気(き)を取(と)られる

きをとられる
expression
to have one's attention drawn away; to be distracted
idiomcognition
1. to have one's attention taken by something; to be distracted
For something to pull one's attention away, so that what one should have been watching gets neglected. Literally 'to have one's attention taken.' The thing that distracts is marked with に, and the sentence usually implies a mistake or oversight followed.
スマホに気(き)を取(と)られていた。
My attention was on my phone.
話(はなし)に気(き)を取(と)られて駅(えき)を乗(の)り過(す)ごした。
I was caught up in the conversation and rode past my station.
窓(まど)の外(そと)に気(き)を取(と)られて、先生(せんせい)の説明(せつめい)を聞(き)いていなかった。
My attention was outside the window, so I wasn't listening to the teacher's explanation.
子(こ)どもに気(き)を取(と)られているうちに、なべの水(みず)が吹(ふ)きこぼれてしまった。
While my attention was on the children, the pot boiled over.

Structure: 気(き) (attention) + を + 取(と)られる (passive of 取(と)る, to take). The passive is fixed — 気(き)を取(と)る is not used in this sense.

Common patterns

  • 〜に気(き)を取(と)られる: to have one's attention taken by ~
  • 〜に気(き)を取(と)られて…しまう: to be distracted by ~ and end up doing (something unintended)
  • 気(き)を取(と)られているうちに: while one's attention was elsewhere

Similar words

  • 気(き)が散(ち)る: to be distracted — attention scatters generally, with no single cause named
  • ぼんやりする: to be absent-minded — attention is on nothing at all, rather than pulled elsewhere

Related Words

Compare: 気(き)が散(ち)る (to be distracted)
Compare: ぼんやりする (to be absent-minded)
general
Added 2026.8.12 12:18 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
30500/30584_kiwotorareru