🗣️ = Polite correction

Explicación a tu nivel:

Use this to say 'No, that is wrong' in a polite way. It is very useful for beginners.
This is the standard polite verb for 'to be wrong' or 'to differ'. It is used to correct people politely in daily life.
As an A1-level expression, it functions as a polite negation. It is more specific than 'iie' (no) because it directly challenges the truth of the preceding statement.
The phrase functions as a discourse marker for correction. It is essential for managing conversational flow when factual discrepancies arise in professional or social discourse.
This expression exemplifies the Japanese tendency to externalize disagreement. By focusing on the 'difference' (chigau) rather than the 'negation' (nai), the speaker preserves the face of the interlocutor while maintaining factual accuracy.
From a cognitive linguistics perspective, 'chigau' maps the concept of 'divergence' onto the social act of negation. It is a pragmatic strategy to mitigate the face-threatening act of contradiction, common in high-context cultures.

Significado

To express disagreement or state that something is incorrect.

🌍

Contexto cultural

Direct correction is often seen as rude. Always follow up with the correct information to soften the blow.

💡

Politeness

Always add 'desu' or 'masu' to be safe.

💡

Politeness

Always add 'desu' or 'masu' to be safe.

Ponte a prueba

Complete the sentence to correct the person.

A: {今日|きょう}は{金曜日|きんようび}ですね。 B: ____、{土曜日|どようび}です。

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: {違|ちが}います

Use the polite form for a standard conversation.

🎉 Puntuación: /1

Ayudas visuales

Banco de ejercicios

2 ejercicios
Elige la respuesta correcta Fill Blank

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta:
Complete the sentence to correct the person. Fill Blank A1

A: {今日|きょう}は{金曜日|きんようび}ですね。 B: ____、{土曜日|どようび}です。

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: {違|ちが}います

Use the polite form for a standard conversation.

🎉 Puntuación: /2

Preguntas frecuentes

1 preguntas

Yes, but be careful. Add 'moushiwake arimasen ga' before it.

Frases relacionadas

🔗

{間違|まちが}っています

similar

That is mistaken

Dónde usarla

📛

Correcting a name

Staff: Mr. Tanaka?

You: {違|ちが}います。{佐藤|さとう}です。

formal

Memorízalo

Mnemotecnia

Think of 'Chee-gah-oo' (Chigau) as 'Cheating'—if someone is cheating, you say 'That's wrong!'

Asociación visual

Imagine a person holding a sign with the wrong answer, and you gently pushing it aside to show the right one.

Rhyme

Chigau, it's not how, that's the wrong vow.

Story

Ken is at a cafe. The waiter brings coffee. Ken says, 'I ordered tea.' The waiter says, 'Oh, this is coffee.' Ken smiles and says, '{違|ちが}います'. The waiter realizes the mistake and brings tea.

In Other Languages

Similar to 'That's not right' in English or 'Das stimmt nicht' in German.

Word Web

{違|ちが}う{違|ちが}い{違|ちが}いません{正|ただ}しい{間違|まちが}い{否定|ひてい}

Desafío

For 5 minutes, try to correct 3 things you hear on the news or in a podcast using this phrase.

Review in 1, 3, 7, and 14 days.

Pronunciación

Stress Flat

Chi-gah-ee-mah-soo

Espectro de formalidad

Formal
{違|ちが}います。

{違|ちが}います。 (General correction)

Neutral
{違|ちが}うよ。

{違|ちが}うよ。 (General correction)

Informal
{違|ちが}う！

{違|ちが}う！ (General correction)

Jerga
{違|ちが}くね？

{違|ちが}くね？ (General correction)

Derived from the verb 'chigau', which meant to cross or miss. It evolved into a social marker for disagreement.

Edo:

Dato curioso

It is one of the first verbs learners master because it is so useful.

Notas culturales

Direct correction is often seen as rude. Always follow up with the correct information to soften the blow.

“{違|ちが}います、{正解|せいかい}はAです。”

Inicios de conversación

“

Ask someone if they are a teacher.

Errores comunes

✗

いいえ、違います。

✓

違います。

literal translation
Using 'iie' (no) and 'chigaimasu' together is redundant. Just use 'chigaimasu' to be more natural.

L1 Interference

0 1

In Other Languages

Spanish Very Similar

Eso no es correcto

Japanese focuses on 'difference' while Spanish focuses on 'correctness'.

French moderate

Ce n'est pas ça

Japanese is a verb-based negation.

German moderate

Das stimmt nicht

German targets truth, Japanese targets alignment.

Japanese self

{違|ちが}います

N/A

Arabic moderate

هذا غير صحيح

Grammatical structure.

Chinese Very Similar

不对

Chinese is more direct.

Korean Very Similar

아니요, 틀려요

Korean explicitly uses 'wrong' (teullyeoyo).

Portuguese moderate

Isso não está certo

Japanese is more concise.

Spotted in the Real World

📺

(2018)

“{違|ちが}います。”

Discussing a misunderstanding.

Fácil de confundir

違います vs いいえ

Learners use 'iie' for everything.

Use 'iie' for 'no', use 'chigaimasu' for 'that's wrong'.

Preguntas frecuentes (1)

Yes, but be careful. Add 'moushiwake arimasen ga' before it.

usage contexts

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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