違う様に
chigau yō ni
In Japanese, 'otherwise' can be expressed as 違う様に (chigau yō ni). Wiktionary also lists そうではないと (sō de wa nai to) and その他に (sono hoka ni).
Meaning: differently, in another way (adv)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 違う様に | chigau yō ni | |
| そうではないと | sō de wa nai to | |
| その他に | sono hoka ni | |
| その他 | sono hoka | [so̞no̞ ho̞ka̠] (narrow) [so̞no̞ ta̠] (narrow) |
Use 違う様に to express doing something differently. Use その他に or その他 when you mean 'besides that' or 'apart from that' in a list of qualities.
Which one should you use?
違う様に is used specifically to mean 'differently' or 'in a different way'. In contrast, その他に is used when 'otherwise' means 'besides that' or 'in addition to that' when referring to a list of qualities. While その他 can mean 'otherwise', it is often used as a noun phrase meaning 'the rest' or 'the others'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form そうではないと functions as a conditional clause that means 'if it is not the case' or 'unless it is so'.
How do you pronounce it?
chigau yō ni
Did you know?
- The character 様 in the phrase 違う様に is the same character used in formal honorific titles for people. It originally denoted the outward appearance or the specific manner in which something exists.
- The word 違う in 違う様に can be used as a polite way to disagree with someone, where saying 'that is different' is a common euphemism for 'you are wrong'.
- In spoken Japanese, the conditional 'otherwise' phrase そうではないと is often left hanging at the end of a sentence. This grammatical ellipsis allows a speaker to imply a negative consequence without ever explicitly stating the threat or bad result.
Examples in context
- 料理は余りおいしくなかったが、その他の点では、そのパーティーは成功だった。The food wasn't very delicious, but otherwise the party was a success.This sentence shows how to use その他 to mean 'other points' or 'besides that' regarding the success of a party.Tatoeba #77924 by mookeee, translation #1334016 by CK
- 彼は、以前とは違う様に振る舞っている。Kare wa, izen to wa chigau you ni furumatte iru.He is behaving differently than before.
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are discussing a project design.
- 健太 Kentaこのデザインはどうかな？kono dezain wa dō kana?What do you think of this design?
- 結衣 Yuiいいけど、違う様に配置できる？ii kedo, chigau yō ni haichi dekiru?It's good, but can you arrange it differently?
- 健太 Kentaいいよ。どんな風にしたい？ii yo. donna fū ni shitai?Sure. How do you want it to look?
- 結衣 Yuiもう少しシンプルにしてほしいな。mō sukoshi shinpuru ni shite hoshii na.I want it to be a bit simpler.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “otherwise” translations and entries その他, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
