How to Say "runs away" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “runs away” is “escapa” — use 'escapa' when the subject is breaking free from a place or situation where it was confined or held, like escaping a garden or a prison..
escapa
/es-KAH-pah//esˈkapa/
Examples
El perro siempre escapa del jardín.
The dog always escapes from the garden.
¡Escapa! Hay una emergencia.
Escape! There is an emergency.
Usted escapa de sus responsabilidades constantemente.
You (formal) constantly escape your responsibilities.
Dual Role of 'Escapa'
This exact form ('escapa') has two main uses: 1) What 'he/she/it' does right now (Present Tense), and 2) A direct, informal command to 'you' (tú) to do the action.
Preposition 'De'
When you talk about escaping from something, Spanish almost always uses the preposition 'de' (from), as in 'escapa de la situación' (he escapes from the situation).
Confusing the Command
Mistake: “Using 'escapas' for the informal command (e.g., ¡Tú escapas!).”
Correction: The correct informal command is the shorter form, '¡Escapa!' (the same as the 'he/she' form in the present tense).
huye
OO-yeh/ˈuʝe/
Examples
El perro huye del ruido fuerte de los fuegos artificiales.
The dog runs away from the loud noise of the fireworks.
El perro **huye** del ruido fuerte de los fuegos artificiales.
The dog **runs away** from the loud noise of the fireworks.
Ella siempre **huye** de los problemas en lugar de enfrentarlos.
She always **avoids** problems instead of facing them.
¡Si ves al oso, **huye**! ¡No te quedes ahí!
If you see the bear, **flee**! Don't stay there!
Two Roles for 'Huye'
'Huye' has two main jobs: it means 'he/she/it flees' or 'you (formal) flee' in the present tense, AND it is the informal command 'Flee!' directed at a friend ('tú').
The 'Y' Irregularity
The base verb 'huir' (to flee) is irregular because it adds a 'y' when the stress falls on the stem, turning 'ui' into 'uy' (huyo, huyes, huye). This 'y' sound helps the word flow better.
Missing the Preposition 'De'
Mistake: “Huye la casa.”
Correction: **Huye de** la casa. (He flees **from** the house). The verb 'huir' almost always needs the preposition 'de' (from) to show what is being escaped.
Escapa vs. Huye
Related Translations
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