Translation guide
How to express 'misread' in Japanese, covering reading errors, misinterpretation of situations, and misreading people's feelings.
To read a word, character, or text incorrectly, often due to a mistake in pronunciation or recognition.
To misunderstand a situation, someone's intentions, or a non-verbal cue.
General verb for misunderstanding or misinterpreting. Can be used for misreading a situation or someone's words.
To incorrectly guess what someone is thinking or feeling.
Directly means 'misread feelings'. Natural and commonly understood.
The most common and general verb for misreading something written. It can refer to misreading a kanji, a number, or a sentence.
I misread the kanji.
I misread the number and ended up going to the wrong room.
A slightly more formal or literary synonym for 読み間違える. Often used in written contexts.
I misread the characters in the old document.
Literally 'mis-see', but can be used when you misread something because you saw it incorrectly. More about visual mistake than reading comprehension.
I misread 'mi' as 'matsu' (because they look similar).
I misread his silence as anger.
It seems I misread the situation.
To misjudge or misread a situation, often by failing to grasp the true nature. Slightly formal.
If you misread the situation, things could get serious.
To get the wrong idea, to mistake something. More casual than 誤解する. Often used for personal assumptions.
I misread her waving as a sign to come over.
I misread his feelings and missed the chance to confess.
Literally 'can't read someone's heart/mind'. Often used when someone is hard to read.
He's expressionless; I can't read his mind.
To misread someone's thoughts or intentions.
I misread my boss's thoughts and the plan wasn't approved.