A1 Expression 격식체

違います

chigaimasu

That's wrong / It's different

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

Explanation at your level:

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.

뜻

To express disagreement or state that something is incorrect.

🌍

문화적 배경

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.

뜻

To express disagreement or state that something is incorrect.

💡

Politeness

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

셀프 테스트

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。

✓ 정답! ✗ 아쉬워요. 정답: {違|ちが}います

Use the polite form for a standard conversation.

🎉 점수: /1

시각 학습 자료

자주 묻는 질문

1 질문

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

관련 표현

🔗

{間違|まちが}っています

similar

That is mistaken

어디서 쓸까?

📛

Correcting a name

Staff: Mr. Tanaka?

You: {違|ちが}います。{佐藤|さとう}です。

formal

Memorize It

Mnemonic

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

Visual Association

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.

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}

챌린지

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

In Other Languages

Spanish high

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 high

不对

Chinese is more direct.

Korean high

아니요, 틀려요

Korean explicitly uses 'wrong' (teullyeoyo).

Portuguese moderate

Isso não está certo

Japanese is more concise.

Easily Confused

違います 대 いいえ

Learners use 'iie' for everything.

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

자주 묻는 질문 (1)

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

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