To avoid something or keep it from happening
Encoding Strategies:
mnemonic
evade
to dodge or escape
+
-ar
verb suffix
Evitar means to avoid and sounds like the English word evade0 turned into a verb, since when you evade something, you avoid it.
evitar
to avoid, to stay away from
When you keep away from something you don't want to deal with.
Tomé otra calle para evitar el tráficoI took another street to avoid the traffic
Siempre evita a su exjefe en las fiestasShe always stays away from her ex-boss at parties
to prevent, to avert
When you stop something bad from happening. You avoid the problem by making sure it never arrives.
Lávate las manos para evitar enfermarteWash your hands to prevent getting sick
Su rápida reacción evitó un accidenteHis quick reaction averted an accident
to spare, to save (someone from something)
When you keep someone from having to deal with something. You help them avoid it.
Te quiero evitar la molestia de venir hasta aquíI want to spare you the trouble of coming all the way here
Tu llamada me evitó un viaje inútilYour call saved me a pointless trip
evitarse
to save oneself, to spare oneself
When you keep yourself from having to deal with something, avoiding it for your own sake.
Si sales temprano, te evitas el tráficoIf you leave early, you save yourself the traffic
Me evité muchos problemas diciendo la verdadI spared myself a lot of problems by telling the truth