A cheerful cartoon character is walking on a green path and deliberately stepping sideways to bypass a large, bright red obstacle cube placed directly in their way, demonstrating the action of avoidance.

evitarlo

eh-vee-TAR-loh

ContractionB1regular ar

to avoid it?General action,avoiding it?Used after prepositions

Also:to steer clear of it?Figurative avoidance,to dodge it?Quick or physical avoidance

Quick Reference

infinitiveevitar

gerundevitando

past Participleevitado

📝 In Action

Sabemos que es un riesgo, pero es imposible evitarlo.

We know it's a risk, but it's impossible to avoid it.

Si no quieres verla, puedes evitarlo fácilmente cambiando de ruta.

If you don't want to see her (or it), you can easily avoid it by changing your route.

Intentó evitarlo a toda costa, pero la reunión era obligatoria.

He tried to avoid it at all costs, but the meeting was mandatory.

Word Connections

Synonyms

esquivarlo (to dodge it)
eludirlo (to elude it)

Antonyms

afrontarlo (to face it)
buscarlo (to look for it)

Common Collocations

tratar de evitarlo – to try to avoid it
no se puede evitarlo – it cannot be avoided

💡 Grammar Points

The Structure of 'Evitarlo'

This word is the base verb 'evitar' (to avoid) with the pronoun 'lo' (it/him) attached directly to the end. This is common when the verb is in its infinitive form.

Pronoun Placement Rule

When you have two verbs together (e.g., 'quiero evitar'), the attached pronoun ('lo') can either go at the end of the infinitive ('quiero evitarlo') or before the conjugated verb ('lo quiero evitar').

The Accent Mark

When attaching one or more pronouns to an infinitive, you must usually add an accent mark to keep the original stress on the last syllable of the verb, but 'evitarlo' does not need one because the stress naturally falls where it should: on the 'a' of 'tar'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the 'It'

Mistake: "Quiero evitar. (I want to avoid.)"

Correction: Quiero evitarlo. (I want to avoid it.) If the 'it' refers to a specific masculine noun, use 'lo'. If it's a feminine noun, use 'la' (evitarla).

⭐ Usage Tips

Context of 'Lo'

'Lo' can mean 'it' (referring to an action, situation, or neuter concept) or 'him' (referring to a masculine person or object). Context usually makes it clear.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: evitarlo

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'evitarlo' correctly?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

evitar(to avoid) - verb

evitación(avoidance) - noun

evitable(avoidable) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I separate 'evitar' and 'lo'?

Yes! When you have a conjugated verb followed by 'evitar' (like 'debo evitarlo'), you can move the 'lo' to the front of the conjugated verb: 'Lo debo evitar.' Both forms mean the exact same thing.

What if I need to avoid something feminine, like 'la situación' (the situation)?

In that case, you would use 'la' instead of 'lo' and say 'evitarla'. The ending pronoun always has to match the gender of the thing you are avoiding.