evitar
/ebiˈtaɾ/
To avoid in Spanish is evitar.
The verb evitar is used to express the act of keeping away from something or someone.
Meaning: to keep away from (verb)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of Latin America, you may hear the colloquial and informal term Zafar used to mean getting away from or escaping something.
How does it change in a sentence?
evitar is an -ar verb, so it follows the standard conjugation patterns for the first conjugation group. When the object you are avoiding is a specific person, you must include the 'personal a' after the verb, such as in evitar a María. If you are avoiding an object, you can attach the direct object pronoun to the end of the infinitive, such as in evitarlo for 'to avoid it'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ebiˈtaɾ/
Did you know?
- To describe the act of socially avoiding someone by ignoring them, Spanish speakers use the phrase hacer el vacío, meaning 'to make a vacuum'.
- The Spanish word evitar shares a Latin ancestor with the English word 'inevitable', which describes something that cannot be avoided.
- While English distinguishes between avoiding a person and preventing an event, the Spanish verb evitar is frequently used to mean both 'avoid' and 'prevent'.
Examples in context
- Tom quería evitar a María.Tom wanted to avoid Mary.This sentence shows how to avoid a specific person using the 'personal a' with evitar.Tatoeba #5144145 by Umino, translation #4666332 by CK
- Creo que podemos evitar eso.I think we can avoid that.This sentence demonstrates using evitar to avoid a situation or thing.Tatoeba #5217084 by Elyte, translation #5216766 by CK
- Lo siento, pero no pude evitarlo.I'm sorry, but I couldn't avoid it.This sentence shows how to attach the pronoun to the end of the infinitive as evitarlo.Tatoeba #7273260 by arh, translation #2540075 by CK
- Por favor, evite hacer comentarios ofensivos.Please avoid making offensive comments.
- Es mejor no tomar parte en discusiones negativas.It is better to avoid taking part in negative discussions.
- Esquiva las preguntas difíciles.Avoid the difficult questions.
- Intenta eludir los problemas cuando sea posible.Try to avoid problems whenever possible.
- Trata de zafar de esa situación embarazosa.Try to get away from that embarrassing situation.
- No evites tus responsabilidades.Don't avoid your responsibilities.
- 68 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are talking about their route to a party.
- Alejandro¿Cómo llegamos a la fiesta?How do we get to the party?
- ElenaDebemos evitar la carretera principal.We should avoid the main road.
- AlejandroTienes razón, hay mucho tráfico.You are right, there is a lot of traffic.
- ElenaSí, así llegaremos más rápido.Yes, that way we will arrive faster.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “avoid” translations and entries evitar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries evitar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
