見けん当とう違ちがい

け

ん

と

う

ち

が

い

Meanings

1

na-adjective, noun

off the mark; misdirected; irrelevant

Describes a guess, estimate, aim, or remark that is wrong or misses the point. Often used in the phrase 見当違いな.

彼かれの推すい測そくは

まったく

見けん

当とう

違ちが

い

だっ

た

。

His guess was completely off the mark.

見けん当とう違ちがいな質しつ問もんをしてしまった。

I ended up asking an irrelevant question.

Kanji

見see, hopes, chances
当hit, right, appropriate
違difference, differ

Related words

筋すじ違ちがい
見当違い is the common word for a wrong guess or estimate, while 筋違い more strongly implies going against the proper line of reasoning or blaming the wrong party.

Don't confuse with

場ば違ちがいN1
見当違い means 'off the mark' or 'a wrong guess' about facts or reasoning, while 場違い is about not fitting the physical or social setting, despite both sharing the '違い' form.
計けい算さん違ちがいN2
計算違い is a mistake in figures or planning, whereas 見当違い means a guess or judgment that is simply off the mark, unrelated to numbers.

Built from

見けん当とう+違ちがう

Written forms

見けん当とう違ちがい
Standard kanji spelling; high-frequency news term.
見けん当とうちがい
Mixed kana-kanji variant; less common but still encountered.

Etymology

Compound of 見当 (estimate, aim) and 違い (difference, mistake). The exact historical derivation is straightforward; the word has been used since at least the early modern period.