to distance oneself
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to distance oneself from
To publicly or clearly declare that one has nothing to do with a person, group, or statement, or does not support them.
Die Partei distanzierte sich ausdrücklich von den rassistischen Äußerungen ihres Mitglieds.
The party explicitly distanced itself from its member's racist remarks.
The verb 'distanzieren' (to distance) is always used reflexively: 'sich distanzieren' (to distance oneself). The reflexive pronoun (mich, dich, sich, uns, euch, sich) must match the subject of the sentence.
Ich distanziere mich von dieser Meinung.
I distance myself from this opinion.
The verb is always used with the preposition 'von' and the dative. You distance yourself 'von' (from) a person or 'von' (from) a thing.
Der Sportler distanzierte sich von den Dopingvorwürfen.
The athlete distanced himself from the doping allegations.
The verb 'distanzieren' (to distance oneself) is derived from the noun 'die Distanz' (the distance). So when you distance yourself, you figuratively create distance between yourself and another thing or person.
Es ist wichtig, eine professionelle Distanz zu den Klienten zu wahren.
It is important to maintain a professional distance from clients.
to support
'unterstützen' and 'sich distanzieren von' describe opposite attitudes. Someone who supports a person or statement shows approval and stands behind it. Someone who 'sich von jemandem oder einer Aussage distanziert' makes it clear that they do not stand behind that person or statement and want nothing to do with it. So 'unterstützen' means closeness and approval, while 'sich distanzieren von' means distance and rejection. 'sich distanzieren' is often used when you want to show this stance clearly or publicly.
Nach dem Streit distanziert sich der Verein von den Aussagen seines Trainers.
After the argument, the association distances itself from its coach's statements.
Ich unterstütze meine Freundin, weil ihr Projekt wichtig für die Nachbarschaft ist.
I support my friend because her project is important for the neighborhood.