違う

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
違
ちが Grade: S
kun’yomi

From Old Japanese. Compound of 道 (chi, “road, way”) +‎ 交う (kau, “cross, exchange”).[1] The kau changes to gau as an instance of rendaku (連濁).[2]

First cited to the Kagerō Nikki of 974,[1] and likely extant earlier given the initial citing in 965 of derived form 違える (chigaeru, “to keep something from happening”)[1]

Similar, but not related, to tagau reading.[2]

Alternative forms

異う

Pronunciation

(Tokyo) ちがう [chìgáú] (Heiban – [0])[3]
(Tokyo) ちがう [chìgáꜜù] (Nakadaka – [2])
IPA^(key): [t͡ɕiɡa̠ɯ̟ᵝ]

Tokyo pitch accent of conjugated forms of "違う"

Stem forms
Source: Online Japanese Accent Dictionary
Terminal (終止形) Attributive (連体形)	違う	ちがう	`[chìgáú]`
Imperative (命令形)	違え	ちがえ	`[chìgáé]`
Key constructions
Passive	違われる	ちがわれる	`[chìgáwárérú]`
Causative	違わせる	ちがわせる	`[chìgáwásérú]`
Potential	-	-	-
Volitional	違おう	ちがおー	`[chìgáóꜜò]`
Negative	違わない	ちがわない	`[chìgáwánáí]`
Negative perfective	違わなかった	ちがわなかった	`[chìgáwánáꜜkàttà]`
Formal	違います	ちがいます	`[chìgáímáꜜsù]`
Perfective	違った	ちがった	`[chìgáttá]`
Conjunctive	違って	ちがって	`[chìgátté]`
Hypothetical conditional	違えば	ちがえば	`[chìgáéꜜbà]`

Verb

違(ちが)う • (chigau) ^{←ちがふ (tigafu)^?} intransitive godan (stem 違(ちが)い (chigai), past 違(ちが)った (chigatta))

Japanese verb pair
active	違(ちが)える
mediopassive	違(ちが)う

to be different; to differ (from something)
another
(in conversation) no, that is wrong / incorrect; that's not how it is

Usage notes

This is used to disagree with someone in conversation like "no", but it is softer than saying "no" in English.

Conjugation

Conjugation of "違う" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	違わ	ちがわ	chigawa
Continuative (連用形)	違い	ちがい	chigai
Terminal (終止形)	違う	ちがう	chigau
Attributive (連体形)	違う	ちがう	chigau
Hypothetical (仮定形)	違え	ちがえ	chigae
Imperative (命令形)	違え	ちがえ	chigae
Key constructions
Passive	違われる	ちがわれる	chigawareru
Causative	違わせる違わす	ちがわせるちがわす	chigawaseru chigawasu
Potential	違える	ちがえる	chigaeru
Volitional	違おう	ちがおう	chigaō
Negative	違わない	ちがわない	chigawanai
Negative continuative	違わず	ちがわず	chigawazu
Formal	違います	ちがいます	chigaimasu
Perfective	違った	ちがった	chigatta
Conjunctive	違って	ちがって	chigatte
Hypothetical conditional	違えば	ちがえば	chigaeba

Classical conjugation of "違ふ" (ハ行四段活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	違は	ちがは	tigafa
Continuative (連用形)	違ひ	ちがひ	tigafi
Terminal (終止形)	違ふ	ちがふ	tigafu
Attributive (連体形)	違ふ	ちがふ	tigafu
Realis (已然形)	違へ	ちがへ	tigafe
Imperative (命令形)	違へ	ちがへ	tigafe
Key constructions
Negative	違はず	ちがはず	tigafazu
Contrasting conjunction	違へど	ちがへど	tigafedo
Causal conjunction	違へば	ちがへば	tigafeba
Conditional conjunction	違はば	ちがはば	tigafaba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	違ひき	ちがひき	tigafiki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	違ひけり	ちがひけり	tigafikeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	違ひつ	ちがひつ	tigafitu
Perfect tense (natural event)	違ひぬ	ちがひぬ	tigafinu
Perfect-continuative tense	違へり違ひたり	ちがへりちがひたり	tigaferi tigafitari
Volitional	違はむ	ちがはむ	tigafamu

