すれ違ちがう

す

れ

ち

が

う

JLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

すれ違う · godan verb (-u)

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	すれ違ちがう	すれ違ちがわない
Polite	すれ違ちがいます	すれ違ちがいません
Past polite	すれ違ちがいました	すれ違ちがいませんでした
Past	すれ違ちがった	すれ違ちがわなかった
Te-form	すれ違ちがって	すれ違ちがわないで
Desire	すれ違ちがいたい	すれ違ちがいたくない
Potential	すれ違ちがえる	すれ違ちがえない
Passive	すれ違ちがわれる	すれ違ちがわれない
Causative	すれ違ちがわせる	すれ違ちがわせない
Causative passive	すれ違ちがわせられるalso すれ違ちがわされる	すれ違ちがわせられないalso すれ違ちがわされない
Volitional	すれ違ちがおう
Polite volitional	すれ違ちがいましょう
Imperative	すれ違ちがえ	すれ違ちがうな
Conditional	すれ違ちがえば	すれ違ちがわなければ
Tara conditional	すれ違ちがったら	すれ違ちがわなかったら

Meanings

godan verb (-u), intransitive verb

pass by each other; brush past

Physical passing of two moving entities in opposite directions, often in a narrow space.

狭せまい廊ろう下かで彼かれとすれ違ちがった。
I passed by him in the narrow hallway.
駅えきのホームで毎まい朝あさすれ違ちがう人ひと。
A person I pass by every morning on the station platform.

godan verb (-u), intransitive verb

miss each other; fail to meet

Failing to encounter someone because of timing or route differences, often despite plans.

連れん絡らくがうまくいかず、駅えきですれ違ちがってしまった。
We failed to meet at the station because of poor communication.
彼かれが来きたとき私わたしは出でかけた後あとで、すれ違ちがったらしい。
He came after I had left, so we apparently missed each other.

godan verb (-u), intransitive verb

be at odds; clash; conflict

Metaphorical extension: opinions, feelings, or intentions fail to align, causing friction.

彼かれとは意い見けんがいつもすれ違ちがう。
Our opinions always clash.
お互たがいの気き持もちがすれ違ちがって、喧けん嘩かになった。
Our feelings were at odds and we ended up fighting.

See all 44 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉と道みちですれ違ちがうto pass someone on the street
駅えきへの道みちで知しらない人ひととすれ違ちがった。
I passed a stranger on the way to the station.
〈人ひと〉とすれ違ちがうto just miss meeting someone despite plans to meet
待まち合あわせ場ば所しょを間ま違ちがえて彼かの女じょとすれ違ちがってしまった。
I mixed up the meeting spot and ended up missing her.
気き持もちがすれ違ちがうfor feelings to drift apart or fail to align
最さい近きん、二人ふたりの気き持もちがすれ違ちがっている気きがする。
Lately I feel like our feelings just aren't in sync anymore.
意い見けんがすれ違ちがうfor opinions to clash or fail to align
会かい議ぎでは意い見けんがすれ違ちがったまま終おわった。
The meeting ended with our opinions still at odds.

Expressions

すれ違ちがいざまwhile passing each other

Kanji

違difference, differ
擦grate, rub, scratch

Related words

行ゆき違ちがう sense 2
行き違う overlaps with すれ違う in meaning 'to miss each other,' but 行き違う emphasizes messages or plans going astray rather than physically brushing past someone.
食くい違ちがうN1sense 3
食い違う means opinions or accounts fail to match, a more neutral, factual version of the emotional clash implied by すれ違う.
対たい立りつN2sense 3
対立する describes an open, active conflict of positions, whereas すれ違う suggests a subtler, often unintentional failure to connect.
交こう差さN2sense 1
交差する describes paths literally crossing (like roads or lines), while すれ違う describes two moving things passing by without touching.

Opposites

出で会あうN3sense 2
出会う means to successfully meet someone, the opposite of すれ違う's sense of failing to meet.

Don't confuse with

擦すれ合あう sense 1
擦れ合う looks and sounds similar to すれ違う but means sustained rubbing or friction between things in contact, not a brief passing-by.

Word family

すれ違ちがいN1
passing each other · missing each other; failing to meet · cross purposes; discrepancy; disagreement

Written forms

すれ違ちがうUsage70%
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling.
すれちがうUsage23%
擦すれ違ちがうUsage7%
Full kanji spelling; less common and may be harder to read.

Etymology

Compound of 擦れ (すれ, continuative form of 擦れる 'to rub, to chafe') + 違う (ちがう 'to differ, to be different'). Literally 'to rub-differ,' referring to two things moving past each other with a slight touch or near miss.