1.
mistaken identity, case of wrong person
Mistaking one person for another, or being mistaken for someone else.
人違いでした。
I had the wrong person.
Common apology phrase
人違いをして声をかけてしまった。
I spoke to someone by mistake, thinking they were someone else.
すみません、人違いではないですか。
Excuse me, don't you have the wrong person?
後ろ姿が似ていたので人違いをしてしまった。
Their figure from behind looked similar, so I mistook them for someone else.
人違い means mistaking one person for another — thinking someone is a different person than who they actually are. It can refer to both mistaking a stranger for someone you know, or being mistaken for someone else.
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- 人違いをする: to mistake someone for another person
- 人違いでした: I had the wrong person (common apology phrase)
- 人違いではないですか: Don't you have the wrong person?
USAGE:
Often occurs when someone looks similar from behind (後ろ姿) or at a distance. The phrase 人違いでした is a standard polite way to apologize after approaching the wrong person.
SIMILAR ～違い COMPOUNDS:
- 勘違い: misunderstanding, mistaken belief
- 聞違い: mishearing
- 見間違い: visual mistake, misidentification