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Play All From Here
Episode 2
Different with Chigau
Takes up the main way of saying that two things differ in Japanese.
Article notes
Also looks at the use of chigau to mean "wrong."
In this lesson, we'll be looking at the main way to say that two things are different in Japanese, using the word chigau.
Chigau is a well-behaved word. However, unlike the English word "different," chigau is not an adjective but rather a verb. Literally, when you say that two things are different in Japanese, you say that they differ.
Let's jump right in. The simplest way to use chigau is to say "X differs" or that "X and Y differ."
1.これこれははちが違ちがうう。2.これこれととそれそれははちが違ちがうう。3.このこのシャツシャツととそのそのシャツシャツははぜんぜん全然ぜんぜんちが違ちがううねね。You'll recall from our previous lesson about onaji that in order to say that one thing is the same "as" another, you use the particle to. So, literally, you say "This is the same with that."
Chigau works in exactly the same way. You say that one thing differs “from” another by literally saying that one thing differs with another, using the particle to. Take a look.
4.これこれはは、それそれととちが違ちがうう。5.きょう今日きょうののてんき天気てんきはは、きのう昨日きのうののてんき天気てんきととちが違ちがううねね。6.せんせい先生せんせいののようふく洋服ようふくはは、いつもいつもととちが違ちがいますいます。Keep in mind that chigau is an honest-to-goodness verb. That has several important consequences.
First, it means that, as we saw in the last example above, to make a sentence more polite, you can simply use the -masu form. So the familiar chigau can be upgraded to the more polite chigaimasu.
It also means that chigau can end a sentence on its own. You don’t need da/desu after it. (That is, “It is different” is definitely not (!) Chigau desu. Rather, you simply say “It differs,” Chigau, or more politely, Chigaimasu.)
So far, so good? Now let's go to the next step. Since chigau is a verb, we can put it right in front of a noun to create a tiny relative clause. Literally, chigau X means “an X that differs,” or in other words, a “different X.” Take a look:
7.ちが違ちがううえいが映画えいがををみ見みようよう。8.ちが違ちがううコーヒーコーヒーでしたでした。9.ちが違ちがううところところににい行いこうこう。Naturally, we can combine these two techniques. If chigau X means "an X that differs," we can say what it differs from by putting that in the front. So Y to chigau X would mean "an X that differs with Y" = "an X that is different from Y." Try out the following sentences, which demonstrate that pattern.10.いつもいつもととちが違ちがううものもの11.きのう昨日きのうととちが違ちがううくつ靴くつ12.せんしゅう先週せんしゅうととちが違ちがううレストランレストラン13.いつもいつもととちが違ちがううものものををた食たべべましょうましょう。14.ともだち友達ともだちははきのう昨日きのうととちが違ちがううくつ靴くつををは履はいていたいていた。15.せんしゅう先週せんしゅうととちが違ちがううレストランレストランににい行いきたいきたい。In Japanese, when people say that something differs, sometimes what they mean is that it differs from what is true or correct. In other words, it is wrong or incorrect. In fact, a simple Chigau is a common way of saying, “Hang on -- what you just said is not correct.”16.きょう今日きょうははきんようび金曜日きんようびだだよよねね？17.ちが違ちがううよよ。もくようび木曜日もくようびだだよよ。18.これこれははカレーライスカレーライスですですかか。19.ああ、ちが違ちがいますいます。ビーフシチュービーフシチューですです。20.すみませんすみません、ここここははしぶや渋谷しぶやえき駅えきですですかか。21.ちが違ちがいますいます。ここここははしんじゅく新宿しんじゅくえき駅えきですです。しぶや渋谷しぶやえき駅えきははここここからからみっ三みっつつめ目めののえき駅えきですです。22.このこのくつ靴くつががすごすごくくす好すききだだけどけど、サイズサイズががちが違ちがうう。23.ジョンジョンさんさん、じ字じががきれいきれいだだねね！ああ、でもでも、このこのじ字じははちょっとちょっとちが違ちがううよよ。24.でんわ電話でんわしてしてみみたたけどけど、だれ誰だれももで出でなかったなかった。ばんごう番号ばんごうががちが違ちがううののかかなな。X[Tooltip content here]
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