A cartoon figure is walking along a path and takes a wide detour to bypass a large, bright red, thorny bush that is blocking the straight route.

evitar

eh-vee-TAR

verbB1regular ar

to avoid?to keep away from (people, things, or situations)

Also:to prevent?to stop something bad from happening,to evade?to skillfully escape something

Quick Reference

infinitiveevitar

gerundevitando

past Participleevitado

📝 In Action

Ella siempre intenta evitar el tráfico de la mañana.

She always tries to avoid the morning traffic.

Debemos evitar comer demasiada comida rápida.

We should avoid eating too much fast food.

El doctor nos dijo que evitáramos el estrés para estar saludables.

The doctor told us to prevent stress in order to be healthy.

Word Connections

Synonyms

eludir (to evade)
esquivar (to dodge)

Antonyms

afrontar (to face/confront)
buscar (to seek)

Common Collocations

evitar un accidente – to avoid an accident
evitar a alguien – to avoid someone (socially)

💡 Grammar Points

Evitar + Infinitive

When you avoid doing an action, 'evitar' is always followed immediately by the base form of the second verb (the infinitive), without any prepositions like 'de' or 'a'. Example: 'Evito hablar' (I avoid talking).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Incorrect use of 'de'

Mistake: "Evitamos de ir al centro."

Correction: Evitamos ir al centro. ('Evitar' does not need 'de' before the next verb.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Prevent vs. Avoid

While 'evitar' means both 'to avoid' and 'to prevent,' when you specifically mean 'to prevent' (like stopping a process), you might also hear 'prevenir' or 'impedir,' though 'evitar' works fine for simple situations.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: evitar

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'evitar' when followed by another action?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

evitación(avoidance) - noun

evitable(avoidable) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'evitar' ever require the special verb form (subjunctive)?

Generally, no, not when it refers to your own actions. Since 'evitar' means 'to prevent/avoid,' you are stating a fact about what you or someone else avoids (e.g., 'Evito los dulces' - I avoid sweets). It acts like a standard indicative verb.

Is 'evitar' the same as 'prevenir'?

They are similar! 'Evitar' is more about keeping away from something (an action or object). 'Prevenir' often focuses more specifically on planning or taking steps beforehand to make sure something doesn't happen (like a doctor might 'prevenir' an illness).