noun
mistaking for; failing to recognize
Refers to the act of misidentifying someone or something, or failing to recognize them correctly. Often used in contexts where one person or thing is mistaken for another.
人を見違いして、知らない人に声をかけてしまった。
I mistook someone for someone else and ended up speaking to a stranger.
暗くて、彼の顔を見違いした。
It was dark, and I failed to recognize his face.
Compound of 見 (mi, 'seeing') + 違い (chigai, 'difference, mistake'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but it follows a common pattern for nouns describing mistaken perception.