desatender
Lemma Details
Translation: to neglect; to disregard; to ignore; to overlook; to fail to attend to
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: Formed from the prefix 'des-' (indicating negation or reversal) + 'atender' (to attend to, to pay attention). The prefix 'des-' comes from Latin 'dis-' (apart, away), while 'atender' derives from Latin 'attendere' (to stretch toward, to direct attention to). The English cognate 'attend' shares the same Latin root, making 'desatender' essentially the opposite of 'to attend to' or 'to pay attention to'.
Commonality: 60%
Guessability: 70%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
No puedes desatender tus responsabilidades familiares.
You cannot neglect your family responsibilities.
El gobierno desatendió las necesidades de la población.
The government disregarded the needs of the population.
Ha desatendido su salud por años.
He has neglected his health for years.
Desatendió mis consejos y ahora tiene problemas.
He ignored my advice and now he has problems.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'des-' as 'dis-' in English (as in disconnect) + 'attend' = 'to dis-attend' or not pay attention to something.
- Visualize someone turning away (des-) from something that needs attention (atender).
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
In Spanish-speaking cultures, 'desatender' often carries a moral connotation when referring to neglecting responsibilities, especially family obligations or duties. It can imply not just forgetting but willfully ignoring something important.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'desatender' means 'to neglect' or 'to ignore', 'desentender' means 'to disassociate oneself from' or 'to wash one's hands of'. 'Desentenderse de algo' implies deliberately choosing not to be involved, whereas 'desatender algo' means failing to give proper attention to something that is your responsibility.
Confused word:
Se desentendió completamente del problema.
He completely disassociated himself from the problem.
Notes: 'Desatender' implies negligence of duty, while 'desentenderse' implies deliberate avoidance of responsibility.
Mnemonic: 'Desatender' is about not attending to something, while 'desentender' is about not understanding or not wanting to be involved with something.
Explanation: 'Desatender' means to neglect or ignore, while 'desatinar' means to blunder, to act foolishly, or to talk nonsense.
Notes: Both words start with 'desa-' but have completely different meanings and uses.
Mnemonic: 'Desatender' relates to attention (not giving it), while 'desatinar' relates to making mistakes or acting without good sense.