筋違(すじちが)い

すじちがい
noun, na-adjective
misplaced; misdirected; wrong (person/target)
evaluationbody-part
1. misplaced; misdirected; unreasonable; barking up the wrong tree
Describes a complaint, criticism, or demand that is directed at the wrong person or based on flawed logic. The reasoning or target is off the mark.
それは筋違(すじちが)いだ。
That's misdirected / barking up the wrong tree.
部下(ぶか)のミスを社長(しゃちょう)に文句(もんく)を言(い)うのは筋違(すじちが)いだ。
Complaining to the president about a subordinate's mistake is misdirected.
自分(じぶん)の失敗(しっぱい)を他人(たにん)のせいにするのは筋違(すじちが)いな話(はなし)だ。
Blaming others for your own failures is unreasonable.
2. muscle strain; crick; sprain
A physical strain or crick in the muscles, especially in the neck or back, caused by an awkward movement.
首(くび)の筋違(すじちが)いを起(お)こした。
I got a crick in my neck.
急(きゅう)に振(ふ)り向(む)いたら首(くび)が筋違(すじちが)いになった。
When I turned around suddenly, I got a crick in my neck.
朝(あさ)起(お)きたら背中(せなか)に筋違(すじちが)いのような痛(いた)みがあった。
When I woke up in the morning, I had a strain-like pain in my back.

Composed of 筋(すじ) (line, logic, reason) + 違(ちが)い (difference, deviation). The core meaning is that something deviates from the proper line of reasoning or the correct physical alignment.

Common collocations

Similar words

Usage

Sense 1 is commonly used when someone directs anger, complaints, or demands at the wrong person. It implies that their logic is fundamentally flawed in terms of who or what they should be addressing.

Related Words

Compare: お門違(かどちが)い (wrong address, misdirected)
Compare: 見当違(けんとうちが)い (off the mark, mistaken)
Compare: 的外(まとはず)れ (off target, irrelevant)
Related: 寝違(ねちが)い (stiff neck from sleeping)
Compare: 見当外(けんとうはず)れ (off the mark)
general
Added 2026.4.1 0:33 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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