to get carried away / to captivate
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to get carried away
To let oneself be overwhelmed by strong feelings such as enthusiasm, anger, or passion and, as a result, act or say something thoughtlessly or impulsively.
In der hitzigen Diskussion ließ er sich zu einer beleidigenden Äußerung hinreißen.
In the heated discussion, he let himself get carried away into making an insulting remark.
to captivate
To move someone emotionally in a strong way, inspire them, or sweep them along.
Die virtuose Geigerin riss das Publikum zu Beifallsstürmen hin.
The virtuoso violinist captivated the audience and moved them to storms of applause.
The verb 'hinreißen' (to captivate / to carry away) is separable; the prefix 'hin' comes at the end in a main clause. It is derived from 'hin' (toward something) and 'reißen' (to pull/tear) and describes a strong emotional movement.
Seine Musik reißt einfach jeden hin.
His music simply captivates everyone.
The meaning 'impulsiv handeln' (to act impulsively) is used almost exclusively in the fixed reflexive construction 'sich zu etwas hinreißen lassen' (to let oneself get carried away into doing something). The 'etwas' (something) is the thoughtless action or statement.
Ich habe mich zu einem teuren Kauf hinreißen lassen, den ich jetzt bereue.
I let myself get carried away into making an expensive purchase that I now regret.
In the meaning 'begeistern' (to inspire/captivate), the verb is transitive: something, e.g. a performance, captivates someone (accusative object). The audience's reaction is often added with the preposition 'zu' (to).
Die Akrobaten rissen das Publikum zu lauten Rufen der Begeisterung hin.
The acrobats captivated the audience and moved them to loud shouts of enthusiasm.
The reflexive construction with 'sich' and 'lassen' is a clear signal for the meaning 'sich zu etwas verleiten lassen' (to let oneself be tempted into something). If these elements are missing, the meaning is usually 'begeistern' (to captivate/inspire).
Er ließ sich zu einer falschen Anschuldigung hinreißen.
He let himself get carried away into making a false accusation.
to inspire / enthuse
Begeistern and hinreißen can both express strong admiration for an achievement. Hinreißen usually describes a more intense, spontaneously overwhelming effect and sounds somewhat more elevated, while begeistern is more neutral. Use begeistern for strong approval in general, and hinreißen for particularly moving impressions.
Die Sängerin riss das Publikum mit ihrer überwältigenden Stimme hin.
The singer swept the audience away with her overwhelming voice.
Die Sängerin begeisterte das Publikum mit ihrer klaren Stimme.
The singer thrilled the audience with her clear voice.
