Spanish Conversation · Level 139
45 words
Spanish word
desentender
Pronunciation
IPA/desentenˈdeɾ/
Meaning
- verbpretend not to know
Example
Ella se desentiende cuando hay problemas.
She pretends not to know when there are problems.
More examples
En la reunión, nadie se desentendió de la situación.
At the meeting, nobody pretended not to know about the situation.
Core concept
Person turning their back on a leaking pipe labeled 'problem'.
Common phrases
desentenderse de la situación
pretend not to know about the situation
desentenderse de la opinión pública
pretend not to know about public opinion
Similar words
ignorar: Intentionally pays no attention to another person's words or presence.
evitar: Stays away from a person or situation to prevent contact or involvement.
eludir: Evades responsibility or problems by dodging obligations.
escaquearse: Shirks assigned duties or tasks to escape doing them.
Definition in Spanish
Negarse a encargarse o responsabilizarse de algo, frecuentemente expresando distancia o desinterés; suele aparecer como «desentenderse».
Word origin
Derived from des- 'not' plus entender 'to take on or understand', with desentenderse used to express avoiding involvement or responsibility.
Usage tips
- Unlike ignorar (to ignore), desentenderse de signals a deliberate refusal to get involved with duties or obligations, not mere obliviousness.
Other meanings
- ignoreverb
- not get involvedverb
Opposites
- interesarsetake an interestverb
- atenderpay attentionverb
Related words
- desentendimientononinvolvementnoun
- desentendidofeigning ignoranceadjective