éviter
/e.vi.te/
To avoid in French is expressed by éviter. Wiktionary also lists fuir.
Meaning: to keep away from (verb)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| éviter | /e.vi.te/ |
| fuir | /fɥiʁ/ |
The verb is used to express the act of keeping away from an event, a situation or a person. The noun form of this verb is évitement, which means avoidance.
Which one should you use?
While éviter is used for avoiding situations or people, fuir is used when you are implying an active, physical flight or an escape from something. For more formal contexts where you mean to bypass or circumvent something, you may use contourner.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /e.vi.te/ and has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- While fuir means to avoid or flee, it is also used colloquially to describe a leaking tap or a gas leak using the phrase ça fuit.
- The term fuite en avant describes a 'flight forward', a paradoxical strategy of avoiding a problem by taking increasingly rash actions.
- If you are avoiding a question in a formal debate, you might use éluder rather than éviter, which suggests a more clever or subtle dodging of the truth.
Examples in context
- J'essaie de les éviter.I'm trying to avoid them.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of éviter with people.Tatoeba #13388456 by lbdx, translation #3919558 by CH
- Essaie d'éviter la malbouffe.Try to avoid junk food.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of éviter with objects or concepts like food.Tatoeba #6537751 by GB3, translation #6531991 by CK
- Tu devrais éviter de te gaver.You should avoid binge eating.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of éviter followed by a verb.Tatoeba #959272 by sacredceltic, translation #954797 by CK
- Nous devons éviter tout risque de pollution.We must avoid any risk of pollution.
- Il est essentiel de prévenir les accidents du travail.It is essential to avoid work accidents.
- Nous devons trouver un moyen de contourner ce problème.We need to find a way to avoid this problem.
- Évite de trop manger des sucreries.Avoid eating too many sweets.
- Ne te mets pas dans des ennuis.Avoid getting yourself into trouble.
- Esquive les problèmesAvoid the problems
- 115 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Gabriel are planning a walking route in the city.
- ChloéOn doit éviter le centre-ville aujourd'hui.We should avoid the city center today.
- GabrielPourquoi ? Il y a des travaux ?Why? Is there roadwork?
- ChloéOui, il vaut mieux éviter les bouchons.Yes, it is better to avoid the traffic jams.
- GabrielD'accord, on va prendre un autre chemin.Okay, we will take another way.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “avoid” translations and entries éviter, fuir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
