Japanese with Manga
Learning through examples in manga

Reading a book to distract from waiting for a text message with 気を紛らす

Idiom Explanation: Distracting oneself with 気を紛らす

Manga panel from ブラザー・トラップ showing example of Reading a book to distract from waiting for a text message with 気を紛らす.
ブラザー・トラップ » Volume 1 » Page 92

Akari is expecting a text message from Izumi. Unknown to her, Izumi’s response was getting too long, so he switched to his computer to write up an e-mail instead.

Narration:
「和泉(いずみ)からの返信(へんしん)が来(こ)ない」
“I haven't received a reply from Izumi.”
あかり:
「楽(たの)しみにしてた新刊(しんかん)読(よ)んで気(き)を紛(まぎ)らわそう！」
“I'll distract myself by reading the new book I've been looking forward to!”
「没頭(ぼっとう)してたらいつのまにか返信(へんしん)来(き)てたりするかもね！」
“Maybe if I get really absorbed in it, the reply will show up before I know it!”

Key Points

  1. 気(き)を紛(まぎ)らわそう = “I’ll distract myself”

    • 気(き)を紛(まぎ)らす is an idiom meaning “to divert your feelings/attention to ease anxiety or impatience”.

  2. 読(よ)んで気(き)を紛(まぎ)らわそう = two actions chained in casual speech

    • The core structure is 新刊(しんかん)（を）読(よ)んで、気(き)を紛(まぎ)らわそう.

    • The particle を after 新刊(しんかん) is omitted (very normal in casual speech).

    • The て-form (読(よ)んで) links “read it” → “and (by doing that) distract myself”.

  3. 楽(たの)しみにしてた = 楽(たの)しみにしていた (spoken contraction)

    • 〜てた is the casual contraction of 〜ていた.

    • 楽(たの)しみにしてた新刊(しんかん) means “the new volume I’d been looking forward to” (enough context that “new volume” implies “of the series”).

  4. 返信(へんしん)が来(こ)ない / 返信(へんしん)来(き)てたりするかも = “reply hasn’t come” / “might have come”

    • 和泉(いずみ)からの返信(へんしん)が来(こ)ない: literally “a reply from Izumi isn’t coming” → “I haven’t gotten a reply from Izumi”.

    • 来(き)てたりするかも is casual speculation (“it might have come / might be there”).

See Also