alienation
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alienation
The process or state in which one distances oneself from other people, one's work, or society and feels estranged. It describes a loss of emotional connection.
Die langen Arbeitszeiten führten zu einer zunehmenden Entfremdung von seiner Familie.
The long working hours led to increasing alienation from his family.
The word consists of three parts: the prefix 'ent-' (away), the adjective 'fremd' (foreign/strange), and the ending '-ung'. So it describes the process by which something or someone 'fremd wird' (becomes strange or unfamiliar).
Die Entfremdung ist ein zentrales Thema in der modernen Literatur.
Alienation is a central theme in modern literature.
'Entfremdung' is almost always used with the preposition 'von' and the dative. This expresses what one is distancing oneself from or feels separated from.
Er leidet unter der Entfremdung von seiner Familie.
He suffers from alienation from his family.
This word is often used to describe distance from people ('Entfremdung von Freunden' — alienation from friends), from society, or from one's own work.
Die Monotonie des Jobs führte zu einer Entfremdung von seiner Arbeit.
The monotony of the job led to alienation from his work.
closeness / proximity
'die Nähe' and 'die Entfremdung' are opposites in an emotional sense. 'Nähe' means that people feel connected, have trust, and are important to each other. 'Entfremdung' means that this connection becomes weaker or is lost. People then feel estranged or distant. Important: 'Nähe' can also refer to physical proximity, but the opposite of 'Entfremdung' fits especially in relationships between people.
In der neuen Abteilung wurde die Entfremdung zwischen ihr und dem alten Team immer größer.
In the new department, the alienation between her and the old team kept growing.
Nach dem langen Gespräch spürte Luisa wieder mehr Nähe zu ihrer Schwester.
After the long conversation, Luisa once again felt more closeness to her sister.