〜間違える (machigaeru) - Do By Mistake
〜間違える attaches to verb stems to indicate doing an action incorrectly or by mistake. It emphasizes that the action was done wrong or an error occurred in the process.
Verb stem + 間違える
書き間違える - write incorrectly
聞き間違える - mishear
読み間違える - misread
Action done wrong
Error in execution
Mistake made
Formation
Basic pattern
る-verbs:
見る → 見間違える "see wrongly, mistake for"
覚える → 覚え間違える "memorize incorrectly"
う-verbs:
書く → 書き間違える "write incorrectly"
読む → 読み間違える "misread"
聞く → 聞き間違える "mishear"
言う → 言い間違える "misspeak"
押す → 押し間違える "press wrong button"
Irregular:
する → し間違える "do incorrectly"
Core Meaning
Incorrect execution
名前を書き間違えた
"Wrote the name incorrectly"
Action was done
But done wrong
Error in the doing
電話番号を聞き間違えた
"Misheard the phone number"
Heard it
But heard wrong
Mistake in reception
Common Uses
Communication errors
聞き間違える
"Mishear"
言い間違える
"Misspeak, say wrong"
読み間違える
"Misread"
Perception and speech mistakes
Very common
Everyday errors
Visual mistakes
見間違える
"See incorrectly, mistake for"
人を見間違えた
"Mistook someone (for someone else)"
道を見間違えた
"Mistook the road"
Visual confusion
Mistaken identity
Physical actions
押し間違える
"Press wrong button"
ボタンを押し間違えた
"Pressed the wrong button"
階を押し間違えた
"Pressed wrong floor (in elevator)"
Wrong action execution
Common physical errors
Writing and input
書き間違える
"Write incorrectly"
漢字を書き間違えた
"Wrote kanji incorrectly"
入力し間違える
"Input incorrectly"
住所を入力し間違えた
"Input address incorrectly"
Text and data errors
Nuance: Process Error
Focus on execution
Unlike simple mistakes:
間違える (standalone)
"Make a mistake, be wrong"
書き間違える (compound)
"Make a mistake in writing"
Compound specifies where error occurred
In the action itself
Process-focused
Mistaken Identity
見間違える special use
人を見間違える
"Mistake someone for another person"
花子さんだと思ったら、見間違えた
"Thought it was Hanako, but I was mistaken"
Common with this verb
Visual confusion
Wrong identification
With を
Object marking
名前を書き間違える
"Write name incorrectly"
番号を押し間違える
"Press number incorrectly"
言葉を言い間違える
"Say words incorrectly"
を marks what was done wrong
Object of the mistake
Apologizing for Mistakes
Taking responsibility
すみません、聞き間違えました
"Sorry, I misheard"
ごめん、書き間違えた
"Sorry, I wrote it wrong"
Common apology pattern
Acknowledging error
Social repair
Comparison Mistakes
Confusing things
AをBと見間違える
"Mistake A for B"
彼を兄だと見間違えた
"Mistook him for his brother"
Pattern for confusion
Mistaken identity
Correction Context
Fixing errors
書き間違えたので、書き直す
"Wrote incorrectly, so rewriting"
押し間違えたから、もう一度やる
"Pressed wrong button, so doing again"
Leads to correction
Natural sequence
Error → fix
Transitivity
Usually transitive
Most compounds are transitive:
名前を書き間違える
番号を聞き間違える
人を見間違える
Takes direct object
What was done wrong
Conjugation
Regular る-verb
間違える is a る-verb:
Present: 間違える
Past: 間違えた
Negative: 間違えない
Te-form: 間違えて
Potential: 間違えられる
Causative: 間違えさせる
Standard conjugations
Common Collocations
聞き間違える - mishear
Very common
書き間違える - write incorrectly
Common in writing
読み間違える - misread
Reading errors
見間違える - see wrongly
Visual mistakes
言い間違える - misspeak
Speech errors
押し間違える - press wrong button
Technology errors
Natural combinations
Learn as units
In Negative
Didn't make mistake
間違えなかった
"Didn't make a mistake"
書き間違えることなく
"Without writing incorrectly"
Emphasis on correctness
No errors made
Frequency
Less common than simple 間違える
Simple 間違える more common:
答えを間違えた "got answer wrong"
Compound used when specifying action:
漢字を書き間違えた "wrote kanji wrong"
Compound = specific error type
Simple = general mistake
With てしまう
Accidental completion
聞き間違えてしまった
"Ended up mishearing"
書き間違えてしまった
"Ended up writing wrong"
Regret implied
Unfortunate mistake
Warning Against Mistakes
Caution
押し間違えないように
"So you don't press wrong"
書き間違えないでください
"Please don't write incorrectly"
Careful warnings
Preventing errors
Formality
Neutral usage
Can use in:
- Casual: 間違えた
- Polite: 間違えました
- Written: 間違えた
Adjust with conjugation
Not inherently formal/casual
With や and と
"Things like"
名前や住所を書き間違える
"Make mistakes writing things like name and address"
番号などを押し間違える
"Mispress things like numbers"
Listing examples
Common error types
Common Mistakes
❌ Using dictionary form
✗ 書く間違える
✓ Using stem form
✓ 書き間違える
❌ Confusing with 間違う
間違う = be wrong (intransitive)
間違える = make mistake (transitive)
✓ Know the difference
Use appropriate verb
❌ Wrong particle usage
✗ を書き間違える (missing object)
✓ Complete structure
✓ 名前を書き間違える
Practical Examples
Real-life situations
電車を乗り間違えた
"Got on wrong train"
階段を降り間違えた
"Went down wrong stairs"
時間を聞き間違えて、遅刻した
"Misheard the time and was late"
ボタンを押し間違えて、削除してしまった
"Pressed wrong button and deleted (it)"
彼女を他の人と見間違えた
"Mistook her for someone else"
住所を書き間違えたので、手紙が届かなかった
"Wrote address wrong, so letter didn't arrive"
すみません、聞き間違えました。もう一度お願いします
"Sorry, I misheard. Once more please"
Everyday errors
Communication mistakes
Natural contexts
Apologizing and correcting