見 当 違(けんとうちが)い

けんとうちがい

noun, na-adjective

wrong guess; off the mark; mistaken

1. wrong guess; off the mark; barking up the wrong tree

A mistaken assumption, guess, or direction of thinking. Indicates that someone's understanding or approach is fundamentally misguided.

それは見当違(けんとうちが)いだ。

That's off the mark.

I was putting effort in the wrong direction.

They had been proceeding with the investigation thinking the culprit was the wrong person.

見当違(けんとうちが)い describes a guess, opinion, or approach that is fundamentally off the mark — pointed in the wrong direction entirely.

Functions as a noun and as a な-adjective.
The component 見当(けんとう) means 'estimate' or 'rough guess,' so the literal idea is 'guessing in the wrong direction.'
Frequently used to dismiss criticism or opinions that miss the actual point.
Modifier: 見当違(けんとうちが)いな意見(いけん) (a misguided opinion), 見当違(けんとうちが)いな批判(ひはん) (misdirected criticism), 見当違(けんとうちが)いな方向(ほうこう) (the wrong direction)
Predicate: その推測(すいそく)は見当違(けんとうちが)いだ (that guess is off the mark)
Idiomatic emphasis: 見当違(けんとうちが)いも甚(はなは)だしい (utterly wrong, completely missing the point)

的外(まとはず)れ: missing the target (very close synonym).
勘違(かんちが)い: misunderstanding (the most common, everyday word for ordinary mix-ups).
筋違(すじちが)い: out of line, illogical (similar but emphasizes faulty reasoning).

Related Words

general

Added 2026.3.23 12:35 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

18500/18771_kentouchigai