避 bì to avoid
to avoid; to turn away; to hide; to hide from
How to remember 避: 辶 road + 辟 law = to avoid. Knowing he broke the law, the speeding driver swerves off the main road into a side street, desperate to avoid from the police.
Component breakdown
避 = 辶 road + 辟 law
- 辶 road
- 辟 law
Knowing he broke the law, the speeding driver swerves off the main road into a side street, desperate to avoid from the police.
How it is used
- Bound character meaning "avoid/dodge," almost always inside two-syllable compounds.
- 避免 bìmiǎn is the formal way to say "avoid doing something," taking a verb phrase as object: 避免迟到 (bìmiǎn chídào) "avoid being late" - everyday speech would just use 别/不要.
- 回避 huíbì is for dodging a topic or question, 逃避 táobì is for shirking a duty or responsibility, and 躲避 duǒbì is for physically hiding from something like rain or danger - same English "avoid," different targets.
Words with 避
Example sentences
- 带把伞出去，避免淋雨。 Dài bǎ sǎn chūqù, bìmiǎn línyǔ.Bring along an umbrella to avoid the rain.