abraten

to advise against, to dissuade

verb AP-rah-ten Rare

Usage Note

Abraten is the opposite of raten (to advise) — ich rate dir ab means 'I advise you against it'. Common in both formal and informal contexts and regularly used with a dative object.

Examples

"Der Arzt riet ihr von dem Eingriff ab."

Natural Translation

The doctor advised her against the procedure.

Literal Translation

The doctor advised her from the procedure off.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

Tipping in Germany: A Visitor's Etiquette Guide

Tipping in Germany means saying your total out loud, not leaving coins. Learn the exact phrases, how much to tip, and the Sie-vs-du etiquette travelers need.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Two-Way Prepositions: Accusative or Dative?

Use accusative for movement into a place (wohin?) and dative for a fixed location (wo?). Master all nine German two-way prepositions with one simple test.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

How to Tell Time in German Without Mistakes

Halb sieben means 6:30, not 7:30. Master telling time in German — Viertel nach, halb, vor, the 24-hour clock, and the prepositions that trip up beginners.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

GermanNow

German Compound Words: How to Read Any Long Word

Read any long German word by working right-to-left: the last noun sets the meaning and gender, and the small linking letters are just glue. Here's the drill.

June 9, 2026 6 min read