避

• Pinyin: bì
• Hanzi breakdown: 避 = 辶 (walk/movement radical) + 辟 (phonetic component), meaning avoid/evade

Meaning

To avoid; to evade; to steer clear of. The act of staying away from something undesirable.

Used for physically dodging something or deliberately keeping away from people, situations, or topics. Often appears in compounds like 避开 (dodge), 避免 (prevent), 回避 (evade a topic), 躲避 (hide from). More literary than 躲 in standalone usage.

Examples

1. 下雨了，我们赶紧找个地方避一避吧。 It's raining — let's quickly find somewhere to take shelter.
2. 他看到那个人就赶紧避开了。 As soon as he saw that person, he quickly moved away.
3. 开车的时候要注意避让行人。 When driving, you must be careful to yield to pedestrians.

Usage Guide

Context: everyday, driving, interpersonal

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 天气太热了，我们找个地方避避太阳。(It's too hot — let's find somewhere to get out of the sun.)
• 这个话题太敏感了，我们还是避一避吧。(This topic is too sensitive — let's steer clear of it.)

Don't Say

• 说'避了他一个问题'来表示回答了问题 (Don't confuse 避 with answering — 避 means to avoid, not to address; for avoiding a question, say 回避了那个问题)

Origin & History

Composed of 辶 (walk, movement) and 辟 (phonetic component). The walking radical suggests movement away from something — the core meaning of avoidance.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal