Synonym Nuance VS
How to say "Make" in Japanese
Both words can translate to "make", but which should you choose?
Japanese Option A
間違う
まちがう (machigau)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Option B
軽んじる
かろんじる (karonjiru)
N2 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Translation Difference
When translating "make" into Japanese, you must choose carefully between 間違う and 軽んじる.
In Japanese, 間違う (まちがう (machigau)) is typically associated with "to make a mistake, to be wrong" (Syllabus Level: N4) and represents An intransitive verb meaning to be incorrect, to make an error, or to be mistaken. The transitive form is 間違える.
On the other hand, 軽んじる (かろんじる (karonjiru)) maps to "to make light of, to belittle, to disdain, to disregard" (Syllabus Level: N2) and represents To treat something or someone as unimportant or trivial; often used for disrespecting rules, advice, feelings, or established norms. Similar to 侮る but focuses more on treating something as insignificant.. A literal translation of "make" can often sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers if mixed up!
Bilingual Context for "間違う"
テストの答えが間違っていた。
My test answer was wrong.
Bilingual Context for "軽んじる"
彼の忠告を軽んじた結果、大きな失敗をしてしまった。
As a result of making light of his advice, I made a big mistake.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "テストの答えが間違っていた。" (Meaning: "My test answer was wrong.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "間違う" fits here because it means "to make a mistake, to be wrong" in the context of: "My test answer was wrong.". "軽んじる" represents "to make light of, to belittle, to disdain, to disregard".