German Conversation · Level 150
30 words
German word
ablenken
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈapˌlɛŋkən/
Meaning
- verbdistract
Example
Das Handy lenkt ihn im Unterricht ab.
The cell phone distracts him in class.
More examples
Sie konnte die Kinder mit Spielen ablenken.
She was able to distract the children with games.
Core concept
Attention is pulled off a task and redirected to a different subject or activity.
Common phrases
jemanden ablenken
distract someone
das Gespräch ablenken
divert the conversation
die Aufmerksamkeit von etwas ablenken
distract attention from ___
Similar words
stören: To interfere with work or focus and make continued progress difficult.
unterbrechen: To bring a speech or activity to a premature stop.
Definition in German
die Aufmerksamkeit von etwas wegziehen und auf etwas anderes lenken
Word origin
The element "ab-" marks movement away, and "lenken" contributes the idea of directing, giving "ablenken" its sense of redirecting attention.
Usage tips
- The common pattern is "jemanden von etwas ablenken", with the person in the accusative and the source of attention introduced by "von".