to distract / to deflect
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to distract
To direct a person's attention away from something and toward something else. This can happen intentionally or unintentionally.
Der laute Knall hat mich von meiner Arbeit abgelenkt.
The loud bang distracted me from my work.
to distract oneself
To deliberately keep oneself busy with something so as not to have to think about worries, boredom, or pain.
Um sich von dem Liebeskummer abzulenken, stürzte er sich in die Arbeit.
To distract himself from his heartbreak, he threw himself into work.
to deflect
To change the direction of a moving object, a force, or a conversation.
Der Verteidiger konnte den Ball gerade noch zur Ecke ablenken.
The defender was just able to deflect the ball for a corner.
'Ablenken' (to distract / to deflect) is a separable verb. The prefix 'ab-' is separated from the verb in a main clause and placed at the end of the sentence. In the infinitive with 'zu', 'zu' comes between the prefix and the verb.
Das laute Telefonat lenkte alle Kollegen ab.
The loud phone call distracted all the colleagues.
The verb is made up of the prefix 'ab-' (away) and the verb 'lenken' (to steer/direct). It literally means to 'steer away' something from its original course or focus.
Er versuchte, vom eigentlichen Thema des Gesprächs abzulenken.
He tried to distract from the actual topic of the conversation.
If you want to express what someone is being distracted from, you use the preposition 'von' with the dative. The structure is: distract someone (accusative) from something (dative).
Lass dich nicht von den lauten Kindern beim Lernen ablenken.
Don't let the loud children distract you from studying.
In the meaning 'sich zerstreuen' (to distract oneself), the verb is used reflexively: 'sich ablenken' (to distract oneself). This describes a deliberate action to avoid thinking about something unpleasant.
Nach der Prüfung ging sie ins Kino, um sich ein wenig abzulenken.
After the exam, she went to the movies to distract herself a little.
This meaning is often used in sports contexts (to deflect a ball or shot) or in conversations (to steer away from the topic). It is about changing the physical or metaphorical direction of something.
Der Torwart konnte den Schuss im letzten Moment noch zur Seite ablenken.
The goalkeeper was still able to deflect the shot to the side at the last moment.
to disturb / bother
Stören and ablenken can both affect concentration. Stören generally refers to a hindrance or interruption. Ablenken more precisely means that attention shifts from the current activity to something else.
Das Klingeln lenkte mich vom Lesen ab, und ich schaute sofort auf mein Handy.
The ringing distracted me from reading, and I immediately looked at my phone.
Das Klingeln störte mich beim Lesen, sodass ich kurz aufhören musste.
The ringing disturbed me while I was reading, so I had to stop briefly.
