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I've heard from a Japanese native speaker friend of mine that both 間違う and
間違える are correct usage, but he wasn't able to explain the difference in nuance
between them. Is there a difference, and if so, what is it?
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2011-06-28T16:27:18.380
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word-choice nuances
What is the difference in nuance between 間違う and 間違える?
When we say that someone makes a mistake about something, we can use both 間違う
and 間違える and there is no difference in meaning or nuance. For example, 計算を間違えた
and 計算を間違った mean the same thing.

[ _Added remark_ : As repecmps pointed out in a comment, some people consider
this usage of 間違う as incorrect. [Someone
states](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1214351857)
that this usage of 間違う was originally incorrect, but I do not know if this
statement is true or not.]

When we say that something is in a wrong state, we can only use 間違う. Examples
from Daijisen with my English translations:

> ○ この[手紙]{てがみ}は[住所]{じゅうしょ}が[間違]{まちが}っている。 This letter has an incorrect
> address on it.  
>  × この手紙は住所が間違えている。

> ○ [間違]{まちが}った[考]{かんが}え[方]{かた} a wrong way of thinking  
>  × 間違えた考え方

([○ denotes correct examples and × denotes incorrect
examples](https://japanese.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/169/should-we-
have-a-standard-notation-for-example-sentences).)
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2011-06-28T16:41:10.110
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The answer is a simple point of grammar:

間違う is an [intransitive verb](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intransitive_verb).
With no direct object, the particle を cannot be used.

ー＞私が間違っている

間違える is a [transitive verb](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transitive_verb),
with a direct object (use of を possible as well as other particles)

ー＞道を間違えた

According to the [chat discussion with
Tsuyoshi](http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/659) I understand that
recent dictionaries allow the use of 間違う with a direct object, making all his
examples correct.

More details in [this
link](http://detail.chiebukuro.yahoo.co.jp/qa/question_detail/q1214351857).

But as a grammar enthusiast, I think that using the rule above, you will
always be correct.
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