English–German

“distract” in German

German

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈapˌlɛŋkən/

Example

Das Handy lenkt ihn im Unterricht ab.

The cell phone distracts him in class.

Illustration for ablenken (distract)

How to say “distract” in German

“Distract” in German is ablenken.

Attention is pulled off a task and redirected to a different subject or activity.

Full entry for ablenken: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with ablenken

Sie konnte die Kinder mit Spielen ablenken.

She was able to distract the children with games.

Tips for using ablenken

  • The common pattern is "jemanden von etwas ablenken", with the person in the accusative and the source of attention introduced by "von".

“distract” in other languages