evitare

avoid

verb eh-vee-TAH-reh Common

Origin: from Latin evitare

Usage Note

Evitare means to avoid, and it takes di before another verb: evita di fumare ('avoid smoking'). The polite evita di... is a softer way to tell someone not to do something. It comes from Latin vitare, to shun.

Examples

"Cerco di evitare i problemi."

Natural Translation

I try to avoid trouble.

Literal Translation

I-try of to-avoid the problems.

Free starter pack

Building your Italian vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common Italian words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore Italian by topic

ItalianNow

Avere Fame: Why Italians "Have" Hunger, Not "Are"

In Italian you say Ho fame (I have hunger), never sono fame. Learn the avere + noun rule for fame, freddo, paura, age, and the sono caldo trap to avoid.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Adjective Agreement & Placement Made Simple

Italian adjectives agree in gender and number and usually sit after the noun. Master the -o/-a/-i/-e endings, the BAGS rule, and meaning-shifting pairs.

June 5, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Prepositions: A, In, Di, Da, Su Made Simple

Cities take a, countries take in, origin is di, agents are da. Master the five Italian prepositions a, in, di, da, su and their contractions fast.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

Buongiorno, Ciao or Salve? Italian Greetings Made Easy

When in doubt, say salve and mirror the reply. Here's how to pick between buongiorno, buonasera, ciao and salve so your Italian greetings never sound rude.

June 5, 2026 5 min read