allontanarsi
/al.lon.taˈnar.si/
The English phrase 'drift away' is translated into Italian as allontanarsi.
allontanarsi is used to describe drifting away in both a physical sense, such as drifting away from a shore and a metaphorical sense, such as drifting away from a person or a topic.
Which one should you use?
While allontanarsi is the translation for 'to drift away', it is also the standard, general verb used for 'to move away' or 'to distance oneself'.
How does it change in a sentence?
For example, to say 'he drifted away', you would say si è allontanato.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 5 syllables, with the stress on the 4th syllable: /al.lon.taˈnar.si/.
Did you know?
- The prefix al- in allontanarsi comes from the Latin ad-, meaning 'to' or 'toward'. Ironically, the word for 'moving away' begins with a prefix that usually denotes moving toward something.
- In certain Italian regional dialects, a person might use the word staccarsi to describe drifting away from a group, which literally means 'to unstick' or 'to detach'.
- When talking about losing focus or drifting away from a conversation, Italians might use the expression perdere il filo, which means 'to lose the thread'.
Examples in context
- Mi sto allontanando gradualmente da quel progettoI am gradually drifting away from that project
- Con il tempo, ci siamo separati lentamenteOver time, we drifted away from each other
- Io e lui ci siamo allontanati pian pianoHe and I drifted away gradually
- Mi sto distanziando emotivamente da luiI am emotionally drifting away from him
- La barca ha iniziato ad allontanarsi dalla riva.The boat started to drift away from the shore.
- Le nuvole sembrano allontanarsi lentamente nel cielo.The clouds seem to drift away slowly in the sky.
Example conversation
Martina and Matteo are at the beach watching a float in the water.
- MartinaGuarda, il nostro materassino si sta allontanando!Look, our air mattress is drifting away!
- MatteoHai ragione, Matteo corre a prenderlo.You're right, Matteo is running to get it.
- MartinaSbrigati, o continuerà ad allontanarsi ancora di più.Hurry, or it will continue to drift away even more.
- MatteoL'ho preso, Martina! Ora è al sicuro.I got it, Martina! Now it's safe.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry allontanarsi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
