Ablenken

Ablenken is a German verb meaning to divert or distract. It can apply to people, objects, or signals: to distract someone’s attention, to divert attention from something, or to deflect a beam or path in technical contexts. The noun Ablenkung corresponds to distraction or deflection, depending on the context.

The verb is formed from the prefix ab- (away) and lenken (to steer or direct). It is a separable prefix verb, so in the present tense the prefix often appears at the end of the clause (for example: ich lenke dich von der Arbeit ab). The past participle is abgelenkt, and the perfect tense uses haben (ich habe abgelenkt; ich habe dich abgelenkt).

Usage examples include: Der Lärm lenkte mich von meiner Arbeit ab. (The noise distracted me from my work.) Sie versuchte, die Gäste abzulenken. (She tried to distract the guests.) In a physics or engineering context, Ablenkung refers to the deflection of a beam, as in Die Ablenkung des Elektronenstrahls erfolgt durch Ablenkspulen. (The deflection of the electron beam is achieved by deflection coils.)

Ablenken is commonly used with the pattern ablenken von + Dativ to indicate diverting attention away from something, or with someone as the direct object (jemanden ablenken). The term spans everyday language and technical terminology, with the noun Ablenkung capturing either mental distraction or physical deflection according to context.