to look away
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to look away
To deliberately turn one's gaze away from something or someone. You intentionally look in another direction.
Als der gruselige Teil des Films kam, musste ich wegschauen.
When the scary part of the film came on, I had to look away.
'Wegschauen' (to look away) is a separable verb. The prefix 'weg-' comes at the end in a main clause. In subordinate clauses and in the infinitive with 'zu', the verb stays together.
Er schaut bei dem traurigen Film immer weg.
He always looks away during the sad film.
In its figurative meaning, 'wegschauen' (to look away) often has a strong moral appeal. The call 'nicht wegschauen!' (don't look away!) means that you should take action and help when there are problems or injustice.
Wenn jemand Hilfe braucht, darf man nicht einfach wegschauen.
When someone needs help, you must not simply look away.
In the literal meaning, the preposition 'von' (from) is often used to say what someone turns their gaze away from.
Die Kinder schauten schnell vom Bildschirm weg, als die Eltern ins Zimmer kamen.
The children quickly looked away from the screen when their parents came into the room.
In the figurative meaning, the preposition 'bei' (in the case of/when it comes to) is often used to name the situation that is being ignored.
Bei Rassismus im Alltag darf man auf keinen Fall wegschauen.
When it comes to everyday racism, you must absolutely not look away.
to look at / to watch
'anschauen' and 'wegschauen' form a clear contrast when it comes to looking. With 'anschauen', you deliberately direct your gaze toward something or someone. With 'wegschauen', you deliberately turn your gaze away and look in another direction. 'wegschauen' can also be meant figuratively: you notice a problem, an injustice, or suffering, but do nothing. Then it is not just about the eyes, but about deliberate ignoring. The simple contrast is: 'anschauen' means to look at something, while 'wegschauen' means not to look or not to intervene.
Als die Kinder stritten, hat der Erwachsene nicht geholfen, sondern weggeschaut.
When the children were arguing, the adult did not help, but looked away.
Nach dem Unterricht schaut sich Tom das Plakat im Flur an.
After class, Tom looks at the poster in the hallway.