Synonyms

異(こと)なる (kotonaru): to differ
別(べつ) (betsu): another

Derived terms

違(ちが)い (chigai)
間(ま)違(ちが)う (machigau): make a mistake
勘違(かんちが)い (kanchigai): misunderstanding

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
違
たが Grade: S
kun’yomi

From Old Japanese. Compound of 手 (ta, “hand”, bound form) +‎ 交う (kau, “cross, exchange”). The kau changes to gau as an instance of rendaku (連濁).[2]

First cited to the Kojiki of 712 CE.[4]

Verb

違(たが)う • (tagau) ^{←たがふ (tagafu)^?} intransitive godan (stem 違(たが)い (tagai), past 違(たが)った (tagatta))

Japanese verb pair
active	違(たが)える
mediopassive	違(たが)う

(dated) be contrary to; go against; defy; disobey; violate (a rule)
期(き)待(たい)に違(たが)う
kitai ni tagau
be contrary to an anticipation
定(てい)説(せつ)に違(たが)う
teisetsu ni tagau
defy a common theory
規(き)則(そく)に違(たが)う
kisoku ni tagau
violate a rule

Conjugation

Conjugation of "違う" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形)	違わ	たがわ	tagawa
Continuative (連用形)	違い	たがい	tagai
Terminal (終止形)	違う	たがう	tagau
Attributive (連体形)	違う	たがう	tagau
Hypothetical (仮定形)	違え	たがえ	tagae
Imperative (命令形)	違え	たがえ	tagae
Key constructions
Passive	違われる	たがわれる	tagawareru
Causative	違わせる違わす	たがわせるたがわす	tagawaseru tagawasu
Potential	違える	たがえる	tagaeru
Volitional	違おう	たがおう	tagaō
Negative	違わない	たがわない	tagawanai
Negative continuative	違わず	たがわず	tagawazu
Formal	違います	たがいます	tagaimasu
Perfective	違った	たがった	tagatta
Conjunctive	違って	たがって	tagatte
Hypothetical conditional	違えば	たがえば	tagaeba

Classical conjugation of "違ふ" (ハ行四段活用, see Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Stem forms
Irrealis (未然形)	違は	たがは	tagafa
Continuative (連用形)	違ひ	たがひ	tagafi
Terminal (終止形)	違ふ	たがふ	tagafu
Attributive (連体形)	違ふ	たがふ	tagafu
Realis (已然形)	違へ	たがへ	tagafe
Imperative (命令形)	違へ	たがへ	tagafe
Key constructions
Negative	違はず	たがはず	tagafazu
Contrasting conjunction	違へど	たがへど	tagafedo
Causal conjunction	違へば	たがへば	tagafeba
Conditional conjunction	違はば	たがはば	tagafaba
Past tense (firsthand knowledge)	違ひき	たがひき	tagafiki
Past tense (secondhand knowledge)	違ひけり	たがひけり	tagafikeri
Perfect tense (conscious action)	違ひつ	たがひつ	tagafitu
Perfect tense (natural event)	違ひぬ	たがひぬ	tagafinu
Perfect-continuative tense	違へり違ひたり	たがへりたがひたり	tagaferi tagafitari
Volitional	違はむ	たがはむ	tagafamu

Synonyms

逆(さか)らう (sakarau)
背(そむ)く (somuku)
反(はん)する (hansuru)

Antonyms

従(したが)う (shitagau, “obey”)

References

“違・交”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN
Martin, Samuel E. (1987) The Japanese Language Through Time, New Haven, London: Yale University Press, →ISBN
1960, Tetsuo Hirayama (平山輝男, editor), 全国アクセント辞典 (Zenkoku Akusento Jiten, “Nationwide Accent Dictionary”), (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Tōkyōdō, →ISBN
“違”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN

[KDJ2-1] “違・交”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN

[JLTT-2] Martin, Samuel E. (1987) The Japanese Language Through Time, New Haven, London: Yale University Press, →ISBN

[ZAJ-3] 1960, Tetsuo Hirayama (平山輝男, editor), 全国アクセント辞典 (Zenkoku Akusento Jiten, “Nationwide Accent Dictionary”), (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Tōkyōdō, →ISBN

[4] “違”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN