Inklingo

How to Say "fleeing" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “fleeing” is “huyendo” — use 'huyendo' when describing the ongoing action of running away from danger or pursuit..

English → Spanish

huyendo

/oo-YEN-doh//uˈʝen̪.do/

Verb Form (Gerund)A2General
Use 'huyendo' when describing the ongoing action of running away from danger or pursuit.
A simple storybook illustration of a stylized figure running urgently and quickly across a landscape, suggesting the act of fleeing.

Examples

El sospechoso está huyendo de la escena del crimen.

The suspect is fleeing the crime scene.

Ella salió huyendo de la habitación después de oír la noticia.

She left running away from the room after hearing the news.

Siempre viven huyendo de sus problemas en lugar de enfrentarlos.

They are always living by running away from their problems instead of facing them.

Forming Continuous Actions

The word 'huyendo' (the gerund) is used with the verb 'estar' to describe an action that is happening right now, just like adding '-ing' in English: 'está huyendo' means 'is fleeing'.

Using the Gerund Adverbially

You can use 'huyendo' right after another verb to show how someone did something: 'Salió huyendo' means 'He left, doing so by fleeing/running away'.

The Y-Glide Rule

Mistake: “Huiendo (missing the 'y')”

Correction: Huyendo (must include the 'y'). The base verb 'huir' has two vowels next to each other ('u' and 'i'). When forming the gerund, Spanish changes the 'i' to a 'y' sound to make it flow better.

fugitivo

/foo-hee-TEE-boh//fu.xi.ˈti.βo/

AdjectiveB2General
Use 'fugitivo' to describe a person who is actively on the run or considered a fugitive.
A person running through a dense forest with a determined look on their face.

Examples

Lleva una vida fugitiva desde que escapó de la cárcel.

He has been living a life on the run since he escaped from jail.

Adjective Agreement

The word must match the person or thing it describes. If you are talking about multiple people, add an 's': 'los niños fugitivos' (the runaway children).

Action vs. Person

The most common mistake is using 'fugitivo' to describe the action of fleeing. Remember, 'fugitivo' is an adjective describing the person, while 'huyendo' is the gerund describing the act of running away.

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