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How to Say "to divert" in Spanish

English → Spanish

desviar

/des-bee-ahr//desˈβjaɾ/

verbB1general
Use 'desviar' when you are physically changing the course or direction of something, such as traffic, a road, or a river.
A river flowing through a green landscape where a new channel has been dug to change its path.

Examples

Tuvieron que desviar el tráfico por el accidente.

They had to divert traffic because of the accident.

El piloto desvió el avión hacia el sur.

The pilot redirected the plane toward the south.

No dejes que nada te desvíe de tus metas.

Don't let anything stray you from your goals.

The 'í' Accent Rule

In the present tense, the 'i' gets an accent mark (desvío, desvías) when it is the part of the word we stress. This keeps the 'i' and 'o/a' as separate sounds rather than blending them together.

Moving 'From' and 'To'

Use 'de' to say what you are moving away from (desviar de la ruta) and 'hacia' or 'a' for the new direction.

Missing the Accent

Mistake: “Yo desvio el tráfico.”

Correction: Yo desvío el tráfico. (The accent is needed on the 'i' to show it is the stressed syllable.)

distraer

/dees-tra-EHR//dis.tɾaˈeɾ/

verbA2general
Use 'distraer' when you are causing someone to lose focus or turn their attention away from a task or thought.
A child trying to read a book while a colorful butterfly flutters right in front of their face.

Examples

El ruido de la calle me distrae mucho cuando estudio.

The street noise distracts me a lot when I study.

No distraigas al conductor mientras el autobús está en marcha.

Don't distract the driver while the bus is moving.

El mago usó un pañuelo para distraer la atención del público.

The magician used a handkerchief to divert the audience's attention.

The Traer Connection

This word works exactly like the verb 'traer' (to bring). Whenever 'traer' changes its spelling, 'distraer' does the same thing!

The J-Team in the Past

In the past tense (preterite), the 'er' and 'i' disappear and are replaced by a 'j' sound, like in 'distraje'.

The 'yo' form error

Mistake: “Yo distrayo.”

Correction: Yo distraigo. Because it follows the pattern of 'traer', it needs that 'g' sound in the present 'yo' form.

divertir

deeb-ehr-TEER/di.βeɾˈtiɾ/

verbA1general
Use 'divertir' to mean amusing or entertaining someone, causing them to have a good time, though this is an older or less common meaning for 'to divert' in English.
A friendly clown in a colorful suit performing a juggling act with three bright balls for a smiling child.

Examples

El payaso divierte a los niños.

The clown amuses the children.

Esta película me divierte mucho.

This movie entertains me a lot.

Mi abuelo siempre nos divierte con historias.

My grandfather always entertains us with stories.

Regular -ir verb ending

Divertir follows the normal rules for -ir verbs. Change the infinitive ending (-ir) to match who is doing the action: yo divierto, tú diviertes, él divierte, etc.

Same form for singular and plural 'you'

In Spain, 'tú' (informal you) and 'usted' (formal you) are different. But 'vosotros' (informal plural you in Spain) and 'ustedes' (formal plural you everywhere) share the same verb ending.

Confusing divertirse with diverti

Mistake: “Using the wrong pronoun: 'Yo divierte' instead of 'Yo divierto'”

Correction: Remember: 'divierto' (I amuse) has NO reflexive pronoun. Only add 'se' when you mean 'to have fun': 'Yo me divierto' (I have fun).

Distinguishing 'desviar' from 'distraer'

Learners often confuse 'desviar' and 'distraer'. Remember that 'desviar' is about a physical change in direction (like traffic), while 'distraer' is about a mental shift or loss of focus.

Related Translations

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