mistake for

IPA/mɪstˈeɪk fɔː/
IPA/mɪstˈeɪk fɔːɹ/

mistake for — phrasal verb

  • mistake forbase form
  • mistakes for3rd person singular
  • mistaking for-ing form
  • mistook forpast simple
  • mistaken forpast participle

1. to see, hear, or notice one person or thing and believe it is a different one, u

1.片語動詞及物B1
釋義

to see, hear, or notice one person or thing and believe it is a different one, usually because the two look or sound alike

例句

Tamás mistook a stranger for his cousin because both wore red jackets.

mistake + noun + for + noun: confusing one person with another

Emily mistook the salt for sugar and put a spoonful in her tea by accident.

同義詞
  • confuse with

    More general — 'confuse with' can refer to mixing up two things mentally, not just perceptually

  • mix up with

    Informal; suggests carelessness rather than a natural resemblance

反義詞
  • tell apart from

    Describes the ability to see the difference between two similar people or things

  • distinguish from

    More formal; focuses on noticing the features that make each one unique

文法句型

mistake + noun/pro noun + for + noun/pro noun

用法筆記

Always followed by 'for'. The noun phrase after 'for' names the person or thing that the subject wrongly believes the first object to be. This sense typically describes a perceptual mistake — seeing, hearing, or otherwise sensing one thing and thinking it is something else. Some sources, including Cambridge, classify this expression as a fixed idiom due to its inseparable structure and the mandatory 'for' complement.

常見錯誤

❌I mistook him as my brother.
✅I mistook him for my brother.
💡The correct preposition after 'mistake' in this expression is always 'for', never 'as'.
❌She mistook to call the wrong person.
✅She mistook a stranger for her friend.
💡'mistake for' follows the pattern 'mistake + noun + for + noun'; it does not take a to-infinitive.

2. to incorrectly believe that a person or thing has a particular quality, role, or

2.片語動詞及物B1
釋義

to incorrectly believe that a person or thing has a particular quality, role, or intention that they do not actually have — for example, mistaking someone's shyness for rudeness, or their silence for disagreement

例句

Quan mistook his manager's silence for anger, but she was only thinking about the budget.

mistake + abstract noun + for + abstract quality

Eve mistook the new student's quiet manner for shyness, but he was a confident speaker.

同義詞
  • take for

    Very similar in meaning; 'take for' is slightly more informal and is common in spoken English ('What do you take me for?')

  • misread

    Emphasises interpreting someone's signals incorrectly; less common with concrete objects

反義詞

文法句型

mistake + noun + for + noun (abstract quality or role)

用法筆記

Always followed by 'for'. The object after 'for' in this sense is often an abstract noun describing a quality, emotion, or intention (e.g. 'anger', 'shyness', 'arrogance', 'spam'). Unlike sense 1, this sense focuses on a mental judgment error rather than a sensory confusion.

常見錯誤

❌Don't mistake me.' (without 'for')
✅Don't mistake me for someone who gives up easily.
💡The 'for' phrase is required to complete the meaning of this expression.
❌I mistook that he was angry.
✅I mistook his silence for anger.
💡'mistake for' requires a noun phrase after both the verb and 'for'; it does not take a that-clause.