sensei no namae wo matigaenai you ni, memo wo mimasu.

間違えないように means so that I don’t get it wrong or in order not to make a mistake.

Here, the thing you do not want to get wrong is 先生の名前 (the teacher’s name).

So the structure is:

• 先生の名前を間違えないように
• so that I don’t get the teacher’s name wrong

This part explains the purpose of the action in the second part of the sentence: メモを見ます (I look at my notes).

It is negative because the sentence expresses avoiding something.

• 間違える = to make a mistake / to get something wrong
• 間違えない = to not make a mistake / to not get something wrong

So:

• 間違えないように = so as not to get it wrong

In English, this is very natural too:

• I look at my notes so that I don’t get the teacher’s name wrong.

The negative form is not making the whole sentence negative. It is only saying what the speaker wants to avoid.

ように is often used to mean so that..., in order to..., or for the purpose of..., especially when the idea is about:

• a desired result
• prevention
• something the speaker wants to happen or not happen

In this sentence:

• 先生の名前を間違えないように、メモを見ます。
• I look at my notes so that I don’t get the teacher’s name wrong.

A very common pattern is:

• Verb (dictionary / nai form) + ように

Examples:

• 忘れないようにメモします。 = I make a note so that I won’t forget.
• 遅れないように急ぎます。 = I hurry so that I won’t be late.

So here, ように connects the goal/avoidance idea with the main action.

This is a very common question.

Both ように and ために can express purpose, but they are not used in exactly the same way.

A useful guideline:

• ために is often used when the purpose is more direct and controlled
• ように is often used when the goal is more like a desired result, especially with negative forms, potential forms, or things you try to make happen

Because this sentence is about avoiding a mistake:

• 間違えないように sounds natural

Using ために here would sound less natural.

Compare:

• 日本に行くためにお金をためます。
  I save money in order to go to Japan.
• 忘れないように書きます。
  I write it down so that I won’t forget.

So in this sentence, ように is the normal choice.

Literally, it is teacher’s name.

Breakdown:

• 先生 = teacher
• の = links nouns; often like ’s or of
• 名前 = name

So:

• 先生の名前 = the teacher’s name

Here, の is showing a relationship between the two nouns. In English, this is often translated with ’s.

Because 名前 is the direct object of 間違える.

• 間違える often takes を
• You get something wrong

So:

• 名前を間違える = to get the name wrong

That is why the sentence has:

• 先生の名前を間違えない

It means:

• not get the teacher’s name wrong

Because メモ is the direct object of 見ます.

• メモを見る = to look at notes / to check a memo

So the sentence has two different verb phrases:

1. 先生の名前を間違えない

   • object: 先生の名前
   • verb: 間違えない

2. メモを見ます

   • object: メモ
   • verb: 見ます

Each を belongs to its own verb.

In this sentence, 見ます most naturally means something like:

• look at
• check
• possibly look over

So メモを見ます is probably:

• I look at my notes
• I check my notes

It is not necessarily read in the full sense of carefully reading text, although that can be part of it. The important idea is that the speaker consults the memo/notes.

Japanese often leaves out the subject when it is understood from context.

So although the sentence does not explicitly say I, the natural meaning is:

• I look at my notes so that I don’t get the teacher’s name wrong.

If needed, a speaker could say:

• 私は先生の名前を間違えないように、メモを見ます。

But in normal Japanese, 私は is often omitted because it is obvious.

It is a broad verb, so depending on context it can feel like:

• get wrong
• mistake
• mix up
• say incorrectly

In this sentence, 先生の名前を間違えない could mean things like:

• not saying the teacher’s name wrong
• not calling the teacher by the wrong name
• not confusing the teacher’s name with another one

English does not have one perfect verb that covers every nuance of 間違える, so get the teacher’s name wrong is a very natural translation.

The comma separates the purpose phrase from the main action:

• 先生の名前を間違えないように、メモを見ます。

It makes the sentence easier to read:

• So that I don’t get the teacher’s name wrong, I look at my notes.

In Japanese, punctuation is more flexible than in English, so the comma is helpful but not always absolutely required. You may also see the sentence without it.

They are:

• 間違えない → dictionary form: 間違える
• 見ます → dictionary form: 見る

So the sentence in dictionary-style parts is based on:

• 先生の名前を間違える = to get the teacher’s name wrong
• メモを見る = to look at notes

Then 間違える becomes 間違えない because the speaker wants to express not making that mistake.

Not exactly.

This sentence specifically says:

• 先生の名前を間違えないように
• so that I don’t get the teacher’s name wrong

If you wanted to say so that I don’t forget the teacher’s name, you would normally use 忘れないように instead:

• 先生の名前を忘れないように、メモを見ます。

So:

• 間違えない = not get it wrong
• 忘れない = not forget

They are related ideas, but not the same.